Break Barrel Slam Shut?

[RJMcElwain]

I read, recently on another forum, about break barrel air rifles slamming shut while being loaded and doing great damage to fingers. Is this an issue with Gamos? I have a Whisper, and I don't recall reading anything about this in their manual. Should I change my loading routine?

[airiscool]

Never had it happen with my Whisper. Once it's fully cocked there is no more force the cocking linkage is working against.

 I wonder if those that snapped shut weren't fully cocked  when the shooter stopped pulling and let the barrel close ?

Paul.

[RJMcElwain]

airiscool - 8/21/2009  11:22 AMNever had it happen with my Whisper. Once it's fully cocked there is no more force the cocking linkage is working against.  I wonder if those that snapped shut weren't fully cocked  when the shooter stopped pulling and let the barrel close ?Paul.

[speedturtle]

It may happen if you only have a very small amount of sear engagement causing it to fire prematurely. Disassemble your airgun and check if you have enough travel before the sear releases its hold on the piston unit.

Speedturtle.

[RJMcElwain]

I didn't do a good job of describing what I read. Apparently, after the rifle is fully cocked and still open, it can fire, causing the barrel to slam shut, catching any fingers that may be inserting a pellet. I'm just wondering if this has ever happened to a Gamo owner.

[longislandhunter]

I have a few break barrel GAMO rifles and I've never had it happen.  AFter the the rifles are fully cocked there really isn't any force/tension on the barrel anymore,,, it just kinda "hangs" there with no force on it.  I guess it's possible that a mechanical malfunction could cause the the rifle to fire while the barrel is "broken open" but I don't understand how this accidental firing could actually propel the barrel upwards with enough force to "slam it shut".     I will however be the first to admit I'm no expert when it comes to the mechanical design of air rifles so I'm hoping someone with advanced understanding will clear this up.....

Are you sure what you read wasn't referring to side cockers or underlevers..... because that's an entirely different ball game and where loading a pellet while the action is cocked could become dangerous under certain conditions.....

Jeff

[expomatic]

My Gamo Varmint Hunter has a factory installed anti-bear trap and it's quite impossible to pull the trigger when the
breach is open. I suppose that it is possible that there might be a problem with a broken sear or something but, I'm
really not concerned about it.

However, I always keep a hand on the cocking lever while loading the Diana 54 and BAM B-40. If those ever let go
I don't think I would ever have normal hands again.

[N_Strike]

Hi,I've got few break barrels Gamos and,if I understood what you ment,it cannot happen that while reloading the pellet the rifle can accidentaly fire causing the barrel to slam up(with dangerous cosequences...) 'cos all of them have an automatic safety that stops the trigger to work till the barrel is again locked.Some rifles without this safety can be unloaded by breaking the barrel,holding it firmly breaked,pulling the trigger and gently release the barrel (forced by the spring) till it's locked again.Here is shown the exact part.
Emi.

[RJMcElwain]

Here's the thread where I read about this:

http://straightshooters.com/chat/viewtopic.php?t=2925

From what some of you have said, it sounds like this shouldn't be a problem with the Whisper, however, it seems like it might be a problem with the CFX ?

If it does happen, it looks like the consequences can be very painful.

[longislandhunter]

Side cockers and underlevers are an entirely different matter.......  loading one of them required you to insert your fingers down into the loading chamber while the action is locked to the rear.   If some mechanical safety did in fact fail and the action slammed forward while your fingers were inside that chamber you could most certainly sustain some very serious injuries  !!!!

This event is of particular concern on some of the cheap chinese side  and underlever cockers.......  especially the B-3 line.  

I had an incident a while back where a cheap chinese side cocker "let loose" while I was getting ready to load it..... thank GOD I always make it a point to FIRMLY hold onto the cocking lever when reloading such guns.  I was able to prevent my left thumb and index finger from becoming a mangled mess......   You have to be very careful with side cockers and under levers.....

Jeff

[kp4att]

I HAD A GAMO HUNTER EXTREME .177

 WHEN IT WAS COCKED ACCIDENTALLY I PRESSED THE TRIGGER AND THE BARREL WAS REALEASED SO FAST

THAT I WAS LUCKY THAT I DO NOT HAD MY FINGERS IN THE BARRER FOR RELOADING.  THE RIFLE AT THAT MOMENT.


 THE BARREL OF THE RIFLE BENDED UPWARD VERY BAD.

DO NOT TOUCH THE TRIGGER WHEN THE RIFLE IS COCKED..... I WAS STARTING IN THIS HOBBY WHEN THATS HAPPEN TO ME...  TAKE CARE BUDDY

[speedturtle]

If you will read Janod's post closely he said that "It started with a rifle that had the trigger pull excessively reduced. I cocked the gun then realized in my haste to shoot it, I hadn't got a can of pellets opened and into easy reach first. So I reached far up on a shelf to get a can and in the process let my thumb get into the breach area. The trigger released forcing the breach to slam closed on the tip of my left thumb. This is a BSA SuperSport - a lower end "magnum" air rifle. "

As I have said, when there is a very small amount of travel left to fully secure the sear engagement, with all that spring power that is compressed and waiting to be released, it is just an accident waiting to happen.

