Winchester 100 Firing Pin

Question
I recently purchased a Model 100 Carbine. I have heard of the Winchester recall for bad firing pins and would like to know how to tell if my firing pin has already been replaced?  

Answer
Mike,

The following is a reprint of my answer to this question on 11/21 found on this site.

The model 100 recall was issued as notice 7-1990 by Winchester.

In short, it advised that the firing pin may break  due to use and metal fatigue and become lodged in the breech bolt face. If this occurs, the firearm may fire before the action is locked causing damage to the firearm and injury to the shooter and/or bystanders.

A new firing pin was designed to replace the original pin.  Winchester advised against use of the firearm until a replacement pin could be installed.  Winchester advised to send the gun to a authorized service center for the pin replacement.

You can obtain additional info from Winchester at 1-800-852-5734. This is a dedicated line/number for owners of the Winchester 100 concerning the firing pin recall.

The old firing pin was lathe turned - round.  The new style is similar on the front and back but in the front midsection it has two flats milled, one on each side making the center section much stronger.

Upon completion of the recall/repair, the shop doing the work was to have test fired the gun and to then stamp an assigned letter on the inside top of the receiver as seen through the magazine well with the bolt retracted.

These letters were assigned to various repair centers and although not important as the shop ID, it is important in helping you determine if the repair was made.  The letters that were stamped inside on the top inside of the receiver were: "B", "L", "N", or "X".

In addition to this info, I would recommend contacting the company at the firing pin recall number that I've provided above for additional information.

Thanks for the question Mike.

Sid Lark