Help! Problem with brand new Browning Buckmark!!

max52 · October 23, 2006, 08:39 PM

I posted the following message in the Handguns: semi-auto forum, but I think I should have posted it here...Please help!

I'm having a problem with my new standard stainless buckmark pistol that I hope can be rectified without sending it back to Browning. I took it out for the first time yesterday and shot around 200 rounds. The problem is that at least 1 or 2 rounds out of the magazine do not fire. They all chamber fine without any jams, but when I pull the trigger and the firing pin hits the shell, but it does not fire. This almost seems like a weak firing pin spring I once had in a shotgun, but I figured that if it was weak maybe more out of the magazine wouldn't fire. Anyway, I tried 3 different brands of shells (CCI Mini mags, Remington,& Winchester) and I've had this happen using all three. Maybe 3 of the 20 magazines had all rounds fire in them. When this first happened after the first few magazines, I took the gun apart (per the manual) and cleaned it. I thought maybe there was hardened grease maybe slowing down the firing pin, but it didn't help. On the rounds that did not fire, there is a light indentation on the rim. If I carefully rechamber these, sometimes they will fire. I was hoping that maybe this would go away once the gun is broken in, but I thought I'd try and get a few opinions on the problem. Hopefully someone has run into this issue before and has a suggestion on what else to check. After waiting months for this gun to finally come in, I'd really hate to send it back after having it for only one day.
Thanks for any and all responses.

bennnn · October 23, 2006, 08:45 PM

Did you clean it before the first time you shot it?

cntryboy1289 · October 23, 2006, 10:51 PM

I would take a good look at the firing pin and see what kind of shape the tip is in and look at the case heads and tell me what area is struck and how wide and deep the indentation is. If it has a wide tip, sometime narrowing it up slightly will make a bif difference when it comes to reliable ignition.

Sometime the tip is hitting in the center of the rim too much and you can adjust this by sanding on the firing pin where it lays in the bolt to help lower it down toward the rim slightly more.

If the indentation isn't deep enough, you may need to allow more of the pin to move forward by filing on the firing pin to allow it to move further forward. Use a punch to push it forward as far as it will go, it needs to move out flush with the bolt face and no further. If it won't move out this much, then you need to remove metal from either the slot where the pin enters or remove metal from the pin where it is notched, i can't remember off hand which way this does exactly.

Now if you have done all of this and it still does it, I would say you have an excessive amount of headspace either on your bolt or in your barrel. If it is on the barrel, the rim won't sit flush on the end of the barrel but will be somewhat down below it slightly which you might need to take it to a smith and let him solve this for you. If the barrel is fine but the bolt has excessive headspace, you can most likely do this yourself if you have access to a belt sander or surface grinder. You don't really need more than .043" headspace on a 22lr bolt between the rim cut at the back to the front face of the bolt. If you can handle the job and want to, you can remove the excess metal from the face of the bolt down to .043" and polish it up and things should be fine for you. Only thing to look out for is if the extractor hook is too long, it may need to be heated up and bent slightly in a vise to take up the room left by the process.

If all this sounds Greek to you, then by all means take it to a reputable smith and let him take a look at it for you. It shouldn't take but about an hour to make it right and have you out the door shooting it again.

T. O'Heir · October 24, 2006, 01:28 AM

Give it a really good bath then try different ammo. .22's are daft things. Two identical firearms will shoot and cycle the same brand of ammo differently. You need to try as many brands of ammo as you can to find the one or two your pistol will shoot well and cycle the action. The brand name and price of the ammo doesn't matter either.

James K · October 24, 2006, 05:53 PM

Good advice, but...

the gun is new. Filing, grinding, or anything else will void the warranty. It will be a pain to take it back after waiting so long, but if you take it to a gunsmith or do anything except clean it, you will be stuck with the gun, for better or worse. If you start working on it, and get in deeper and ruin something, you will pay for it.

One thing you can do is make sure the chamber is completely free of any grease or oil that might have been put in for shipping. One thing that can cause misfires is grease cushioning the round or holding the slide out of battery.