There are some airgunners who leaves the barrel bend without holding it because they believe that the piston unit is properly secured by the sear. I, for one does that (but only because I fully know my Crosman G-1's trigger mechanism since I tweaked it). I have about 2mm of strut lever contact travel with the bottom of the sear before it will release the piston unit. But, if you want to be more careful it is much preferable to hold the barrel while bent down and insert the pellet with your other free hand.

A friend of mine had the same accident (but not in the same gross condition) when he tried to hold the airgun very close to the breech while cocking it. I think the gun was not fully cocked yet and he lost his control of the barrel slap that is why the flesh between his thumb and index finger was caught in between the breech block and the breech of the barrel. No flesh was taken out but the cut was really deep. It took him about 2 weeks before he was able to use an airgun again.

Just try to hold your barrel even while cocking and after cocking until it is fully locked in place to be safe. And keep the other hand away from the that breech assembly at all times. Even if Gamo and Crosman air rifles has a built in bear trap mechanism it is practical to have a safer procedure of cocking and inserting a pellet than be sorry losing a finger or two.

Oh, and one last thing - don't modify your trigger unit to have a very light trigger pull if you don't know how secure is the sear in keeping the piston unit in place. It can be done by home tuners but with caution.

Hope this helps.

Speedturtle

[speedturtle]

What I happen to do as a habit is to engage the safety right after I cocked the rifle. I never release the safety until such time that I have a firm sight on my target and is ready to shoot. So far I never had an accident and still have all my 10 fingers intact. Hehehe.

Speedturtle

[tjk]

Not to be a 'wise-@$$' but this is how I see it. The anti-beartrap device in the action will not stop the barrel from abruptly closing. This safety device is the prevent the trigger from being inadvertantly pulled , which results in the piston moving forward unexpectedly.You'll notice the  little trigger pin that has the extention on it in the trigger group. This pin will not allow the trigger to be pulled with the anti beartrap (slide) engaged. That's where the little tab on the buttom of this device comes into play. From what I've observed with this type of action, is that the piston and the cocking linkage are held together during the cocking stage from the force of the main spring. Once the piston locks up with the sear,...the cocking linkage is free to move up and down Example, during barrell return lock up. But with the cocking linkage in the "cocked" position when loading a round,...if for some reason the pin by-passes the tab on the bottum of the Anti-beartrap slide mechanism,...and the trigger gets bumped/pulled too hard, the sear will release,the piston will advance forward, catch the cocking linkage and slamming the barrel up,...in a fast and violent manner,...fingers beware!!!! I think the best way to operate a springer,..is to #1,...keep your finger AWAY from the trigger when cocking and loading,...period!! #2,...ALWAYS hold the barrel (or cocking lever for sides and unders) while loading each round. And Lastly,...don't get into the habit of resting your finger on the trigger until you have accuired your intended target!!! I've seen some messed up fingers,..and it isn't a pretty sight. An ounce of prevention IS worh a pound of cure. Shoot safely,..and shoot often,...tjk

[RJMcElwain]

tjk - 8/21/2009 2:35 PM Not to be a 'wise-@$$' but this is how I see it. The anti-beartrap device in the action will not stop the barrel from abruptly closing. This safety device is the prevent the trigger from being inadvertantly pulled , which results in the piston moving forward unexpectedly.You'll notice the little trigger pin that has the extention on it in the trigger group. This pin will not allow the trigger to be pulled with the anti beartrap (slide) engaged. That's where the little tab on the buttom of this device comes into play. From what I've observed with this type of action, is that the piston and the cocking linkage are held together during the cocking stage from the force of the main spring. Once the piston locks up with the sear,...the cocking linkage is free to move up and down Example, during barrell return lock up. But with the cocking linkage in the "cocked" position when loading a round,...if for some reason the pin by-passes the tab on the bottum of the Anti-beartrap slide mechanism,...and the trigger gets bumped/pulled too hard, the sear will release,the piston will advance forward, catch the cocking linkage and slamming the barrel up,...in a fast and violent manner,...fingers beware!!!! I think the best way to operate a springer,..is to #1,...keep your finger AWAY from the trigger when cocking and loading,...period!! #2,...ALWAYS hold the barrel (or cocking lever for sides and unders) while loading each round. And Lastly,...don't get into the habit of resting your finger on the trigger until you have accuired your intended target!!! I've seen some messed up fingers,..and it isn't a pretty sight. An ounce of prevention IS worh a pound of cure. Shoot safely,..and shoot often,...tjk

Two thoughts. You'd think Gamo would mention this in the manual, but I missed it it's there. And second, this seems like a very likely cause for lawsuits by those who have learned the hard way.

And I believe I'll alter the way I load my Whisper.