FX FX Wildcat MKIII BT jammed

[Shepherd]

Good morning/afternoon. I just registered on the forum.

I saw similar threads about jammed Wildcat, but they are for a rifle that was used with hundreds of rounds and mine is just brand new.
Three days ago I have received a new FX Wildcat MKIII BT Sniper 0.30.
Two days ago I shot all 13 FX Hybrid pallets in the original magazine that came with the rifle.
Yesterday I have loaded a second magazine (that I purchased separately and it looks slightly different) to continue sighting the scope. After 4 rounds I could not press the trigger, so thought that maybe I did not load it with a pallet and tried to load it again and the lever got stuck in the backward position (almost perpendicular to the barrel).
I can not close the lever.
I can not close it using manual's technique: in Fire mode keep the trigger pulled and gently bring the lever to original forward position.
I can not remove the magazine, even if I pull the lever a little bit backwards.
When I switch to Fire and press the trigger it just clicks and nothing else happens.
If I pull the lever 5 mm backwards (till it can not move more) I can press the trigger again (with the click).
There is a chance that now I have two pallets in the barrel, but I'm not 100% sure.
The airtank shows 160 bars.
I feel disappointed, because I wanted to get this rifle for almost 2 years and it let me down so quickly.

 

[WorriedMan]

Shepherd, welcome to the forum. Unfortunately, jammed pellets are a common problem in the PCP world. I always recommend new owners add a wooden dowel, off appropriate diameter, to their "essential tools" collection. You'll need to gently tap, from muzzle, with a rod that won't damage muzzle crown, to move pellets back till magazine will remove. Keep tapping until all pellets are out. WM

 

[keith1]

very sorry to hear this i was planning to buy on in compact 177 for field targets shooting now might be looking at the brk ghost

 

[Shepherd]

Thank you WorriedMan.
Should I try to somehow rotate the magazine to receive the pallet when I start tapping with the dowel?

 

[Shepherd]

Keith1.
The rifle itself is beautiful and seems very well made. It has power and precision. However the fact that something failed on a brand new gun is a big turn off. I was expecting some problems down the road, but not at beginning of the road.
Nonetheless, I'm buying a dowel today.

 

[WorriedMan]

Thank you WorriedMan.
Should I try to somehow rotate the magazine to receive the pallet when I start tapping with the dowel?

No, you've got a line of squashed pellets, the last one lodged between gun and magazine so that magazine is jammed. You'll need to tap, from muzzle, as noted, to see if the line of four will move back. Some have used razor blades between gun and magazine to carefully cut jammed pellet in half, for magazine removal. WM

 

[Headshots]

Sounds like a pellet stuck between the mag and breech . I've had it happen when I short stroked the lever on the last round . The mag gate closed and pellet was half way out of the mag . Pulling the barrel will get you freed up . If your not sure you have a pellet chambered pull the side lever back and pull out the magazine push yor lever forward and fire it.

 

[Shepherd]

WorriedMan.
Maybe I did not express it clearly enough: "After 4 successfully shot rounds I could not press the trigger on the 5th one," I have one or two pellets in the barrel.

 

[WorriedMan]

very sorry to hear this i was planning to buy on in compact 177 for field targets shooting now might be looking at the brk ghost

Own a number of PCPs, including Wildcat MK3 Sniper, that will jam if not loaded with smooth, steady action. Always keep a dowel handy, easiest to correct if noticed promptly. My two Taipan Veterans are designed to prevent double-loads, so no problem there. WM

 

[Shepherd]

If your not sure you have a pellet chambered pull the side lever back and pull out the magazine push yor lever forward and fire it.

I can pull it backwards only a bit - like 1/4". The magazine will not come out - I don't want to break something.
I can not push the lever. It will not move forward even a bit.

 

[WorriedMan]

WorriedMan.
Maybe I did not express it clearly enough: "After 4 successfully shot rounds I could not press the trigger on the 5th one," I have one or two pellets in the barrel.

Better yet, one young lady, a new PCP owner, fired a complete magazine without realizing nothing was exiting muzzle. Fewer pellets jammed, the better. WM

 

[WorriedMan]

Really jammed my first PCP, an Umarex Gauntlet, dismantled magazine, used dowel and razor to eventually correct. Now, three years later, I can tell a mis-feed, never jam or force anything, just stop and use dowel to correct, easy-peazy. WM

 

[Shepherd]

Thank you WorriedMan - you made me a less worried man.
My wife went to do some shopping and dowel is on the list.

 

[WorriedMan]

Thank you WorriedMan - you made me a less worried man.
My wife went to do some shopping and dowel is on the list.

My second PCP was a tube-version Wildcat MK3 Sniper .30 (pictured) one of the most cherished in the collection, you've chosen wisely, Grasshopper. WM

 

[keith1]

Keith1.
The rifle itself is beautiful and seems very well made. It has power and precision. However the fact that something failed on a brand new gun is a big turn off. I was expecting some problems down the road, but not at beginning of the road.
Nonetheless, I'm buying a dowel today.

would you buy this again ?

 

[Shepherd]

would you buy this again ?

If the removal will be easy-peasy then yes. If something got damaged due to some factory insufficient quality control then not.

 

[Ries]

Jammed pellet can happen with any PCP. Take your time to remove them and not in a rush.

Remove your barrel from the Wildcat. This is easy done by unscrewing 1 screw and pulling the barrel out.

If your barrel is out, you probably can remove the magazine and safely decock it.

use this video to see how the barrel is removed, start at 2 minutes.

On my Wildcat Sniper, I loosen the front screw like in the video and I can remove the barrel

 

[Headshots]

would you buy this again ?

Any multi shot pcp without anti double load can get jammed up . There are thousands of wildcats in use without jamming issues .

 

[MongooseV8]

The Wildcat is an amazing pcp, and has had few actual failures. Some good advice above, I would start by removing the barrel. Clear it out and use your phone or a mirror to see what is left in front of the magazine. Even with the barrel removed do not put your face in front of the breech!

If there is nothing in front of the magazine you might have an issue with your hammer spring or pellet probe. You can remove the rear power adjustment wheel but be careful there is a tiny spring and ball bearing that will fall out. Do this over a towel in a clean room in case you drop anything. You can check the hammer spring and slide out the pellet probe if that is what is blocking the mag from coming out. But this would be an extreme case and very rare. The cocking assembly or hammer spring would have to break for this to happen.

 

[Shepherd]

So I got a dowel and I'm tapping and so far nothing happens.