contender misfires...?

[the Black Spot]

have a .223, i fired it the first time today. shot 8 rounds of rem cheap 50 gr hp. the next rounds only had the primer slightly dented the round did not fire. tried some black hills, same thing, only a slight dent. of the round i fired the primers had the firing dent blown back out, in other words there was no dent in the primer. the pressure nocked the little dent back out so it stuck above the primer. are my misfires caused by a weak hammer spring? i checked the lock lugs and they lock up at least an 1/8 of an inch, and i can see the hammer block fall. the firing pin moves in and out freely and does not seem to be broken. anyone have any ideas? thanks in advance

[Grumulkin]

You've used a couple of different types of ammo so it's probably not a primer problem.  I think it's probably a weak spring in your gun.

[bustedknee]

Several years ago I called in a 6-point buck.

Contender went click!

"Crap!" I thought, "I must have left the hammer selecter in the rimfire position!"

I flipped the selecter and sighted on the buck again.

Another click.

I flipped the selecter back to the original position.

Yet another click.

I left after the buck left.

When I back got to the house I checked and discovered I had, indeed, been in the centerfire position on my first and last attempt to fire.

Looking closer I detected a little rust in the hammer (in the firing-pin selector).  I dry-fired without a cartridge in the chamber.  Apparently that broke the firing-pin loose because the next live round fired.

A single drop of Break-Free would have saved the day.  Now the hammer is the first and last place I check before hunting with the gun.  

I have had no more misfires.

[Davemuzz]

Do you have a hammer extension on your Contender? Yeah, I know that may sound a bit odd at first, but my shootin buddy was shootin 22lr for sillohuette for 6 months, and then decided to buy a 223 barrel.

He had the same problems of mis-fires and called T\C. The first question they ask him was about the hammer extension.

Well, since it was worth a try,  he took off the extension and never had a mis-fire after that. It seems the hammer extension has enough weight, with an older weak spring, that it will not allow the hammer to develop enough momentum to strike the primer with enough force to ignite it.

So, if you have a hammer extension...take it off. What do you have to lose.

BTW, I had an extension on mine. After that, I have been shooting mine without an extension. Once you are use to it, It's no big deal.

Dave

[Lone Star]

Especially if it is a light primer hit, the cause is most certainly (95%) the interlock safety.  The hammer block can fall part way and still block the hammer from fully hitting the firing pin.  If the barrel has a slightly short chamber, some cheap milspec-type ammo will not allow the action to close fully - bingo, a weak hammer strike.  Did you buy the barrel used?  Maybe you now know why it was sold.  If the chamber is a bit short, T/C will take care of you.

Rusty pin not falling when hit by a full strike of the hammer?  Balderdash - it's either 1) oversized ammo keeping the interlock from functioning correctly - dry-firing without a round in the chamber worked because the case wasn't holding the action open; or 2) the owner oiled the action and it has gummed up the interlock safety - RTFM and spray the action liberally with degreaser and DO NOT oil the internal parts.  Problem solved.

Other causes are a weak spring, hammer extension, or a damaged firing pin tip.

[Davemuzz]

LoneStar:

Balderdash  :-D   :-D  on the rusty pin theroy?? What...like you were there and physically checked the gun?? You don't think this can't happen?

I would tend to believe the writer of the post as he is the one who own's the gun, and had experienced the problem. It does rain in parts of the country and rust does form on metal.....and Texas is not the only place in the USA.

Oh yeah....Hammer extension.....if you got one on...take it off.


Dave.

[bustedknee]

...Rusty pin not falling when hit by a full strike of the hammer?  Balderdash...

I know rust, and that was rust.

[the Black Spot]

i do not have  a hammer extention. i found out this frame is a '76 vintage. pretty sure it is a weak hammer spring. the lock lug locks up at least an 1/8th of an inch(i colored the lug with black sharpie). anyway, i most likely will send it off to tc and let them handle it. after it is fixed, and the frame is not stretched beyond all reason, the only other barrel i will get will either be a 7-30 or 30-30.

thanks for all the replies

[the Black Spot]

got my contender back from tc, had a broken hammer spring.