.22 jams, missfires

[mutski]

Last night, I shot 180 rounds through my Browning Buckmark, had one shell that failed to eject completely and one that failed to fire. That's with Federal 36 gr copper plated hollow point bulk pack. With CCI Blazers (40 gr LRN), I get better accuracy, but considerably more jams and misfires - sometimes a couple per magazine :mad: . Is this normal for a .22 or is there a problem with this gun?

[mikejonestkd]

one failure to fire out of a few hundred rounds of bulk ammo isn't uncommon, the failure to eject could have been a fluke too. Is it new? Or is it broken in and well maintained/ lubed?

My buckmarks like most ammo I feed it but a few have been poor performers in terms of accuracy and reliability and CCI blazer is one of the poorer performers.
Mine tend to like the federal bulk pack...

[zukiphile]

I've had a couple of buckmarks, and think they are fine pistols.

Over the course of tens of thousands of rounds, I noted that they are bit finicky about what they will feed, and don't suffer a lack of cleaning as well as Rugers.

Have you tried Remington golden bullets? Those worked very well for me. I could never get Federals bulk rounds to work in either the Brownings or Rugers. They don't have much oomph.

[BUCKMARK]

No thats not normal. However you are shooting two of the cheapest brands of ammo on the market.

Is the gun new? Is it clean and lubed?

I would clean and lube the gun and try some High Velocity rounds like Remington Golden Bullets and CCI Stingers. See it it misfires with some of the better ammo on the market. If it continues, it might just have a problem.

I have 2 Buckmarks that run great with top quality ammo.

[mutski]

I bought it early fall, probably have put 3000 rounds through it so far. I clean it every time I come home from the range. IT definitely functions best on Federal.

[mutski]

Not sure i've seen Remington golden in lonely forgotten Fairbanks. I'll have a look for it today!

[BUCKMARK]

Most Wal-Marts sell Remington Golden Bullets in 550 round boxes. The box is green and yellow and about the size of the 9mm Winchester White Box. It is not shaped like a milk carton. Ask a clerk next time you are in.

[Troponin]

I am dealing with a similar problem. My .22 mag was missfiring about 1 out of 4 or 5 rounds with most ammo. I actually found that the CCI Maxi HPs actually only missfired 4 out of a box of 50. Many told me to make sure it was clean and the firing pin was moving freely. I did and it was both clean and moving fine.

It's at the smithy now. He has had it all week, so I hope to get it back soon.

[mikejonestkd]

Remington golden bullets have been another poor performer in one of my buckmarks..the others feed then ok but they aren't very accurate out of my guns.

Keep it clean and lubed and find whatever ammo it likes best, then buy a case of it!!!

It is not uncommon even for one of my broken in buckmarks to have one failure to fire out of 2-300 rounds. When they are newer they had a few more failure to fires than that.

[zukiphile]

It is not uncommon even for one of my broken in buckmarks to have one failure to fire out of 2-300 rounds.

Indeed.

I don't believe that a failure to fire at that rate is necessarily a gun problem. I come across rounds occassionally that I stick back in to refire. When a rimfire case has four or five strong dents spaced across the rim, and it still hasn't fired, it is fair to conclude that the missing primer goo is the problem.

[Mark54g]

22s are picky about ammo. Some are moreso than others. While I have never shot blazer in .22LR I have not heard anything about it. HOWEVER, the cheap plated federal .22LR such as Federal American Eagle is about the worst stuff I have shot. It is dirty as all get out. 2 boxes of that stuff (80rds) is like 400rds of Federal Champion or PMC Zappers (worse, actually than either of these good rounds).

[mutski]

Is LRN more likely to misfeed than copper plated hollow point?

Do centerfire semiautos have as much trouble with misfeeds and jams as .22s?

[zukiphile]

Is LRN more likely to misfeed than copper plated hollow point?

I don't think that is the determinative trait. A .22 bullet is as wide as the case body, and they come is all sorts of different shapes, and are coated in all kinds of different lubricants and washes.

Do centerfire semiautos have as much trouble with misfeeds and jams as .22s?

Not in my experience. The major misfeed and jam problem with centerfires involves money feeding from your wallet and jamming up your sense of fun.

[Hans]

"Not in my experience. The major misfeed and jam problem with centerfires involves money feeding from your wallet and jamming up your sense of fun."

Classic. Just classic.:D

[Mark54g]

.22s are more finicky than centerfires. Some only like to run well with one or two brands of ammo. Usually.... it is the expensive kind. Some cheap centerfire ammo doesn't work well in some pistols. It is more rare, but it happens.

Also, sometimes hollowpoints catch, but it has less to do with the "style" of ammo in .22s and more to do with the make/model.

[MASTERSMITH86]

Have you checked the extractor tention and shape and made sure the chamber has no burrs that could prevent possible cycling interuptions? Yes, .22's are finiky but, Buckmarks general digest a good variety of ammo. You'd be surprised how a small burr or lack of extractor strength or extractor wear can screw a .22 up.

[treg]

I found that in cold weather I must be carefull not to over lube my buckmark. I only wipe the frame where the slide rides with a thin film of oil, if you can see it, it's too much. I leave the firing pin dry. This is how I clean my gun all year round and have gained reliability because grime and soot are not building up in oil. I have fired well over 50k rounds in this manner and there is no discernable wear to the gun and it's still very accurate. (I went 8 for 10 on tin cans @ 50 yards this afternoon.)
One of the causes of failure to feed is the nose of the bullet riding on the front of the magazine. Some shells are too long and rub on the magazine even if it's clean. Some bullet noses ride very close to the magazine and only a small amount of grime will cause them to drag. After cleaning the magazine I wipe the inside of the front dry with a q-tip.
I've had good luck with Winchester shells the past few years, 40gr. power points for hunting, super-X (white box now) experts for plinking. Their 36 gr. HP is also good. POI is very close for all. It's been a long time since I've shot anything else but as a rule watch out for long shells, waxy bullets and smoky powder.
Have fun w/ your Buckmark.

[topspin43]

Yes, .22s tend to like one type of ammo best. But my Buckmark hates to be dirty and LOVES to be oily. Try some extra oil when not shooting it's favorite ammo.

[gc70]

.22 pistols are strange beasts. My Ruger runs best when nearly dry. It hates Remington bulk ammo, but loves Federal Champion.

[stevelyn]

Mutski,


A couple hangups out of 180 rounds isn't bad. Actually a few FTF and FTE should probably be expected from bulk pack rimfire and Federal is some of the best there is.
All my rimfires have probably gagged more on Remington GB than anything else.
I don't have a Buckmark yet, but I do have a Nomad. I found that my two "all business" loads are the CCI Subsonic HP and CCI SGB.

Wally World and Sportsman's Warehouse should have the Remington GBs.

Are you shooting outside or the F&G indoor range? Some of that colder weather up there could account for the FTE due to lower pressure.

[mutski]

The 180 rounds were at the ADFG range - warm. Yesterday (-5 degrees) I shot 120 rounds at the outdoor range - I think 3 FTF and 2 FTE. I'm sure the cold has a lot to do with that. I find it's tougher to hit the bullseye, too. My groups went from mostly inside the 2" ring at 30 feet to mostly inside the 4" ring outdoors. I miss summer shooting! Of the choices available in Fairbanks, the bulk Federals seem to feed the best. CCI Blazers are just plain frustrating. Based on experience with the .22, I thing the revolver is still a lot more dependable (never failed to fire yet!) as bear defense. Just can't afford to practice as much with the .44 with the price of cartridges going through the roof :( .

So what's Aleutian Hell? Adak?