AARRRRRRRRRGGGHH!!!!!!!

[Bug]

Jus' bought another barrel for my contender, and will have to send it back... AGAIN! This will make a total of SIX trips back to T/C. My frame is a 5-digit serial #, that had the firing pin selector as a screw slot under the hammer spur. It was converted to easy-open by T/C on the third or fourth trip back, and now has the top-mounted selector. The problem is, I get just a very slight primer strike, and misfires. Usually, after the first try, I can "thumb" the hammer back & release it & it will fire. It looks like every time I add a barrel, it will have to go back to the factory. Is this the norm??? Or, is it just my usual luck? I'm gonna run a short poll, Y'all give me some input please!,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Bug.

[Graybeard]

It is doubtful there is really any need to send or to have sent any of them back to TC. This situation has been discussed here many times. I'll not rehash the answers. If you wish to look over the old posts the answers have been given many times. There is no reason why you can't solve it yourself following advice given here by Gramps and many others lots of times.

GB

[Bug]

Sorry, Sir,
 For inadvertently rehashing. I don't mean to sound antagonistic, but the FIRST thing I did was read ALL available topics from this forum. Where did I miss this? I was just wanting to find out how prevalent this is. I can't see well enough anymore to go 'smithing on anything much anymore. Guess I'll just hafta stick with the factory work. Sorry, again,,,,,,,,,Bug.

[GREYGHOSTt]

:evil: well the first thing i would do is call tc and demand my old style hammer back these new junk with the top twist that lose the pins and hit
the bottom of the tsob mounts are junk!!!!!! :shock:

[helobill]

Bug,
Search on misfire and you'll see lots of talk on the topic. Much of it is problems related with reloading. But some with factory ammo.
Bill

[Bug]

Helobill,
  That's what I did(There were only four). About every topic had to do with headspace or sizing problems causing misfires. I am dealing with a straight-walled, rimmed case, and factory ammo, where this shouldn't be an issue. As I stated, I've had this problem with every barrel (now, five). I have stripped & cleaned several times, as Gramps suggested, to no avail. Thanks, anyway, I'll just send it back again & I'm sure they'll fix it. Can't fault T/C for their service!,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Bug.

[Graycg]

Bug,
  If your straight walled cartridges misfire, you probably have something wrong with the frame, have you checked your firing pin?  Is the face munged up at all?  I had one with a ding in it and it needed to be replaced to ensure firing on harder primers like CCI rifle.  The folks a TC replaced it for free.

Graycg

[Graybeard]

If you have stripped and cleaned properly as per Gramps detailed posts on this subject and if it fails to fire with all your barrels the frame not the barrels has to be the problem. Fix the problem once and it shouldn't recur. While it is rarely the real cause of misfires in your case the hammer spring just may be the problem. It might also be a stretched frame.

Obviously TC hasn't fixed it or you'd not still be having problems.

GB

[Bug]

That is the very problem I was trying to illustrate. I just couldn't seem put it the way you did. I have had to send the frame back to T/C with every barrel I have aquired. Each time it has been returned in proper working order, and the barrels I had previously still worked. The only thing I noticed upon disassembly, that was the least bit questionable, was that the front-facing surface of the hammer block had been polished. So much so, that it was opening a slight amount of the hole into which the spring goes into. I could not see any wear on the spring though, even under a magnifying glass. Stretching the hammer block spring had no effect.  I sent a note with it this time asking T/C to review the history on this frame (they do keep records, don't they?), and to please check the frame out for any problems; beside just fitting this barrel. Maybe I'll find something out this time. It's just a PITA, not to mention the $40.00 or so it costs each time I have to send it back.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Bug.
Oh, yeah, The firing pins look & move good, and I did replace the older, 2-legged spring with a newer 1-legged one......B.

[TopGun]

No, but my new Encore would not fire every brand of factory 30'06 ammo. I called TC and told them the problem and explained the hammer drop felt slow and weak. TC mailed me FED EX'd a new hammer spring. It now shoots everything! Now you ask me..why do I continue to patronize TC Arms for almost 30 years? Customer service.....is stellar in my book!

[Bug]

I talked with Ron, in service. He wouldn't ever say whether they keep records on repairs/returns. He put it on his bench "up next" and said he might call back & let me know what he found. It's quittin' time there, so he won't call today. I'll call him Monday & see what's up. Thanks, guys, for all the help & support............Later,,,,,,,,,,,,Bug.

[Bug]

Well, after talking with the guy at T/C that worked on my frame, I can only say that they worked on it, and sent it back. I was unable to find out exactly what was done, he didnt remember (?). I know that the locking table was hit a lick or two with a stone, as evidenced by the shiny spots that weren't there before. They also replaced the trigger guard and trigger unit (I hate it when they do that, now I gotta do another trigger job!). They also replaced the lugs on the barrel.  I could not get a straight answer about the record keeping on repairs. I'm sure they keep SOME kind of records, but believe each repair is a stand-alone situation, and they do not refer back to previous records when making repairs. I have full confidence that it will work as it should, but no idea if I will have the same problem the next time I aquire a new barrel. One other Item of Interest; they returned it UPS ground. I asked the UPS lady why I hadda send it next-day air, and they didn't. That coulda' saved me about $25-$30.00. She said she didn't know, but would find out what the deal was.

[Graybeard]

Most (not all mind you but MOST) folks to include TC and the major barrel makers and TC specialty places are in agreement that the frame like any other single part of the gun is a component not a gun. The UPS requirement is that a handgun must be shipped only next day air.

Note that is NOT a law and only a UPS requirement. Yes the frame is the part with the SN and therefore the Feds consider it  to be a firearm. BUT that don't mean it is a "handgun" in the context of the UPS rule on use of next day air.

Remember the ONLY reason for the UPS rule is that their employees were stealing handguns and rather than work out a procedure in house to rid themselves of the crooked employees and protect your goods in transit them chose to increase the cost of us doing business with them by requiring the "offending" packages to be shipped in a manner that they require all of their folk's signatures on at each step of the way.

So they expect us to pay for the dishonesty of their employees and to fix their problem rather than handling it themselves.

GB

[drichi]

I inquired with the t/c custom shop about some work on my contender recently. the tech that i talked to said that i should ship my contender with barrel removed and list it with ups as gun parts only. he said that if it is assembled then you have to ship it as a handgun and overnight it. did t/c ship back to you fully assembled?

[Bug]

I hadn't thought of it in that context. When I sent it in, It was shipped without wood, unassembled. That might have qualified it as gun parts. It's something to remember. When it was returned, the bbl & frame was assembled, but still less wood (grip & forend). Maybe they classified it as parts, since it was still not complete. Seems I remember the one time I sent it to them complete, with multiple barrels, it was returned next-day-air.... Bug.