Jim

Harry Bonar · November 19, 2006, 09:11 PM

Dear Sir:
Get a Ruger bull bbl; if there is anything I hate more than a Encore it would be a Buckmark!
I'm sorry, but I have no confidence in them - but Browning makes some nice rifles.
Harry B.

mete · November 19, 2006, 11:14 PM

I would first remove the firing pin and spring ,clean them and the hole ..See that there are no burrs and firing pin protrusion is about .045".

Fremmer · November 20, 2006, 12:25 AM

Max, does it happen right away, or after you've been shooting for awhile? The reason I'm asking is that if the disassembly screws on the top of the pistol loosen during shooting, the gun can begin to misfire. Check them to make sure they are nice and snug before you begin and then about half way through your shooting session.

HSMITH · November 20, 2006, 11:38 PM

Been running Buckmarks and setting my friends up with them for lots of years, the gun will be a favorite shortly.

Lube it heavily, lube the firing pin, bolt slide surfaces, everything you see that might move. FP10 is a good choice, use PLENTY of it. Wear an old shirt, it wil fling the dirty oil off for the first couple mags. From then on just apply some lube before shooting, shoot the snot out of it and put it away. Repeat for 10K rounds, clean whether it needs it or not, and repeat.

Generally I agree with Harry but on this one we are 180* out, you couldn't GIVE me a Ruger unless it was agreed I would sell it and buy a good gun. I have a real dislike for the Ruger 22 autoloading pistols..

Harry Bonar · November 21, 2006, 10:08 PM

HS SMITH
I understand .
H.B.

October 23, 2006, 08:39 PM	#1
max52 Junior Member Join Date: October 22, 2006 Posts: 5	Help! Problem with brand new Browning Buckmark!! I posted the following message in the Handguns: semi-auto forum, but I think I should have posted it here...Please help! I'm having a problem with my new standard stainless buckmark pistol that I hope can be rectified without sending it back to Browning. I took it out for the first time yesterday and shot around 200 rounds. The problem is that at least 1 or 2 rounds out of the magazine do not fire. They all chamber fine without any jams, but when I pull the trigger and the firing pin hits the shell, but it does not fire. This almost seems like a weak firing pin spring I once had in a shotgun, but I figured that if it was weak maybe more out of the magazine wouldn't fire. Anyway, I tried 3 different brands of shells (CCI Mini mags, Remington,& Winchester) and I've had this happen using all three. Maybe 3 of the 20 magazines had all rounds fire in them. When this first happened after the first few magazines, I took the gun apart (per the manual) and cleaned it. I thought maybe there was hardened grease maybe slowing down the firing pin, but it didn't help. On the rounds that did not fire, there is a light indentation on the rim. If I carefully rechamber these, sometimes they will fire. I was hoping that maybe this would go away once the gun is broken in, but I thought I'd try and get a few opinions on the problem. Hopefully someone has run into this issue before and has a suggestion on what else to check. After waiting months for this gun to finally come in, I'd really hate to send it back after having it for only one day. Thanks for any and all responses.

October 23, 2006, 08:45 PM	#2
bennnn Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2006 Location: almost far enough south.. Posts: 978	Did you clean it before the first time you shot it? __________________ I owe a lot to the man who first cradled this rifle in his hands... wish I could tell him thanks.-- mdshooter Last edited by bennnn; October 24, 2006 at 06:07 PM.

