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High Power Technical Question

2K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  Burgs 
#1 ·
Hi
I've got a T-Series made around 1970 that I picked up from Cabela's a while back. The couple of times I shot it the gun jammed (round hanging up on feed ramp).
I replaced the springs on the magazines I was using since my Mark III was also hiccuping. That fixed the Mark III but not the T-Series.
Overall the gun is in pretty good shape and is actually has a pretty tight slide/frame fit.
I would like to move towards getting this resolved even though I may use it as a base for a nice C&S or Novak custom job at some point.
Anyway, today I decided to tinker a little and I noticed that the sear lever on the T-Series does not have tension on it pushing it up and down. Comparing it to my Mark III, I actually think the spring is missing.
I stuck a thin punch down that space from the front and it hits metal about halfway down towards the roll pin. Should the sear lever spring be in the same spot as the Mark III? If it is then there is no spring in my T-Series.
You can see the Mark III spring in the 2nd picture.
As a side question, is that "paddle" on the end of the Mark III sear lever serve as the firing pin block?
Thanks for any input.


 
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#2 · (Edited)
The Firing Pin Safety (FPS) with it's associated paddle did not come into being until about 1988. My 1988 MK II has an FPS. Older models didn't.
The lever spring you refer to is an FPS part and not on the T Series.

SO:

What weight recoil spring did you use? If you used a 18.5 lb spring, try a 17 lb because some HPs don't like the heavier spring. I would put a new one it it no matter what. They are super cheap.

Try a new MecGar mag. They are cheap too.

Were you shooting Hollow Points?
Some of the older humped feed ramp HPs don't like JHP ammo. You might want to get some Semi Chrome Polish and GENTLY polish the feed ramp with a soft cloth. That alone might fix your problem.

Good Luck.
 
#4 ·
I ended up driving the pin out so I answered my own question.
The extractor spring is seems plenty strong, I read a weak spring could be a cause of jams.
It was jamming on ball ammo with goods springs in both factory and MecGar magazines.
Whenever I buy a used semi-auto the 1st thing I do is replace the recoil spring so I'll put the original back in and get out sometime soon and shoot it some more to see if that helps.
 
#6 ·
My Hi-Power was hanging up when I first got it just like you described. I took it to the gunsmith at my local range and he told me the hammer spring was way too heavy. I had noticed that the hammer was really hard to cock manually. He change the spring to a match spring and, the issue was solved. I haven't had a failure in over 500 rounds now.
 
#7 ·
I replaced the recoil spring with one that has about 2700 rounds on it.
I shot a box of Walmart Federal and 7 +P hollowpoint's today.
No jams but 2-3 times with rounds in the magazine the hammer dropped down to half cock.
Any ideas?
Also, I noticed the mags drop free so I thought I would try to fire a round without the magazine and it fired, interesting. (The magazine safety is still installed)
Overall, I am very pleased with how well I shot it, stubby sights and all.
 
#8 ·
A few years back one of my Hi-Power's the hammer would go to the half-cock position while shooting. Replaced the main spring and alleviated the problem. Never had it happen since (pistol is a mid 70's BHP).

I'm sure someone here will chime in why your magazine safety is still installed, and your magazines drop free (Novak's offers this modification), but not sure why it still shoots without magazine installed? I don't even pretend to be a gunsmith.....

By the way, what year is your T TJx?
 
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