More problems with my Buckmark

L

lochaber

New member
I posted earlier about ejection problems with my Buckmark. I took all the advice given and cleaned it up, tried a new mag and tried more ammo types. Today I put about 280 rounds through it (Wildcats, Maxi-Mag(?) and Stinger). Again the Stingers where the only ones which gave me no problems. The rest seemed to not have enough oompf to eject well, leaving the case between the slide and the barrel or not even pulling the case from the chamber all the way and rechambering it when the slide returned. On one occasion I had a case stuck between the sight base and the new partialy fed round. On a different occasion the new round bumped the case and got stuck vericaly between the sight base and the frame and was bent when the slide hit it. That was a scary one cause I was not sure what the primer area was resting on while I was trying to free it.

All these problems seem to be generated by the faulty ejections. Now, the Stingers are listed at 191 ft-lps which might be a bit high for a .22 handgun not to mention that they are quite expensive for .22 ammo and the whole point of me picking up a .22 was cheaper ammo.

If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them. I'll be calling Browning as well.

Lochaber
 
Have you let anyone else try shooting it? Sometimes my wife has problems with her Buckmark Micro, while I have none with it. The only thing I can think of is that she isn't gripping it as firmly as I am.
 
Before I gave my Buckmark to a cousin's son for high school graduation other shooters of the gun experienced malfunctions, while I never had a failure of any type. I suspect limp wristing was the cause of these malfunctions as the other shooters were far from being gunnies. Your malfunctions, as described, are identical to what my friend experienced while shooting my much missed Buckmark.

Make sure the gun is properly lubricated and that the slide moves freely (Check this with the gun unloaded) without any binding.

If you continue to have problems, send the gun to Browning..

Mark / Fl
 
Try Remington Thunderbolt ammo. My Buckmark Standard loves it, it cycles perfectly and is the most accurate. Federal 550 Bulk is a close second, again with no problems. CCI Blazer is third but I sometimes have misfires with it.
 
The Thunderbolt might be the ticket I have tried 250 more rounds tonite and the 50 Thunderbolts where the only ones that worked without flaw. So far the brands that worked have been Stinger and Thunderbolt, and the T-bolts are cheaper.

Lochaber
 
I don't have info to solve your problems but I can tell you that it is probably not characteristic of the Buckmark pistols. RAE and Mark King may have hit on it as a grip problem.
I have 2 Buckmarks and properly cleaned and lubed they function flawlessly. I can also report that Browning warranty service and repair was quite satisfactory on an occaision I had with a SBS shotgun.
 
You haven't removed the extractor and replaced it have you?

It is possible to reassemble it incorrectly if you do. Try a firmer grip and different types of ammo. I use Winchester Hi-velocity with no problems. Good luck.
 
Sigh. It sounds like I should take it to a rep. I clean it up after each shoot but I only take it apart as far as the manual recommends plus the barrel. I did not touch the extractor more then just cleaning it while still assembled to the slide. I keep it as oiled as its reasonable with G96. Well, we'll see how it behaves with the ammo it likes and if it starts misbehaving with that as well then time for trip the mother ship .. huh .. I mean Browning.

As for the grip .. I'm not sure if I'm doing anything wrong. I keep as fairly strong grip on it, about the same I use on my CZ75. Part of the appeal of the Micro Buckmark was that it felt about the same in my hand and has about the same sight radius as the CZ.

Lochaber
 
I've fired 500 round out of a Buckmark Camper that I bought a month ago. I've learned that if I don't tighten up the allen bolts on the top of the slide every 50 rounds or so, I start having all the problems you described.

Someone on TFL mentioned a Locktite product that's supposed to help with this...anybody remember who or what?
 
Yes, yes--the screws

Blue (NOT RED) loctite or Guntite (Gunloc?). Ijust check mine every so often. They must be tight and they must have the washers in.
 
The Blue product that is, not the container

It bears repeating, and yes I also use the Blue on the allen screws. Just remember, the Blue is the one that comes in the Red bottle! Confusing as all get out! The Red is the one that comes in the Blue container. Use the one in the RED container marked Medium Strength. Gads yes! The washers! Pardon me for not mentioning that earlier. If one or both of the star washers aren't there, the gun will not function right.

FWIW, I had very good service from Browning when I sent my BLR .22 back to them to lighten and smooth the trigger. Turn around time was 10 days, they covered it under warranty and did a respectable job.

