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Help! Misfires. [message #41477] Sun, 24 July 2016 21:42 Go to next message
guncrazyhoosier is currently offline  guncrazyhoosier
Messages: 19
Registered: December 2015
Location: NE Indiana
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Getting light strikes and misfires with 35 Remington barrel. Other centerfire barrels firing OK.
Is this a headspace problem and how do I fix it.
Re: Help! Misfires. [message #41480 is a reply to message #41477] Mon, 25 July 2016 09:38 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Crubear is currently offline  Crubear
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Registered: March 2010
Location: NW Georgia
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Contender or Encore?
Reloads or Factory?


Honestly, I have all the barrels I want or could ever need..... wait, look, there's another!!
Re: Help! Misfires. [message #41481 is a reply to message #41480] Mon, 25 July 2016 09:48 Go to previous messageGo to next message
guncrazyhoosier is currently offline  guncrazyhoosier
Messages: 19
Registered: December 2015
Location: NE Indiana
Forum Newbie
Crubear thanks for reply. 2nd gen Contender. Both factory and reloads. Problem with ammo that previously wasn't problematic. Firing pin protrusion is a full 0.052.
Re: Help! Misfires. [message #41482 is a reply to message #41481] Mon, 25 July 2016 13:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Crubear is currently offline  Crubear
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Registered: March 2010
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Things I'd try:

1) Take apart the firing pin assembly and clean it.

2) Remove and clean out the locking bolt as well.
-- Possibly replace the spring with a stronger one or
-- Stone a little bit off the top of the bolt to bring the barrel down and in a little tighter.
-- OR - if you have another barrel, try swapping the locking bolt and spring.

3) make a shim to slide between the extractor and the barrel.
-- See if the extractor being out a little bit helps. If it does - carefully bend the extractor out.

4) For reloads.... use Bellm's suggested method.
- take out the extractor
- Fire five rounds
- Check, the base of the fired case should sit a bit above the face of the barrel (that's your barrel/frame gap).
- back out the sizing die, and turn it down until the case sits flat level with the barrel face.
- Size the next case and adjust (repeat until no adjustment is required)
-- reload these five and see what happens.


Honestly, I have all the barrels I want or could ever need..... wait, look, there's another!!

[Updated on: Mon, 25 July 2016 13:36]

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Re: Help! Misfires. [message #41483 is a reply to message #41482] Mon, 25 July 2016 13:37 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Crubear is currently offline  Crubear
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Registered: March 2010
Location: NW Georgia
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Headspace has a whole lot of different dimensions/attributes when you talk the Contender/Encore.

In this case it's USUALLY the shoulder. Make sure you aren't bumping the shoulder back too far (allows the cartridge to slide into the chamber a bit further. The loaded ammo may have been manufactured to just above the minimum spec while you might have a chamber at the upper limit.

Did you recently replace the hammer spring with a stronger one?

Oh, and make sure you don't have any oil/solvent on the case or in the chamber.


Honestly, I have all the barrels I want or could ever need..... wait, look, there's another!!

[Updated on: Mon, 25 July 2016 13:40]

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Re: Help! Misfires. [message #41486 is a reply to message #41483] Tue, 26 July 2016 08:26 Go to previous messageGo to next message
guncrazyhoosier is currently offline  guncrazyhoosier
Messages: 19
Registered: December 2015
Location: NE Indiana
Forum Newbie
Thanks Crubear. You gave me a lot of good things to look at. I started with easy/simplest to deal with first. The cause of the problem was headspace; the shoulder. I was using new Hornaday brass and the shoulder was shallower in angle and allowing the case to set deeper into the chamber. I used benchrest primers and seated them just flush with the base of the case and was able to get the new brass fire formed. Once fire formed the missfire problem went away. Thanks a bunch for your help!
Re: Help! Misfires. [message #42188 is a reply to message #41486] Wed, 30 November 2016 22:04 Go to previous messageGo to next message
rootmanslim is currently offline  rootmanslim
Messages: 11
Registered: November 2016
Forum Newbie
Another easy was to fireform 35 rem cases is to load the cartridge with a .357 handgun cast bullet (158 gr semi-wadcutter) seated and crimped so that when you close the breech the bullet engages the rifling. (some effort required). Then the case will fireform to your chamber and should not be full length sized until it won't chamber. (usually about 5 full house reloads).
Re: Help! Misfires. [message #42190 is a reply to message #42188] Wed, 30 November 2016 23:00 Go to previous messageGo to next message
sunnysmarine is currently offline  sunnysmarine
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Registered: July 2011
Location: CA
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you may want to ad the type or name of powder and charge weight for the information you have shared, kind of a pressure problem with out knowledge of advanced reloading techniques
Re: Help! Misfires. [message #42191 is a reply to message #42190] Wed, 30 November 2016 23:08 Go to previous messageGo to next message
sunnysmarine is currently offline  sunnysmarine
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Registered: July 2011
Location: CA
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Crubear's final advice clean the chamber free of oil and solvent should be the first thing you do after a cleaning and before each use INCLUDING removing sizing LUBE from the case
Re: Help! Misfires. [message #42194 is a reply to message #42190] Thu, 01 December 2016 11:21 Go to previous message
rootmanslim is currently offline  rootmanslim
Messages: 11
Registered: November 2016
Forum Newbie
The powder and charge can be anyone correct for a Contender.

The Hodgdon site has loads with 3031,4895 and 4064 under pistol loads for a 170 gr bullet.
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