Nothing you're experiencing is unusual given the circumstances. This IS an FX gun afterall, not exactly famous for their durability. Although Ive owned a number of FX guns over the years, I currently own 3 highend air rifles, a Daystate Redwolf HP .22, a Skout Epoch in .30, and an FX M3 in .25. Of the 3 the FX is the most complex, least durable and by far the least dependable. Please don't misunderstand, I'm not "hating on" FX, I'm simply stating a fact. Comparisons in this case are not on an "apples to apples" basis, since two of these guns are electronic and the FX is the lone fully mechanical machine. Regardless, one buys the M3 because of it's flexibility, tuneability and accuracy, but not it's durability. The M3, like most of FX's guns, lack a robust design. It's many moving parts, operate under very tight tolerances and since the guns are not robustly designed, these parts wear dramatically over relatively short periods of time. Constant maintenence is a must for virtually any air rifle, however with an FX product, the frequency of repair is double or even tripled of many others. These guns are made of lightweight materials that simply don't stand up to normal use very well or for long without a great deal of attention. In your case, my first thought is that you've broken the hammer spring. This is common issue which frequently shows up as exactly the symptoms you've described. Other possibilities are a bent the catch pin on the cocking lever, a chewed up hammer whose defects are scraping against the walls of its chamber, a cracked or even broken valve or perhaps a loose or misaligned probe, or damaged or missing orings. The list of possibilities is pretty daunting. The bottom line line is, if youre going to shoot pcp airguns, there's a high probability that you're going to have to learn to work on them. Where FX guns are concerned, that "probability" is more of a certainty. The M3 is a great platform but it remains an FX.