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Browning Buckmark FTEs

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I purchased a Browning Buckmark a couple of months ago. Because of the bad weather I've only taken it out three times. About 600 rounds have gone through it, and it was cleaned/lubed as normal after 400 or so rounds.

 

I've used 3 general types of ammo. CCI standard velocity .22lr, Federal "Target Grade" bulk, and 2-3 inexpensive bulk ammos. 

 

It's rare that an entire mag goes through flawlessly, regardless of the ammo. I typically have one stovepipe per mag (round gets caught in the slide during ejection. I've had as many as three FTEs in one mag. Last time out, for the first time, the slide failed to remain open after the last round in the magazine is fired. 

 

(I had similar problems with a new sig p238, and the problem was the magazine.)

 

BTW the gun shoots extremely accurately. 

 

Any ideas about the Browning? It should not be THAT fussy with ammo.

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Newt,

I purchased one about the same time and have about the same amount of ammo through it. It is accurate as hell. Mostly run CCI mini mags 36 grain 1260fps  and 40 grain 1235fps Blazer through it and not had any issues. I would have someone take a look at it.

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i ran about 150 or 200 rounds of Fiocchi CPSP (1,250 fps) thru my fathers Buckmark and had nary a problem.  Granted, his wasnt new, but it might just be the ammo..  as bignic said, try some higher velocity stuff and see if that makes a difference..  if not, then there might be a problem..

 

or it may just need to have the proper break in and then will fine from then on..  (?)

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I had that issue early on - turns out that the magazine that came with mine was faulty.  I called Browning and they had sent me two replacements, both of which work fine.

Also, ensure that the hex screws which keep the plastic sight base attached are secured; they tend to loosen after every few hundred of rounds.

 

I've never used any cheap ammo, solely CCI Mini Mags and Federal Game Shok.

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Out of curiosity, what barrel length? I have a 4" one that has never run right except with high speed ammo like minimags and that is even after I sent it back to Browning.

 

I have a theory that some of them don't run well without the longer barrels to give it time to build more pressure with standard ammo.

 

Mine is accurate as hell, and has a very nice trigger so I've been planing to get a tacsol barrel and see if the longer barrel helps. Besides that, use minimags or other high velocity ammo.

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I have used any garbage out there and I swear this gun could cycle spitballs.  The hexs are a real key though, because if they get loose, and they do, the gun doesn't like anything! And one other place to look is to take off the left side grip and see if it is touching on the loader button, mine did and I relieved the interior surface of the grip with a dremel and there has been no issue of any kind since.

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Hi Newt,

 

I also own a BM Contour 5.5.  I have used it with any and all types of ammo and it has fed them well.  The only ammo that has given me problems is the Aguila subsonics. It doesn't have enough juice to cycle it consistently.  Maybe yours needs a little more 'break-in'.  Most of my FTE's are due to my limp-wristing the pistol.  If you do have a firm grip,  it's either the ammo or the magazine.  Also make sure the screws are tight.  Put blue or green loctite on them.

 

arnoldr 

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I have used any garbage out there and I swear this gun could cycle spitballs.  The hexs are a real key though, because if they get loose, and they do, the gun doesn't like anything! And one other place to look is to take off the left side grip and see if it is touching on the loader button, mine did and I relieved the interior surface of the grip with a dremel and there has been no issue of any kind since.

 

I'll second this. The loose bolts will make it not run for all ammo. 

 

I've got a 6" that the top strap has never been off of. Runs like a top on most anything that goes bang rather than click when you pull the trigger. (weird stuff like collibri not included)

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Out of curiosity, what barrel length? I have a 4" one that has never run right except with high speed ammo like minimags and that is even after I sent it back to Browning.

 

I have a theory that some of them don't run well without the longer barrels to give it time to build more pressure with standard ammo.

 

Mine is accurate as hell, and has a very nice trigger so I've been planing to get a tacsol barrel and see if the longer barrel helps. Besides that, use minimags or other high velocity ammo.