October 23, 2006, 10:51 PM	#3
cntryboy1289 Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2004 Location: Ms Posts: 1,160	something for you I would take a good look at the firing pin and see what kind of shape the tip is in and look at the case heads and tell me what area is struck and how wide and deep the indentation is. If it has a wide tip, sometime narrowing it up slightly will make a bif difference when it comes to reliable ignition. Sometime the tip is hitting in the center of the rim too much and you can adjust this by sanding on the firing pin where it lays in the bolt to help lower it down toward the rim slightly more. If the indentation isn't deep enough, you may need to allow more of the pin to move forward by filing on the firing pin to allow it to move further forward. Use a punch to push it forward as far as it will go, it needs to move out flush with the bolt face and no further. If it won't move out this much, then you need to remove metal from either the slot where the pin enters or remove metal from the pin where it is notched, i can't remember off hand which way this does exactly. Now if you have done all of this and it still does it, I would say you have an excessive amount of headspace either on your bolt or in your barrel. If it is on the barrel, the rim won't sit flush on the end of the barrel but will be somewhat down below it slightly which you might need to take it to a smith and let him solve this for you. If the barrel is fine but the bolt has excessive headspace, you can most likely do this yourself if you have access to a belt sander or surface grinder. You don't really need more than .043" headspace on a 22lr bolt between the rim cut at the back to the front face of the bolt. If you can handle the job and want to, you can remove the excess metal from the face of the bolt down to .043" and polish it up and things should be fine for you. Only thing to look out for is if the extractor hook is too long, it may need to be heated up and bent slightly in a vise to take up the room left by the process. If all this sounds Greek to you, then by all means take it to a reputable smith and let him take a look at it for you. It shouldn't take but about an hour to make it right and have you out the door shooting it again.

November 19, 2006, 09:11 PM	#6
Harry Bonar Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2004 Location: In the Vincent, Ohio general area. Posts: 1,804	Buckmark Dear Sir: Get a Ruger bull bbl; if there is anything I hate more than a Encore it would be a Buckmark! I'm sorry, but I have no confidence in them - but Browning makes some nice rifles. Harry B.

November 21, 2006, 10:08 PM	#10
Harry Bonar Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2004 Location: In the Vincent, Ohio general area. Posts: 1,804	buckmark; HS SMITH I understand . H.B.

October 24, 2006, 01:28 AM	#4
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Give it a really good bath then try different ammo. .22's are daft things. Two identical firearms will shoot and cycle the same brand of ammo differently. You need to try as many brands of ammo as you can to find the one or two your pistol will shoot well and cycle the action. The brand name and price of the ammo doesn't matter either.

October 24, 2006, 05:53 PM	#5
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Good advice, but... the gun is new. Filing, grinding, or anything else will void the warranty. It will be a pain to take it back after waiting so long, but if you take it to a gunsmith or do anything except clean it, you will be stuck with the gun, for better or worse. If you start working on it, and get in deeper and ruin something, you will pay for it. One thing you can do is make sure the chamber is completely free of any grease or oil that might have been put in for shipping. One thing that can cause misfires is grease cushioning the round or holding the slide out of battery. Jim

November 19, 2006, 11:14 PM	#7
mete Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2004 Location: NY State Posts: 6,575	I would first remove the firing pin and spring ,clean them and the hole ..See that there are no burrs and firing pin protrusion is about .045".

November 20, 2006, 12:25 AM	#8
Fremmer Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2005 Location: Nebraska Posts: 3,482	Max, does it happen right away, or after you've been shooting for awhile? The reason I'm asking is that if the disassembly screws on the top of the pistol loosen during shooting, the gun can begin to misfire. Check them to make sure they are nice and snug before you begin and then about half way through your shooting session.

November 20, 2006, 11:38 PM	#9
HSMITH Senior Member Join Date: June 21, 2002 Posts: 2,019	Been running Buckmarks and setting my friends up with them for lots of years, the gun will be a favorite shortly. Lube it heavily, lube the firing pin, bolt slide surfaces, everything you see that might move. FP10 is a good choice, use PLENTY of it. Wear an old shirt, it wil fling the dirty oil off for the first couple mags. From then on just apply some lube before shooting, shoot the snot out of it and put it away. Repeat for 10K rounds, clean whether it needs it or not, and repeat. Generally I agree with Harry but on this one we are 180* out, you couldn't GIVE me a Ruger unless it was agreed I would sell it and buy a good gun. I have a real dislike for the Ruger 22 autoloading pistols..