Buckmark problem (solved)

[Fargazer]

I've just picked up a new Browning Buckmark (http://www.davidsonsinc.com/consumers/subsites/inven_product.asp?dealer_id=821957&item=051415490&instock=all&manufact_combo=Browning&mod_ser_combo=None&category_combo=1&model=None&g_type=None&act_type=&finish_type=None&calib_combo=22LR&sight_class_combo=None&price_range=None&left_handed=&youth=&Offset_rec=0&num_rec=50&item_num=) and I've got an "interesting problem with it. At least half the time I shoot it, the gun will do the following after the last bullet is shot:

the slide will not lock back after the last bullet - it will slide forward
the slide will be noticeably more difficult to pull back, regardless of whether the magazine is left in or removed
the slide is difficult to pull back only the first time; once pulled back, the slide will operate normally from there onward (again, regardless if the magazine is in or out)
The last cartridge is always ejected; there's never a cartridge or unfired shell still in the gun

It does this with two different magazines and 6 different ammunition brands, including Federal Gold Match, CCI Stingers, and CCI Velocitors.

I'm going to take this back to the gun store Friday to have them take a look at it; however, I wondered if anyone else had seen this kind of behavior?

[divil]

I was plagued by exactly these issues with mine too...until I figured a few things out. Firstly, your gun doesn't have half as many problems as you think...


the slide will be noticeably more difficult to pull back, regardless of whether the magazine is left in or removed
the slide is difficult to pull back only the first time; once pulled back, the slide will operate normally from there onward (again, regardless if the magazine is in or out)

The reason is because you are cocking the spring! Think about it - the slide closes after the last round, leading you to dry-fire on an empty chamber. So now you must re-cock the pin, but only once. When you rack the slide afterwards, there's almost no resistance. At least that was the reason I experienced, and it took someone else pointing the obvious out to me before I realized.

I was convinced that the slide not staying open on mine was a fault, because my grip didn't touch the slide release. But from careful observation, I believe I was just barely touching the release without realizing it. Try keeping your thumbs as far as possible from the slide release for a while and see if the slide still fails to stay open. I found that shooting one handed, the slide never failed to lock open

[Fargazer]

That's exactly it; I can now replicate it on demand. I just need to learn to change my grip so my left thumb doesn't touch the slide release.

Thanks much!

[jglsprings]

One thing I've done in the past (when I was especially good at being stupid) was over tightening the screws on top that hold the slide / sight assembly in place. You would have thought I was working on a farm tractor they way I screwed them down.

Just something to watch for.

[mikejonestkd]

Glad to hear that you figured out the cause of the malfunction.

Concerning the topstrap/ sightbase screws: don't torque them down too hard, your could crack the plastic base. instead, use a drop of BLUE loctite on the threads to hold them in place.