[TigerTiger]

Went to the range yesterday to see if my two spring fix for FTE problems had fixed the problem. After firing six rounds with no FTE issues, the 7th round failed to feed. When I checked the gun I found that the Assembly Pin had partially worked its way out of the gun. Before going to the range I had cleaned/greased the PF-9 and manually worked the slide and dried fired using snap caps. Everything worked fine. I'm sure I had put the gun back together correctly. Can't figure out what would cause the Assembly Pin to work loose. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[PF9Newbie]

The assembly pin has to "snap" in so that the retaining spring leg locks into the slot cut in the pin. If the assembly pin is just pushed in, but not locked by the spring, the pistol will function in bench testing, but under repeated recoil will back out and lock up the slide or cause other malfunctions. Check to see if the retaining spring is properly in place, and then push the assembly pin firmly in, until you can hear/feel it "snap" into place under spring pressure.

Jim R

 

[TigerTiger]

Thanks PF9Newbie

Can't remember hearing or feeling a 'snap' when I reassembled the gun before going to the range. That may well have been the problem. As for the spring, where is it located? I looked through the hole the Assembly Pin fits into but couldn't see a spring. Could the spring you mentioned be the one that runs along the outside bottom of the Assembly Pin?

Joe

 

[PF9Newbie]

Thanks PF9Newbie

Can't remember hearing or feeling a 'snap' when I reassembled the gun before going to the range. That may well have been the problem. As for the spring, where is it located? I looked through the hole the Assembly Pin fits into but couldn't see a spring. Could the spring you mentioned be the one that runs along the outside bottom of the Assembly Pin?

Joe

If you look closely at the grip/frame without the slide in place, you will see the top "leg" of the spring running along the bottom edge of the cut out slot in the frame where the assembly pin goes in. It runs parallel to the frame rail. Look closely at the bottom of the assembly pin and you will see a "notch" in the pin. This is the notch that the spring leg should snap into to hold the pin firmly in place. While the spring is fairly robust, it can break, which then leaves the assembly pin with nothing to hold it in, so check this carefully and try inserting the pin without the slide on to see that the spring leg snaps into the slot on the pin. Then when reassembling, be sure the pin snaps into place-takes just a little extra "push" to ride up over the spring and some have, in the past, missed this last little push, which leaves the assembly pin free to back out.

Jim R

 

[TigerTiger]

Jim R

Excellent description and instructions.

Many Thanks
Joe