S & S vs Buffalo ( Breech Blocks )

[Dana]

I'm still at it, trying to find out best Breech to buy ( quality ) S & S from what I have read, has a spring that allows you not to have to half cock to eject shells, is this the only difference between Buffalo and S & S, is the machine work and case harding equal. does the same company manufacture both blocks?

S & S seems hard to contact by phone ? is this common? or maybe just closed through New Years.

One more Question, Barrel grooves, early models have 6 grooves ( 56-56 ) later Springfield refitted with 3 groove ( 56-50 ) is there a difference in accuracy, I see Romano uses a 8 groove barrel.

Thanks everyone for all the good info I have been receiving over the year!!
Dana

[geo]

s&s is a family run business on long island, n.y. they well may be closed for the holidays. their spencer blocks are made by a single machinest in pennsylvania. but i have one from them made many years ago. it works fine. can't speak for the ones being made now but s&s has very high standards and are very good with their customers. same with buffalo arms. i have had nothing but good interactions with them. they even called me at home (md) to solve a question they had with one of my orders. don't think you can go wrong either place. good luck, geo.

[Jobe Holiday]

None of the CF Spencer replacement blocks have a firing pin return spring strong enough to retract with the hammer down on it. Even S&S will tell you that you have to place the hammer on half-cock to prevent snapping the firing pin off.

JH

[General Lee]

I have had good luck with the Buffalo Arms Co. center fire breach block.  Not so good luck with an earlier no name replacement

[DJ]

I talked with Larry Romano a couple years ago about various breechblocks, firing pins, and spring strength.  He told me (at that time, at least) that he used a rebounding firing pin in his Spencer breechblocks.  A rebounding firing pin would allow opening of the breechblock with the hammer down while not endangering the firing pin.

I hope to pick up a Romano block in a few weeks--if I do I will post a report on how it compares to my other centerfire blocks.

--DJ