Problem with my Buckmark

[Alaskapopo]

My Browning Buckmark that I use for steel only works 100% on CCI mini mags. I had a match the other day in the cold (40 degrees) and the gun malfunctioned constantly. (short stroking) Is there some place that sells calibrated recoil springs. I was thinking of cutting a few coils from my recoil spring, thinking that might cure the problem unless I cut too many.

Pat

[Duane Thomas]

A silly question perhaps, but have you cleaned the gun recently? Also what sort of lube are you using? I'm sure you know, given your Alaska location (I assume, from your screen name) but cold weather and many lubes do not mix well. Especially when they've mixed with powder fouling you get this hard, gummy crud in cold weather that can prevent 100 percent cycle reliability. Clean gun, well-chosen lube, lightly applied, is the ticket for cold weather .22 auto reliability.

[Alaskapopo]

A silly question perhaps, but have you cleaned the gun recently? Also what sort of lube are you using? I'm sure you know, given your Alaska location (I assume, from your screen name) but cold weather and many lubes do not mix well. Especially when they've mixed with powder fouling you get this hard, gummy crud in cold weather that can prevent 100 percent cycle reliability. Clean gun, well-chosen lube, lightly applied, is the ticket for cold weather .22 auto reliability.

It was not perfectly clean but it was fairly clean. (about 300 rounds through it since the last cleaning) I used FP10. The malfunctions I usually get with this gun are when the gun fails to fully eject the round. (like weak ammo would do) when it gets colder the ammo has less pressure and exaserbates the problem. I was hoping I could play with the recoil spring strength.

Pat

[yuthh]

My Browning Buckmark that I use for steel only works 100% on CCI mini mags. I had a match the other day in the cold (40 degrees) and the gun malfunctioned constantly. (short stroking) Is there some place that sells calibrated recoil springs. I was thinking of cutting a few coils from my recoil spring, thinking that might cure the problem unless I cut too many.

Pat

Try Midwayusa.com

[Rolex]

Look up rime fire central!!

[Duane Thomas]

It was not perfectly clean but it was fairly clean. (about 300 rounds through it since the last cleaning) I used FP10. The malfunctions I usually get with this gun are when the gun fails to fully eject the round. (like weak ammo would do) when it gets colder the ammo has less pressure and exaserbates the problem. I was hoping I could play with the recoil spring strength.

While it's possible your gunpowder may be temperature sensitive, I think it's at least as likely - if not more so - your lubricant is thickening and gumming up in cold weather, retarding the action. .22s in particular, because they don't have that much energy to operate the action to start with, are very sensitive to this. Something to know, and watch, if you're going to be running a .22 auto pistol in cold weather.

[speculatorking]

Try a drop of oil on the feedlip of your magazines. In cold weather the lube on the bullets can cause problems. At least that was what I was told by some folks I shoot with.

[Toolguy]

The chamber is probably too tight. It's a simple matter to ream it with a SAMMI spec reamer and open it up a couple thou.

A sheet of paper is 3 to 4 thousandths thick.

[Flexmoney]

Check that your thumbs aren't dragging on the action.

[gm iprod]

Flex,

That is what my daughter would do sometimes, this caused us dreadful problems in trying to diagnose the problems (pretty much as described) as when we shot it it went brilliant, because we knew enough to keep the monkey fingers away from the metal bits. Finally switched to Power Point, luckily for us the Aussie made one, not that poo in the silver packet they make up your way. It was powerful enough and exceptionally accurate (2" at 50Y using an Aimpoint) in her gun that by the time she got good enough to realise she was dragging her thumb, she was ready for a 38Super.

Check teh clearance on the front of the magazines against the ammo you are using. Teh shorter nose profile of the CCI 38gr Round nose will be best. US Made Power Point drags on the front and some of the T22 type profile projectiles will do as well.

CLean the chamber as suggested by Toolguy. If you drop the hammer you can burr the top of the chamber by the tiniest amount and it will hang up on that.

A slight bevel on the chamber edge may be required, or it is ever so slightly tight throated.

[photoracer]

It may be none of those causes. The real culprit is likely the bullet lube. My buckmark racegun uses CCI Mini-Mags as per TS recommendations although I experiment and sometimes shoot other ammo at matches. But during colder weather I find the factory bullet lube tends to gum up everything including my Ultimate Cliploader. So I experimented for last weekend match by keeping my ammo warmer. I put it in the assenger footwell with the heater on going to the match and at the match I used a couple of Browning mag carriers plus my Bm in my TS Black Dog holster all under a long lined vest to keep in body heat. Turns out everything worked much better even the loader. I had no issues will several other shooters did have feed problems who normally did not.