Mine is also 4". :(

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About 800 rounds through, and two complete take-downs and cleanings, and it still is unreliable. Even with a precious 100-round box of CCI mini-mags, it stovepipes about every 12-15 rounds. 

 

It's not just reliability.

 

Last week my accuracy with a S&W 617, double action, at 15 or so yards, was about the same as with the Browning. But my wheel gun has never had a problem except with one particular cheap ammo ("thunderbolt") -- excessive leading. 

 

I remember other .22lr pistols shooting very well. 

 

Meanwhile I'm getting up to 2000 rounds and 1400 rounds with my CZ82 and E. German Makarovs, respectively, and still not one single goddamn problem. Not a single misfire, FTF, FTE. And both guns make me look like Jerry Miculek. 

 

I am going to call Browning this week and try to figure this out. 

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I love my BM Lite but the factory is known for releasing sporadic lemons.

If you can not get a single clip without problems, I'd get a replacement. You did not buy a new gun to

Try and make it work with factory ammo.

My pistol eats Golden Bullet and standard velocity without problem. It is a competition gun so it has to run right.

Check the flat head screw on top of the slide & frame. If either is not completely seated, you will have problems.

The BM is very sensitive to slide fit and alignment.

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I have a Buckmark Hunter that has never given me a problem with any ammo I have ever used in it. I never tried subsonic, but when I say I have used a lot of stuff, some of these 100 round packs of ammo have 1.99 stickers on them, they are that old! It is a 6" barrel, if it matters.

 

I had one FTE like you, but that was due to the slide not being able to cycle doing weakhand shooting and had it against the 2x4! My revolvers never cared where I rested them.

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I have a Buckmark Hunter that has never given me a problem with any ammo I have ever used in it. I never tried subsonic, but when I say I have used a lot of stuff, some of these 100 round packs of ammo have 1.99 stickers on them, they are that old! It is a 6" barrel, if it matters.

 

I had one FTE like you, but that was due to the slide not being able to cycle doing weakhand shooting and had it against the 2x4! My revolvers never cared where I rested them.

I'm going to try buying a new magazine before I go through the trouble of sending the damned thing back. That's what cured my Sig p238 from its stovepipe problems. 

 

I have one FTE about every 10-15 rounds. After 1000 rounds and two thorough cleanings that is a disgrace. And it doesn't matter what ammo I use. 

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I'm going to try buying a new magazine before I go through the trouble of sending the damned thing back. That's what cured my Sig p238 from its stovepipe problems. 

 

I have one FTE about every 10-15 rounds. After 1000 rounds and two thorough cleanings that is a disgrace. And it doesn't matter what ammo I use. 

 

That Sucks hope the new mag clears your issues up.

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Have you looked at the inside of the handgrip to see if there are any marks from the load assist button rubbing on the inside of the grip? Also, have you tried cleaning  and lubing and then 'working' the magazine?

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Subsonics wouldn't cycle my Buckmark, I have not had any issues when using 'good' ammo vice some FTF/misfires/stovepipes when using cheap bulk. Not every mag, maybe 3-4 per 50 rounds.

Doesn't matter what ammo I use. I have some high-priced CCI, and the shells still stick.

 

Hey: 4-5 per 50 rounds is about what's happening to me. 

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i've had several buckmarks and have used them all fairly flawlessly in steel and other matches, but that's not to say i haven had any issues along the way. There are several potential things that can effect reliable extraction and ejection in a BM and i'll list them below in order of likelyhood/importance. If you are getting the types of

 

1. the extractor. these things are a tad on the small side and seem to be prone to both manufacturing defects and wear. I have personally worn out 2 extractors to where a performance degradation was noticible and a new extractor was the cure both times. When they are worn out, they no longer hold a spent shell tight to the bolt face and that is the source of the issue. The tip of the extractor hook rounds over and the flat face start to bevel and the shell can no longer be held securely while the spent shell is being fully extracted from the chamber. If the fit is "loose", then the shell may "shift" before it hits the ejector wire and cause the ejection pattern to be erratic. If you get ejection issues like a stovepipe where the shell pinched longways or sideways between the slide and breech or even the dreaded "Cross" jam where the spent shell is sitting sideways and stuck above the new shell trying to feed, you will want to start with the extractor. Additionally, i have also purchased brand new extractors that had manufacturing defects so that shows there is some tolerance and QC issues with that part which is a shame because the overall performance and reliability of the gun is so highly dependent on it.

