Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Contender misfires

Anyone had problem with old style contender (86 yr. Model ) hammer striking primer to lightly and not firing . Could this be because trigger pull is to light . Just bought gun , frame & barrel were purchased separately . Trigger pull is about 1 3/4 lb. Barrel is super 14 223 cal.

I'd guess that's not the problem. Mine had a 20 ounce trigger pull. I've had issues but it's not a problem with hammer strike, it's a problem with the fit between ammo, frame, and barrel.

Is this factory ammo or handload? If it is handloaded, were the cases fire formed in this chamber or are they leftovers from another gun?

If the chamber was cut a little too deep or if the shoulder was pushed too far back for this chamber during sizing, the case will sit a little deeper in the chamber and the firing pin may not reach the primer with full force.

In reverse, if the cases were not sized quite enough, the action may not be quite closed and the hammer fall's energy may be going into closing the action rather than striking the primer.

Problems are much more likely to be ammo handloaded by someone who had only loaded for a bolt action and isn't thinking clearly about the differences with a break top single shot than any other potential cause.

Tom

Yes, I've had this problem in the past. But fortunately for me, I have a gunsmith that understands Contenders.

The problem is usually in the fit of the barrel to the frame. 1st thing is to ascertain that the gun is ABSOLUTELY empty, then hold it sideways and look at the hammer as you squeeze the trigger. If the hammer doesn't fall all the way flat against the frame, that is the problem.

The T/C contender has a built in safety so that if the barrel is not in the fully locked positon, it will not fire. You can try snapping it shut very hard and see if it will fire. Sometimes that works, but not always.

Sometimes all one has to do is replace the locking lug with the newer two piece split lug. But that doesn't always work, either...

T/C used to fit barrels for free... But since they've been bought out by S&W, Who knows...

GH

Check the hammer spring. They are prone to break. If one leg of the spring breaks there is not enough energy to ignite the primer. I bought an early model Contender last year and had misfires due to light strikes. My local gun guy had a spring on hand and now everything is fine. Also, do you have a hammer spur on the gun? The extra weight causes the hammer drop to lose energy and speed causing misfires.

For all things Contender:

http://www.bellmtcs.com/store/index.php?cid=562

Thanks to all that have responded , these are all things to consider , I'm thinking it's possibly a resizing issue . This is winchcster white box ammo that has been resized and annealed I think ,anyway they were heat treated around the neck and shoulder . I got the barrel off of E bay and frame from gun broker so there may be fitting in issues . Will be back .

I've also had this problem and have had to only re-size enough of the case to be able to close the action.

Split lugs on the barrel or the old one piece? Yes it matters!

What's up with the split lugs ,just asking so I will know . Like to know as much as I can about the guns I have .

Thanks , one can learn a lot here

I have a couple contenders. One developed a problem with occasional misfires. Solved it with a detail stripping and good cleaning. A little crud had built up around the sear and interlock safety. It slowed down the safety enough that it occasionally interfered with the hammer striking the primer.

This!

Had the same problem with a 45-70 barrel. Replaced the locking lug spring fora couple of bucks, plus the cost of a roll pin punch, and problem solved. Got the springs from Bellm, package of 5 for maybe $10. An hour in the garage and a little thinking, done. If you try this, take your time, the spring has a lot of pressure to it when you go to install it, and it will shoot across the room. Try to get a second set of hands to help.

PM LBK on here he had a lot of problems with his wifes rifle, he might be able to help you, he even took the rifle back to TC and that even didn't work, he mostly in the savage collectors form but away rabbit hunting today.

A common problem is the stock or hand grip is missing a washer or it is over tightened. There should be two washers between the stock screw and the threads. This will cause the hammer to strike with not enough tension. Jeff~

I saw a guy with a G2 stock on an early Contender and he had this problem.

Guess I'm missing something. What does the grip/stock screw have to do with the hammer tension? The original Contender uses a torsion type spring wound around the hammer pin. On the G2 the spring is a compression type on a strut that rides in the stock stud. Even then the grip adapter should separate the screw from the strut. Anyway, the problem is most likely as others have said, locking lugs or spring.

Them rebated rims headspace on the shoulder.
Mike has taught us to use rimmed cartridges in break-actions whenever possible.
Back off the sizing die per Bellm specs
(http://www.bellmtcs.com/FAQ/adjusting_dies.htm)
...just my two cents.
the Food Lion