Parker hard to open

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

I was shooting Trap yesterday, and a young man from the high school shooting time was using a double brl Parker V grade, after he would shoot the gun would not open unless you broke it down across your knee, what would cause this? Gary

[Randy G Roberts]

Firing pin penetrating the primers too deeply would be plausible.

[Aaron Beck]

only when fired? or every time?

[Brian Dudley]

It is a hull or primer issue.

[bob lyons]

I have the same issue on my DHE and have not got it figured out yet. Comments from the Fourm may be cocking springs ?

[Brian Dudley]

Springs would make no sense to me as having anything to do with it.

[edgarspencer]

Sometimes, excessive wear to the ends of the firing pins makes them somewhat more pointed, than rounded. Chedite primers are often punctured. I had this happen a bit too often on a gun, so I just touched the points up with a diamond file, rounding them slightly. Never happened again.

[Paul Ehlers]

More than likely an ammo/primer issue.

I've had the same problem with several Parkers and found that when I switched ammo to a different type the problem went away. Nothing scientific here, but my experiences have usually been when using the promo low budget type of ammo for some reason.

I've also had the same experience to a lesser degree with Fox's as well, with the common denominator being the ammo/primers used.

[Mike Koneski]

Usually soft primers and they puncture easily or very hard primers and the firing pins hang up in them. The shells we see here a lot too especially with the cheaper shells. Seems the heads swell up in some guns and hang up in the chamber preventing the gun from opening. 99.9% of the time as soon as you switch primers or use a better quality shell the problem goes away.

[Daryl Corona]

It's the steel vs. brass on the head. Older ammo and quality ammo usually solve this problem.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Thanks for the replies, as Brian says it seems to be a hull or primer issue, Will shoot again on Sunday if not raining and if the young man is there I will check it out closer, again thanks Gary

[Randy G Roberts]

Gary examine the face of the spent hulls looking for drag marks caused by firing pins extruding to far. This may provide a clue.