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Hi, I've made myself a firing pin removal tool from stainless steel. I tried to use it, with the cocking piece held in wooden jaws of a vice and it will not turn.... I can confirm that the locking screw had been removed first ...

My mechanical sympathy kicked in before I got too violent with it - my question is how tight are they usually? The YouTube videos I've watched show them being undone by hand!

My firing pin is ok but I'd like to check the spring and also polish as advised in the tuning book I have... Any advice gratefully received.

Bloody tight sometimes, a good soak with Plus-Gas (NOT WD40!) overnight usually helps.

Also, just a couple of weeks ago I had a Longbranch No4 Mk1* that my home made tool would not quite fit, first time ever...

There were a number of methods, some official and some bubba, of tightening the striker to cocking piece interface, one off these may cause the tightness you are experiencing. Try soaking the threaded area overnight with some Kroil or similar, worked for me. Also try screwing the striker further into the cocking piece a couple of turns before trying to unscrew it.

Ovenpaa wrote:Bloody tight sometimes, a good soak with Plus-Gas (NOT WD40!) overnight usually helps.

Also, just a couple of weeks ago I had a Longbranch No4 Mk1* that my home made tool would not quite fit, first time ever...

Might be because the striker you had was an old type. This had a small protrusion forward of the collar which can prevent the striker removal tool fitting.