Why isn't the Browning Buck Mark more popular?

[jwai86]

There are many ads on Used Guns and Oz Gun Sales for new and used Buck Marks, and most of them don't seem to move at all.

I used a club member's old and slightly rusty Buck Mark a while ago. It was pretty accurate, but its unusually strong magazine ejection took me by surprise. If you aren't prepared for how quickly the magazine shoots out, it will likely bounce off your receiving hand and end up on the floor.

Is there something wrong with the Buck Mark compared to other rimfire pistols on the market that I'm unaware of?

[rc42]

Bad triggers and not much in the way of after market parts, otherwise they are OK. There is a spring that can be installed upside down to help the trigger and lift it to the realms of average.

I have one but my Ruger MkIV will always be first choice.

[Grumpy]

There is a spring that can be installed upside down to help the trigger and lift it to the realms of average..

This is called the “Heggis flip”. It does drop the trigger pull weight noticeably.
I’ve put about 17k rounds through my Contour with no issues. Only thing I’ve needed to change in that time was the recoil buffer.

[jwai86]

Bad triggers and not much in the way of after market parts, otherwise they are OK. There is a spring that can be installed upside down to help the trigger and lift it to the realms of average.

I have one but my Ruger MkIV will always be first choice.

Oddly enough, I've read in the past that the Mark IV's trigger isn't great out of the box and replacing it with a Volquartsen trigger is a popular modification.

[jwai86]

I’ve put about 17k rounds through my Contour with no issues. Only thing I’ve needed to change in that time was the recoil buffer.

I recall that the Buck Mark manual advises against disassembling the pistol for cleaning. Do you follow that recommendation at all?

[dnedative]

Is there something wrong with the Buck Mark compared to other rimfire pistols on the market that I'm unaware of?

Not really, they look a bit weird which is probably half the reason people dont buy them.
Ruger MK pistols have a pretty classic look and are a known quantity which is why just about everyone with a pistol license owns or have owned one.

[Grumpy]

I’ve put about 17k rounds through my Contour with no issues. Only thing I’ve needed to change in that time was the recoil buffer.

I recall that the Buck Mark manual advises against disassembling the pistol for cleaning. Do you follow that recommendation at all?

I’ve only done a full strip once at about 12k rounds. A bit fiddly with my fat fingers and probably not something I would do myself again. Not as dirty as I expected but needed doing. Mostly CCI 40g std used & with a cheap Browning red dot it’s a low cost way to have some fun. If I had to replace it the only thing I would do differently is I probably wouldn’t go with the contour grip. I’ve adapted to the grip but prefer the standard grips.

[jwai86]

I’ve only done a full strip once at about 12k rounds. A bit fiddly with my fat fingers and probably not something I would do myself again. Not as dirty as I expected but needed doing. Mostly CCI 40g std used & with a cheap Browning red dot it’s a low cost way to have some fun. If I had to replace it the only thing I would do differently is I probably wouldn’t go with the contour grip. I’ve adapted to the grip but prefer the standard grips.

Do you use a bore snake the rest of the time?

[Grumpy]

I’ve only done a full strip once at about 12k rounds. A bit fiddly with my fat fingers and probably not something I would do myself again. Not as dirty as I expected but needed doing. Mostly CCI 40g std used & with a cheap Browning red dot it’s a low cost way to have some fun. If I had to replace it the only thing I would do differently is I probably wouldn’t go with the contour grip. I’ve adapted to the grip but prefer the standard grips.

Do you use a bore snake the rest of the time?

I usually remove the barrel to rod it. Also makes it easier to clean the ramp, face & extractor. All fairly simple. If you remove the grips it gets a bit more complex.