Advice for a New Buckmark Owner

[JackEllis]

I put a Buckmark Camper in jail yesterday and can pick it up after lunch on the 16th. Bought a Pelican case to transport it to and from the range, and an extra magazine. When I get it home I'll do a field strip to remove the grease. I tend to stick with unmodified factory firearms and am not interested in modifications, at least not at this point. I'll probably stick with Aguila HV and Standard Velocity ammo since I have plenty of both.

Is there anything else a new owner ought to be aware of?

[American Muslim Gun Owner]

It is a very reliable and fun gun, so honestly there is not much to be aware of or worry about. I've been running mine dirty for quite a long time and have yet to give it a proper field strip cleaning. Just some quick cleaning with a cotton swab here and there, because I am a lazy owner.

[hermosabeach]

Not all semi automatic guns will eat all ammo

Before loading up with a case of X, try a few brands...

Figure out if your new rimfire will run with any brand.. or if it is a picky eater


I also keep things stock. With that said, I do have a Ruger and there are some polishing mods to magazine parts that help improve reliability.

[Garv]

The screw holding the top strap to the barrel is known to loosen.

Clean both surfaces and apply a drop of blue loctite to hold it down.
(Do not use red loctite, way too strong.)

Others have recommended a small piece of plumbers teflon tape.
I have not tried that, but sounds reasonable and certainly easier to remove and replace when the time comes.

[9Cal_OC]

The screw holding the top strap to the barrel is known to loosen.

Clean both surfaces and apply a drop of blue loctite to hold it down.
(Do not use red loctite, way too strong.)

Others have recommended a small piece of plumbers teflon tape.
I have not tried that, but sounds reasonable and certainly easier to remove and replace when the time comes.

This ^

Other than that, clean it and shoot it. I’d recommend to break it in with CCI if you have any. After, it will cycle most bulk ammo. But you’ll be fine with most stuff.

Great gun and very fun.

[Excitable Boy]

Don't dry fire it without a plastic snap cap in place. The firing pin can impact the barrel next to the chamber and cause deformation. Outside of that, enjoy it! I've had mine over 20 years. It's a fun gun and a great tool to help convert skeptics into new shooters.

[JagerDog]

Mine ( 20'ish year old slabside) was a little picky early on. After some break-in it's proven quite reliable.

Shoots like a laser too.

Don't F with taking the barrel off to clean on a regular basis. Risk stripping the screw head.

[M76]

Tac Sol rail with integrated rear sight and a red dot

22lr boresnake

Have fun!

[FNGGlock]

I used to field strip mine for cleaning, but now just lock the slide back and brush and wipe clean what I can. Then run a boresnake through the barrel, lightly lube the slide and areas. Saves a lot fo time and she runs fine. Will probably just strip once in blue moon for a deep clean.

I always check the strap screws every time I clean, but not been an issue on mine. The case it comes with is fine by me to take it out - I have 3 mags and loaders in it. Got a little TSA lock that first through the holes to lock the plastic case. Also added some padding to the top side of the pistol to protect the sights while it travels. Have been holding up so far, may get a proper case at some point.

Mine has not been a picky eater after the first 50-100 rounds. Only had issues with Norma TAC 22 ammo getting stuck, but figured out that issue as well.

It is surprisingly accurate, even with the base thick sights of the base model camper. Don't think I will change it out, as it is good enough for what I need.

[Wheellock]

I put a little o ring on my top screw to keep it from backing out, seems to work. Great choice for a pistol.

[JackEllis]

I'm thinking a bore snake and cotton swaps are all I need to clean it. I've watched someone do a field strip and decided I didn't want to have problems with those little screws.

I'm thinking I would like to get my wife to try it. She's small but I think the grips would be fine for her. She's also extremely competitive and would love to be able to outshoot me...if I can just get her to try it.

[ojisan]

The lock washers under the top strap screw heads flatten out after a few re-uses.
They no longer have any bite so they need to be replaced.

It's an easy gun to work on, watch out for loose springs if you replace the grips.

The most important places to keep clean are the breech face and extractor area.
Use a dental pick or similar tool to clean out the corners of the recess for the case head and scrape grunge out of the extractor area.

Oh, and with any kind of red dot sight, beginners fall in love with the gun and shooting instantly.
So easy to hit with, it makes people feel good about themselves...and this gun thing is now something they know they can do.
Next thing you know, they will want to buy their own gun.

[DanGunner]

The screw holding the top strap to the barrel is known to loosen.

Clean both surfaces and apply a drop of blue loctite to hold it down.
(Do not use red loctite, way too strong.)

Others have recommended a small piece of plumbers teflon tape.
I have not tried that, but sounds reasonable and certainly easier to remove and replace when the time comes.

Blue Locktite is the way to go. A little dab will do you, to quote the old Brylcreem commercial

[c good]

I added one of these for black background targets like Shoot N C targets.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Browning-Buckmark-HiViz-Sight/32099647

[RocketRider]

Congratulations on a good purchase. I really like my Camper, it gets shot all the time. Some ammo with work better than others... that’s just how .22 ammo is.

Like others have said, a simple cleaning after shooting pretty much does the trick. If you do decide to disassemble it, I recommend changing the guide rod to the Eliminator guide rod available at Tandemkross. Then you don’t have to deal with that C-clip. I lost the C-clip the first time I disassembled my Buckmark.

Have fun! Give us a range report after you shoot it.