 

http://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/extractor-parts/extractors/extractor-prod3987.aspx

 

2. magazines. Some folks claim that a magazine with a mag catch notch that is cut too low will cause the mag to ride high in the gun and interfere with smooth, obstruction free passage of spent shells from the chamber. On an extreme, the mag could be so high up in the chamber area that spent shells could bounce off the feel lips, and this could be exasperated even more so if the extractor is worn and letting shells slide down a bit. I did have 1 mag out of about 12 that had a notch a few thou lower than the rest. The height difference didn't seem to cause me any issues since it not only shot fine, but i also tested extraction manually with spent shells and it never physically interfered (but then i had a healthy extractor so shells were not wobbling around at all). Nonetheless, i filed the top of the notch a little higher since sitting lower in the gun increases the overall amount of leeway that spent brass has for combined clearance.

 

3. ejector wire. Some folks claim the ejector wire can get misaligned, and i suppose its true, but i havent personally experienced this issue since unless the wire is actually severely bent or malformed, a mis-alignment issue seems unlikely. Definitely check it though and make sure the wire protrudes out straight from the upper right corner of the notch in the slide (When looking straight at it).

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i've had several buckmarks and have used them all fairly flawlessly in steel and other matches, but that's not to say i haven had any issues along the way. There are several potential things that can effect reliable extraction and ejection in a BM and i'll list them below in order of likelyhood/importance. 

...

Thanks, Jon. I'm going to try the mag first because it's easy and, worst comes to worst, I'll have a second mag.

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I got a new buckmark and went through about 500 rounds with it. I used CCI standard velocity and Fiocchi high velocity ammo. There were zero failures of any kind with buckmark.

I used mostly bulk ammo, but I did run a few hundred precious rounds of CCI through it, leftovers from the days when it was reasonably priced. Still, no excuse for the number of problems I've had.

 

Thanks for the info.

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Put a can on it and it will run anything.

 

BTW, if anybody is really desperate about their .22 with FTEject

 

1. Get a threaded barrel

2. Get this:

 

http://www.carlsoncompsinc.com/22Thruster.htm

 

It mimics suppressor backpressure.

 

3. Go to The Riddle of Steel:

 

http://www.trosusa.com/Adapters/Adapters.htm

 

They mate anything to everything. If you don't see it, email them, they have it.

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It appears this gun simply needed to be broken in. I gave it a thorough cleaning on Thursday, including serious scrubbing of all slide contact surfaces. Put 200 rounds through it yesterday, from the same bulk box that gave me trouble two weeks ago. Exactly ONE failure to eject. Normally I'd get 15-30. Could not truly assess accuracy as I was shooting steel at 20+ yards. I seemed to be hitting at my normal (mediocre) frequency. 

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Put a can on it and it will run anything.

 

BTW, if anybody is really desperate about their .22 with FTEject

 

1. Get a threaded barrel

2. Get this:

 

http://www.carlsoncompsinc.com/22Thruster.htm

 

It mimics suppressor backpressure.

 

3. Go to The Riddle of Steel:

 

http://www.trosusa.com/Adapters/Adapters.htm

 

They mate anything to everything. If you don't see it, email them, they have it.

I understand the backpressure stuff, but how would a threaded barrel help with FTEs? Oh, I see, to accept the adapters. Duh. 

 

Are these things legal in NJ? At any rate see above. I think I've solved the problem.

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I understand the backpressure stuff, but how would a threaded barrel help with FTEs? Oh, I see, to accept the adapters. Duh. 

 

Are these things legal in NJ? At any rate see above. I think I've solved the problem.

Cans are not. Threaded barrels are legal in NJ, as is Carlson Thruster, provided the threaded barrel does not add the evil feature that broke Sweeny's back to your firearm.

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