On the ammo. Yes, my wife's Micro does prefer Thunderbolts over everything else for function. My Camper doesn't care what it shoots, just that I maintain a firm grip. I'll let you know if my newest Buckmark, a Buckmark Plus has any preferences.
 
Would some one please elaborate on the loctite and washers? I do have and use the washers. They are star shaped BUT the points are bent to follow the shape of the bolt well. Are they supposed to be bent? Where to put the glue? on the washers, on bolt? How do you clean it?

The bolts seem to come loose with use. After shooting about 100 rounds the sight base can be wiggled with with your hand.

Lochaber
 
lochaber,
Yes,the washers should be bent to conform to the opening. The loctite goes on the threads of the screws. Clean the screws with lighter fluid, then dry off any solvent, then add a drop to the bottom few threads of the screw. Next use a q-tip to clean/dry out the screw holes. Let it setup for 30 seconds, then screw firmly in place. You may need to check on the screws while firing to make sure they stay tight, but the loctite seems to hold them in place. If you use the Blue loctite in the red container, you can remove the screwsby hand. (If you use the red loctite in the blue container, you need to heat the screws first with a soldering iron to loosen them.)

FWIW ,my new Buckmark Plus was having the exact same feed problems you described, this morning when I fired it. I was using the Federal bulk pack ammo from Wall Mart. Now the strange part. The firmer I gripped it, the more pronounced the problems were! Makes no sense, but if I held it very loosely, I only had a problem with the second shot feeding.The first shot would fire, but it wouldn't strip the second round ffrom the magazine. Shots 3 thru 10 were no problem. Weird.I'm getting ready to clean it right now, and If I can, I'm going to try to get out tomorrow morning and try some different ammo.
 
Does anyone know the brain-damaged marketing weenie at Loctite that determined red goop oughta go in a blue bottle and blue goop oughta to in a red bottle. The guy was either brain damaged, or it wasn't marketing but the legal department helping out, or it was manufacturing figuring out a way to keep from screwing up.
 
I'm glad to hear all you folk recommending Thunderbolts. I bought a case of them some years ago and haven't shot any yet. Until now, all I've ever heard is people trashing them.

It sounds like my new Micro Standard which will probably be here Monday will love them.
 
Well, the Thunderbolts are not the most accurate ammo but they seem to work just fine. I picked up some at Kmart this weekend and I was quite amazed to find them sold in a 16 ounce pop top can. I kid you not. I felt like I was buying cat food. 375 rounds for $6 in a pop top can. What is the world coming to? :)
 
Lochaber said,
"Well, the Thunderbolts are not the most accurate ammo... "

With me and a 4" handgun it sounds like they'll be just fine. ;)
 
Sorry to hear that you all are having such problems with your Buckmarks. I probably wouldn't have bought one this weekend at a gunshow, $200 for a Buckmark Camper, if I had know all this. The last one that I shot, some years ago, ate anything.

That said, I broke mine in today, with one box of 50 of everything that was to be had from WallyWorld. I ended up with 13 boxes of 50 rounds, plus two 550 round boxes. I got EVERYTHING, from the bulk stuff to little 22 CB stuff, Federal, Winchester, CCI, Remington.

I shot each box, running a boresnake through the bore twice after every 50 rounds. I shot a full 1000 rounds in about 4 hours at the range, all told. I love this little thing! It ate it all. Never missed a beat. The little screws on the top strap never loosened up, either. I took it apart and cleaned it before going to the range, so I either torqued them good, or it's too new to have that sort of problem. LockTite is the answer, though, should this problem occcur.

The only thing that it does not like is, quite obviously, the 22 short stuff, which does cycle the action, but not back far enough to eject the spent shell and collect and stuff a new one.

Sounds like what you all are seeing is what happens when a recoil spring is too stiff. Try putting a 22# spring in a 1911 for full loads, then forgetting to put your 16# back in for light plinking and see what happens!!!!!!

For what it's worth, have you contacted Browning? I had a problem with an A Bolt Hunter that I got from WallyWorld a few years ago. They told me to package it up, sent a will call tag from UPS, and turned it around to me in less than 2 full weeks, and threw in a free action job and a coupon for 20 free rounds of Remington ammunition to boot. It's in their best interest to satisfy you, and they probably will, just give them a chance!! :)

Tom
 
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