encore hammer

[GRIMJIM]

I saw a deer coming my way at dusk and as it got closer I raised my encore 209x50 and when I pulled back on the hammer it wouldn't move. I tried opening and reclosing the gun a couple of times but it didn't work. Needless to say the deer left while I was screwing around with the gun. When I went to show it to my friend, it would not cock, then when I opened the gun and closed it, it started to work fine.

I'm confused, any ideas?

[Idaho_Elk_Huntr]

Has anyone messed with the trigger?

[GRIMJIM]

No, it's factory original.

[DEACONLLB]

One problem that I have found on the encore as well as the contenders is that the hammer comes in contact with the stock before it is far enough back to cock. cock the hammer very slow and see if the back of the spur is contacting the wood if it is then you can shim it back enough to clear by removing stock and use a small flat washer over the threaded end of stock bolt and then reinstalling stock, may have to use a couple if one does not work. Another problem is that the locking lug may not be going back far enough to contact the butterfly that allows the hammer to cock. If the hammer is not hitting the wood you might try another barrel and see if it cocks if it does that will tell you that the lug may have to be honed a little not much and there is also the chance that there is some grit or fowling in the cocking butterfly.
Hope this will help
Deaconllb

[GRIMJIM]

One problem that I have found on the encore as well as the contenders is that the hammer comes in contact with the stock before it is far enough back to cock. cock the hammer very slow and see if the back of the spur is contacting the wood if it is then you can shim it back enough to clear by removing stock and use a small flat washer over the threaded end of stock bolt and then reinstalling stock, may have to use a couple if one does not work. Another problem is that the locking lug may not be going back far enough to contact the butterfly that allows the hammer to cock. If the hammer is not hitting the wood you might try another barrel and see if it cocks if it does that will tell you that the lug may have to be honed a little not much and there is also the chance that there is some grit or fowling in the cocking butterfly.
Hope this will help
Deaconllb

The hammer is not hitting anything and I only have the one barrel. I have been trying to get it to duplicate the occurence with no success.  I just don't want it to happen again in a hunting situation. I will try taking it down and giving it a good thorough cleaning, maybe there is something in there like you suggested.

I have less than fifty shots through this gun and have never had a problem with it before.

[Lower40]

I see you are up north also...I wouldn't rule out ice. You take a warm gun out side, it melts any ice or snow that contacts it, then freezes.  You folks get the cold weather about 3 days before we do in NY along the Canadian border...and we have had below zero weather lately.  Let the gun sit next to a heat source to make sure it is dry inside, or better yet..use an air hose to blow it out and check for moisture. Once dry..get it lubed up good (I like Break-Free...but that's your call)

Wonder if you had it out in the snow or rain the day before? If so, maybe it was still wet inside the action when you took it out?   I know from experience..that a small piece of ice will lock-up a firearm solid!

[GRIMJIM]

I did have it in my truck on the way down ( hunted in far southern Illinois) in negative temps but the day this happened it was almost forty.

[Keith L]

40?  is that +40?  Up here in America's Dairyland we have forgotten what that is like.

[jammer308]

You say it wouldn't cock back, then after you opened and closed it a couple of times it worked fine. My guess is something got between the action and you worked it out by opening/closing. Another idea i have is the breech plug was not all the way in for some odd reason, or you may have been using a different primer than normal? Did the primer look like it was crushed in any way? any abnormal appearances?

[DEACONLLB]

I do not know if this can happen on an encore but I had a contender that I put a barrel on and I tried about 20 times to get it to cock and it would not, then when I found the problem I kinda felt stupid. what I was doing was keeping my finger on the trigger while opening it and so it was not allowing it to cock as the trigger was already in the fired position when I closed the barrel. I guess we all do some stupid things.
Deaconllb