I bought a new barrel for my contender a few months ago....a 17 hmr. It is a factory TC barrel, 23"(I think) and it shoots good but it has a flaw. Sometimes the gun will not go off. It appears to me that the lockup is not correct with this barrel... when I pull the trigger sometimes the "safety"(someome help me with the term)blocks the hammer from hitting the firing pin. It only does this with this barrel...al tl the other barrels I have seem to function perfect.

I can get it to fire everytime if I close the action, pull the trigger(without cocking the hammer), pull the trigger guard, then cock the hammer and it will fire. If I try to fire without this recocking it will only fire part of the time, the same if I allow the action to open when I recock the action. The lockup seems as solid as with any other barrel...

Any ideas??? short of sending it to a smith or back to TC???

-Phil

The locking bolts are not fully engaging every time you close the gun. Snap it closed with just a bit more zing. If it continues you have a couple of choices....replace the bolts with a different style (that is what TC will do if you send it in to them)or have them send you a set and do it yourself. Takes five minutes with a small c clamp a 1/8" punch and mallet.

I am a little confused with your description of the problem.

1. If your gun isn't fully closed, you won't be able to pull the trigger. Closing it with a little more "zing" should cure this problem. If not, I'd talk to T/C. I've had this happen with an Encore when the case wasn't sized quite as much as the gun liked. Of course, with a 17 HMR you aren't going to be able to rezise the case. If the chamber of your barrel was dimensionally incorrect, it could also cause this problem.

2. Once you pull the trigger (whether or not you have pulled back the hammer), you have to recock by pulling on the trigger guard in order to recock the hammer.

I think Steve's got it right here. This is an older frame or a G2?

Rather than replacing the locking bolts (new barrel probably has the latest, 2-piece style locking bolts, they need to be fit to your frame.

Remove the barrel and LIGHTLY stone the TOPS of the locking bolt engagement surfaces, maintaining the same angles. Use a black felt-tip marker to mark the tops of the bolts and re-install the barrel. Close normally, or even gently. When you open the action, check the tops of the locking bolts for engagement as shown by the marring of the black marker on the bolts. You are looking for engagement that goes somewhat past the "U"-notch in the bolts. Or at least engagement that will allow the hammer to fall completely every time.

You might also consider a stronger locking bolt spring, available from Mike Bellm on his website. Go here.

I am familar with the resizing isssue with reloaded ammo for contenders....I also have a 223 and 17 rem barrel and if I don't full length resize they don't fire.

The probelm here is that when I pull the trigger on a loaded or empty chamber I get the same result....part of the time the hammer will not hit the firing pins(no i am not dry firing on an empty chamber, I am letter the hammer down with my thumb!) I can see that the bar that should fall away does not.

Here is the process that I can get the gun to fire...

1.Close action
2.pull trigger
3.pull trigger guard, keeping action closed
4.pull hammer back
5.pull trigger, gun goes off.

if I skip step 3 and 4, the gun might fire(I tried closing it firmly, didn't seem to make a difference). If I allow the action to open when I repull the trigger guard, the gun probably won't go off(>90%).

This is a new barrel and an older action( IIRC I bought the action in '95 or '96) the other two barrels I have are early 90 barrels.

SKB2706 may have the solution for me...I think I will call TC and see if they can send me the different locking bolts.

thanks,

Phil

Jlarrson and I posted on top of each other!

Yes, older frame, new g2 barrell! The locking bolts are slightly different between the old one and new ones.

Lightly stone i am taking as a 400 grit or better, almost a heavy polish? i will try that and let you know what happens. I have always assume that some if just slightly out of whack.

thanks,

phil

On the .17 HMR, it probably won't make any difference, but if I were fitting the bolts on a heavier-recoiling cartridge, I would NOT want to polish the tops. This can lead to barrels unlocking when you don't want them to.

I don't know what you have available, but I'd go with something more agressive, and just use a very light touch. Go slow, keep marking the bolts with black marker and check again, and keep the angle the same.

You'll be done in no time at all, I bet.