[Bob DuBois]

Don't have buckmark but took a while for me to learn to shoot my Ruger dry for the most part. Very little lube on the trigger parts, bolt and firing pin parts work better dry. Seems to like Federal bulk pak best, plated bullet. Clean it every new box or before a Steel Challenge Match. If it gets dirty won't run.

[photoracer]

Don't have buckmark but took a while for me to learn to shoot my Ruger dry for the most part. Very little lube on the trigger parts, bolt and firing pin parts work better dry. Seems to like Federal bulk pak best, plated bullet. Clean it every new box or before a Steel Challenge Match. If it gets dirty won't run.

Drier is definitely better even in summer. I have since gone to single use hand/feet warmers to keep ammo and Cliploader warmer so the bullet lube stays fluid. One in a box where I keep all the rounds and the loader and one in my pocket where I keep the mags. No issues related to the cold in the last 2 matches with either of my Buckmark raceguns.

[prreed10]

Probabaly not the cause of your issue, but another thing that can cause this is an overtightened top screw, behind the rear sight. It can compress the slide and cause it to slow down.

[shooterready]

I found that the Winchester bulk pack 555, red box, to be the least temperature sensitive of the value pack ammo. Federal is down right horrible below 40F. Remington GB hangs in but not much below 35F. Winchester seemed to run even after stuffing a bunch of rounds in the snow for a few minutes then sending them down the pipe.

Not sure how temperature sensitive CCI MM's are?

[Griz]

My Buckmarks malfunction with FP-10 also... It's too heavy. They run fine with Rem-oil.

[photoracer]

My Buckmarks malfunction with FP-10 also... It's too heavy. They run fine with Rem-oil.

I only use Eezox as as a gun lube these days. A synthetic that is warranteed to work at -40 to 140 and the best rust protection available. Used to use Rem oil and still use it to put a drop on the first round in the mag for cold weather also.

[bchibb]

Eezox works great in extreme cold conditions. It does sound like a lube problem due the cold wx.

[Braxton1]

JEEZ people....MOVE!!!

We don't have these problems down here in Georgia (unless you count sweat gumming up the gun when it's 95-degrees and 80% humidity).

[Wilkenstein]

My buckmark only malfunctions when the rear screw has worked itself loose. It gets locktite now...

[gm iprod]

Try running 40grain projectiles.

Those damn 36gr and 38gr loads are pure manure.

[TRUBL]

Sounds to me like you have some drag somewhere.

Are you running the factory sight base? or an aftermarket sight base?

Just for S & G's......loosen the back screw on the sight base and function check your pistol. If it works, your course is clear.....you will need to put a shim (maybe .005") between that post and the sight base.

I live in Minnesota.....cold is a fact of life, we deal with our 22's running in freezing weather.....uhmmm, and they work. So all this crap about cold weather and 22's I can tell you first hand....it's all a bunch of bull. Use a good low temp lube and drive on.

Tim

PS....oh yeah...thumbs on the slide make buckmark's function poorly too. (like flex said)

Edited December 2, 2011 by TRUBL

[Duke Nukem]

I know this is too easy of a solution but just try Federal Bulk pack ammo. The walmart 550 packs.

It runs my Buckmark perfectly in all weather.

[West Texas Granny]

Mine won't run unless it's wet. Moderate or little lube for some reason causes problems. Guess each one has it's own quirks.

[photoracer]

Mine won't run unless it's wet. Moderate or little lube for some reason causes problems. Guess each one has it's own quirks.

The problem with lots of lube from my experience is I always had to take the gun to the range after C&L to get everything back in the proper ratios and shoot maybe 50 rounds through it to get it just right. Too much oil means it collects a lot of crude faster and has to be cleaned more often. Except for 1-2 times a year I usually clean mine with a basic job every 1000 rounds or so. Run a boresnake through it, clean off the breech, slide face, feedramp and frame rails, then lube it with a little bit of Eezox on the rails and guiderod. Work the action half a dozen times and I know I could go to a major match and shoot clean without any pre firing. Then maybe 1-2 times a year I might strip it down and clean it after 10-20K rounds but when done I still only put the same amount of lube on it. I especially address any build up around the firing pin so it moves smoothly. One cause of light strikes.

Edited December 12, 2011 by photoracer