Broke my Maverick, again!

So I managed to break something, again. Half an hour after fixing my original problem (see my previous thread).

I decided to finally swap calibres/barrels, from my original .22 700 mm (28″), to .30 500 mm (20″). Replaced my hammer weight from my Huma-Air 13.2 gram to the 14.5 gram option from the same manufacturer. Also installed the higest-flow pellet probe, the Huma-Air pin probe.

So far, all good. Left the power I had last for the .22 - about 291 m/s (954 fps) at setting 7 with JSB Knockout .217, but dialed the power down to setting 5.

Loaded first slug (ZAN's, do not know the exact weight, but they are about the longest taht would work with a standard FX magazine). It took a lot more force than the .22, but I reassured myself that it was due to the much larger slug surface and resulting friction, as well as the minimal area the pin probe acts upon.

Fired (258 m/s, 846 fps), and again - same resistance when feeding the slug, slightly lower velocity.

So I switch to setting 7, cycle the action, and right at the end, when the slug is already out of the magazine but probably not quite clear of the transfer port, just before the cocking lever locks in the forward position, a loud POP right out from the action.

Otherwise, no indications of what went wrong - rear reg pressure held at preset value, when I took off the barrel expecting to see shredden remains of some seal or other, nothing. Everything seems fine, but I am too chicken to try again, because something is obviously not fine! Don't need the gun to go bye-bye, and even less do I need shrapnel from a critical failure to get cozy with my skull!

B.t.w. - does not neccessarily have to be related to the same problem, but upon removing the original probe, I was quite surprised to see the worn down surfaces, front & back of the transfer port; look at the attached picture - does not look normal, does it??

2022-08-14 11.20.07.jpg
 
A loud pop like the gun went off? Or like something broke? Seems as though you’re having quite a few issues with this gun. All seem to be related to your first issue and the lack of a working trigger. Wondering if the sear let go before you pulled the trigger. How light is your trigger set?
Agree!

Trigger should't be "to light" to fire when preparing. That malfunction can cause an accident.
 
Well, the pellet (slug, to be precise) is still in the barrel, so - while I concede that the action was not entirely closed - the air seems to have taken a different path. I can swap to another pellet probe, but am loathe to experiment until I am sure I don't have a critical fault at my hands.
I.e. tinkering, trying possibilities is my normal "modus operandi", but this is a piece of technology mostly alien to me, so I would not want to make things worse - better to err on the side of caution & ask for advice ahead of breaking out the (in this case) allen wrenches & going to town, stupidly & blindly!
 
Thanks guys, will check your suggestions tomorrow (half past five P.M. around here, am on my vacation, tenth beer + a few shots in my bloodstream, and a mile to hike to where I sleep/shoot/tinker, so I'll refrain from any further fine mechanics-related tasks today ).:p

But really, great appreciation for the support this community provides, really, you're all super!
 
In a maverick the only thing that can cause that damage on the probe is it being out of alignment on install and rubbing on the housing as it’s pulled and pushed forward with the lever or it’s bent and skipping off the bottom of the transfer port as it pushes the pellet/slug forward. The design is extremely simple so there is not other mechanical reason that I can think of.

Also bravo on drunk typing!! Lol. Well done!
 
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When you installed the 30 cal liner did you make super double sure you put the breech end in first? That is the one with the line around it just before the end. The hard chambering suggests you may have the liner in backwards.
Did you verify the probe is aligned properly with the port. I don‘t know if the 30 probe is the same length as the 22 probe is. That may be worth checking out too.
Also if you removed the cocking rod and the threaded fitting at the end that the probe attaches to gets accidentally threaded one direction or the other it will throw off the port alignment. Don’t ask me how I know. Just another lesson learned.
 
@Airgunmann, @Emu - Ring's in place and appears to be pristine.

@Chukar60 - I didn't have a liner, bought a full barrel set from Huma Air (shroud, transfer port all fitted), so I have to hope everything has been assembled correctly. Did not remove cocking rod, just slid the .22 probe out, and the .30 in through the front.

@coyotegod - Well, as said, this was (until I upgraded the hammer weight a few days back) an untouched as delivered from factory piece, action was smooth, no indication of any excessive friction, so it is a puzzler.
Regarding the drunk typing: us Czechs have a lot of practice (and national pride), when it comes to beer! :D:p

Anyway, I'll install a different probe, but will wait with further experiments. Any opinion on whether it's safe to test fire at this point? As said, there is absolutely no visible fault or damage - that just makes me even more nervous!
 
The wear on your probe could be caused by your cheek rest. I know you probably think I'm crazy, but hear me out. FX made a crap load of BAD cheek rests for the maverick. They probably still do. What I mean by a bad cheek rest is one that keeps the magazine from being fully seated into position. The magazine of an FX Maverick should NEVER be touching the cheek rest -- ever, not even the slighest bit. A cheek rest that is touching the magazine has the magazine out of alignment between the probe and the breech. So the magazine would be forcing the probe to be out of line with the breech. This causes wear on the probe, wear on the magazine, slugs/pellets to start into the breech from an off angle, causes slugs to jam or snag on there way into the breech, wears the breech, wears the breech o-ring, and the list of ruined parts goes on. This does not explain why your gun would have gone off without having to pull the trigger, but might explain the wear on the probe and other bad things.

I'd suggest this to anyone with an FX Maverick: take the cheek rest off the gun, cock the gun, put the safety on and repeatedly and slowly put the magazine in and take it out -- paying very close attention to the way the magazine feels when it finds it's home position. Watch, feel, observe, and learn where that magazine is happily at home. If the cheek rest is getting in the way of that, you then need to look at which cheek rest you have. You might have a hollow cheek rest that has ribs in it -- not a solid piece. If that's the case, then insist that FX service center send you a solid piece cheek rest at their expense -- it's their screw up. IF you have a solid-piece cheek rest, you won't get a better one from FX, but you will still have to sand away any part of it that is touching the magazine.

grungy
 
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