Think I caused a light strike

[Southern Guy]

I did something stupid yesterday, and I want you people to tell me just how stupid it was.

I was giving my PM45 an overdue cleaning and for some incredibly stupid reason I decided to take my fingernail and pull the striker back and put grease on it.
Well, as my usual custom I went out side to put a mag or two through it after the cleaning just to make sure all is well, and what do you know? Third round, no fire. Ejected the round and it barely had a mark on it where the striker hit. So I put it back in the mag and bang. After firing a few more mags through it with no more problems I picked up my brass and inspected the primers. They were all pinged very well, none even came close to looking like a light strike.
That's when I remembered my stupidity, why I decided to do that I'll never know. I know better, if I read where someone else did that I would think "Man that was stupid! What did you expect to happen?"

I am like 99% sure I caused this problem but I would like some reassurance that the grease on the striker, and therefore in the channel is what caused the light strike. I guess I just want people to call me stupid.:7:

Now I'm off to go properly clean my gun. I do know how, although I wouldn't blame you if you didn't believe me.


Side notes:

I use grease rather than oil because I have to leave my gun in the truck when I'm at work and in AL with a black truck and black interior it will reach 150+ degrees almost daily this time of year and oil's generally seem to evaporate in a few days, in the winter I switch to oil's.

It was WWB ammo.

[Bawanna]

I'd personally be surprised if a little dab of grease especially fresh like that would cause a light strike. To single out just one round and the 3rd in line at that, had to be something else. Maybe just a fluke an the grease contributed.

It surely could have been a contributing factor. I'd flush out the channel like you know how to do and try it some more. The WWB should work just fine.

You put a little grease on without dissasembly right, so just a dab by the drop safety?

[ripley16]

If a daub of grease caused a lightstrike then the gun has a major design flaw. A little oil or light grease should not affect the striker energy one whit. Probably a harder than normal primer.

[Southern Guy]

No I didn't dissemble the slide, I just used my nail to pull back the striker and I put a thin line of Remington grease on the striker, it was more than a little dab. Don't know what I thinking.

I probably put another 25 rounds or so through it after that with no problems, and the round that had the light strike fired the next time through.

[Ressom]

More than likely, it wasn't a fluke if you put 'more than a little dab'. Here's is what may have happened. The first two rounds moved the grease to a bad spot. By the third round the grease caused a light strike. Then the grease worked itself around (and probably heated up/got more viscous) and it was fine after that.

I'd take the slide apart and totally clean the firing pin channel.

[Scimmia]

Yes, grease or oil in the striker channel can cause light strikes. I've done it before with a different gun with a lighter aftermarket striker spring and accidently leaking oil into the striker channel. Dry everything is fine, with the oil, occasional light strikes. Grease would be even worse.

[Southern Guy]

Oh well, I recleaned the slide, flushed out the striker channel. Cleaned it all up nice and good. Took it outside put another 30 rounds through it and all the primers are crushed but one, it barley had a scratch on it. I really hate to say it but this gun just hasn't been the same since it came back from C&S. It seems to have a problem every 300 rounds or so. When/if the R45 comes out, my PM45 will probably find a new home. Sad to I really do love this gun.