# Help, my brand new gun won't fire !



## bwarren2 (Oct 15, 2008)

I have a brand new Browning BAR .308. I had a trigger job done to get rid of the play before I ever fired. I am not trying to make it a light trigger just more crisp. I fired it for the first time today and it fired 2 times w/ no issues. The next 5 or 6 trigger pulls, nothing happens. I hear the click but no BOOM. I tried 2 different manufactures shells and then shot the ones that wouldn't fire,  in another 308 with no issues. I checked the shells after each misfire and there is no indentation in the primer, I assume the firing pin is messed up. I also assume this is due to the trigger job that I just had. Please provide your input. 

Thanks


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## polaris30144 (Oct 15, 2008)

Take it back to whoever did the trigger job. Was it a gunsmith? It sounds like they messed with the springs and might have adjusted the firing pin spring to lighten the trigger pull. Not everyone that claims to be a gunsmith is really one.


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## bwarren2 (Oct 15, 2008)

Yeah I forgot that part. It was a gunsmith who did this. I won't say who it is unless they don't fix it. I am going to take it back to him asap!.


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## Gentleman4561 (Oct 15, 2008)

take it back and dont try to shoot it anymore it could be dangerous if the springs are messed up


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## georgiaboy (Oct 15, 2008)

When you cocked the rifle and pulled the trigger did you hear the pin strike?  Could be a very light strike as mentioned or could be a sear engagement issue and the sear isn't releasing.

Let us know and good luck.  I am sure the 'smith can fix it.  New springs are cheap and I am SURE he will buy them if need be.


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## bwarren2 (Oct 15, 2008)

I am pretty sure I did. I pulled the trigger and heard click. I am bringing it in tomorrow. It should be something minor.....I hope.  I had a new .270 BAR last year and not a problem. I traded it in on this one.


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## Patchpusher (Oct 15, 2008)

If you don't let the bolt slam home it won't fire. It has to be locked up before it will fire. The firing pin spring doesn't have anything to do with the trigger pull.


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## bwarren2 (Oct 16, 2008)

Patchpusher,

I am not following you. What do you mean let the bolt slam home? I would load a couple of cartridges in the clip then release the bolt and load one in the chamber. It worked and then it didn't. You push a release so I guess the bolt slams in that instance. Is that what you are referring to?


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## Patchpusher (Oct 16, 2008)

Yes, that is what I am referring to. Miss fires occur when you ease the bolt home. Lock the bolt back put in the magazine and press the button. Try that and if it still won't fire you have other problems.


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## polaris30144 (Oct 16, 2008)

Patchpusher said:


> If you don't let the bolt slam home it won't fire. It has to be locked up before it will fire. The firing pin spring doesn't have anything to do with the trigger pull.



No kidding.....If it had been a shade tree gun hacker, there is no telling what was changed or adjusted. Since it was a gunsmith, like I advised take it back.


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## GAnaturalist (Oct 16, 2008)

Patchpusher said:


> Yes, that is what I am referring to. Miss fires occur when you ease the bolt home. Lock the bolt back put in the magazine and press the button. Try that and if it still won't fire you have other problems.



This is true,

If the bolt does not go ALL the way foward, the rifle will not fire. It has nothing to do with the trigger pull, pin, etc.

It could be from a dirty chamber, bullets, bolt, or (often in my case), from ammo that is loaded too long or has not been resized. 

So, in short, it sounds like your ammo is not fully entering the chamber.


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## georgiaboy (Oct 16, 2008)

bwarren2 said:


> I am pretty sure I did. I pulled the trigger and heard click. I am bringing it in tomorrow. It should be something minor.....I hope.  I had a new .270 BAR last year and not a problem. I traded it in on this one.



If the bolt is not fully seated you should not hear the click when you pull the trigger.  You shouldn't even be able to pull the trigger enough to release the sear.  

That should not happen if the bolt isn't all the way forward (called firing out of battery).  I imagine you have some gunk or possibly some unburned powder in the firing pin spring causing VERY light strikes.  Another possibility is a broken firing pin.  There probably is not a trigger issue if you cock, take off safe and pull the trigger and hear a click.

I am not a gunsmith, so don't take my word for it.  Just experience from my past problems.


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## Beretta682 (Oct 16, 2008)

I had a "trigger job" done to a revolver once by a guy who was supposed to be a great gunsmith.  Sometimes it would fire and sometimes it wouldn't.  I took it to another gunsmith to look at it and found out that what the first guy did was cut the springs to make it lighter.  I was getting light primer strikes that didn't have enought force to ignite the primer.  Make sure that this isn't what he did.


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## bighonkinjeep (Oct 16, 2008)

If the trigger return spring is adjusted improperly it will prevent the firing pin from cocking. Take it back and have it checked out


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## bwarren2 (Oct 16, 2008)

I always let the bolt slam on this yesterday. I would load 2 in the clip and pull release so that isn't the issue. I took it back today and am supposed to get an answer tomorrow. If I am not satisfied, I will make a trip to see the gun doc. The smith was thinking the firing pin broke and his trigger job had nothing to do with this. He thought this because it fired 2 times and then stopped working. Sounds a bit fishy to me but I am not an expert by any stretch. Hopefully it's an easy fix and we are on our way.

Wouldn't a broken firing pin be very rare, especially after 2 shots on a new gun?


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## Patchpusher (Oct 17, 2008)

Its made out of metal anything is possible.  I have never encountered a broken firing pin on a BAR. But, I might now that I have said so. On BARs that are well used. A burr will occur on the timing latch. The timing latch is located on the left hand side of the breechbolt. The timing latch blocks the firing pin from moving if the firearm is fired from the unlocked position. If you are not getting any firing pin marks on the primers there are three possible reasons. The bolt is not locking up, the firing pin is broken or the two hammer springs have been altered enough that they can't overcome the firing pin spring.


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## BookHound (Oct 17, 2008)

bwarren2 said:


> Wouldn't a broken firing pin be very rare, especially after 2 shots on a new gun?



Are you saying you took a brand new gun out of the box and before verifying it was 100% functional by actually firing it you had a trigger job done to it?  If this is the case, there could have been a defect from the factory.  In that case it would be hard to lay blame at the 'smith's feet.


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## bighonkinjeep (Oct 18, 2008)

sounds like the trigger return spring sometimes they cock cometimes they don't.


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## Patchpusher (Oct 22, 2008)

Well, have you got it back yet? If so, what was the problem?


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## bwarren2 (Oct 28, 2008)

I don't have it back yet but I was told the firing pin had a burr in it. The smith was supposed to fire it, I need to call him back again and see how it did.


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