Buckmark

Length Overall	Barrel Length	Weight	Caliber	Action Type	Magazine Capacity
8 ½ Inches	5 Inches	36 Oz.	.22l.r.	Recoil Semi Auto	10

    This is a full sized, semi-automatic pistol firing .22 long rifle cartridges from an unlocked blowback action. This gun has the same grip angle and handling qualities as the classic Colt Government model .45 automatic, even to the placement of the magazine catch, and should thus be a natural for any one desiring a cheap easy firing practice piece for that gun. It is also a great recreational piece in it's own right. The gun holds ten rounds, although I have some magazines which will hold twelve. It is fun, and easy to shoot, and I have gotten quite good with it. Two to three inch groups are almost effortless with this piece, and even after a full day of shooting (200-500 rounds) there is little fatigue or discomfort. The design has no exposed hammer, which is a shame, but it is not striker fired. The hammer is internal and is a spring driven, semi circular piece of metal which arcs onto the firing pin. The trigger pull is great, the gun has a good feel in the hand, and the classic buck horn sights are good. All in all, this is a very satisfying gun to shoot. The barrel is rigidly fixed to the frame. During firing It stays in place while a small bolt, which looks like a slide that has been cut in half, recoils, ejecting and feeding a new round.
    The only real problem I have with the gun is that it is difficult to give it a thorough cleaning. In order to clean and lubricate the slide rails and the inner working of the "slide", it is necessary to unscrew the sight base after cocking the gun, and then pull the slide carefully off of the frame. Needless to say this throws off the sights which must then be readjusted. I have taken to cleaning out the barrel, and then going after the ejector face, and the slide rails with a toothbrush to save myself the trouble of disassembling the gun and readjusting the sights. It is also important to exercise some caution about the extractor and the extractor spring. I spent a frustrating half hour crawling around on the floor of my dinning room brushing my hand across the carpet in an effort to find an escaped extractor spring. The extractor, spring and tensioner all departed the slide when I ran a tooth brush across the face of the breech. They are held in only by spring tension. So far the gun has continued to work dependably, but a more thorough cleaning is desirable, particularly in a .22 with it's smaller parts and more easily fouled surfaces. The other problem is a flaw in some of the older models. The earlier guns had a plastic magazine catch which would be slowly eaten away as it wore against the cut outs in the metal magazines. This problem does not exist in the newer guns, which have a metal catch.
    The newer guns have also been equipped with a pair of small metal catches on the back of the half slide. This makes getting a grip and cocking the gun more certain. As the slide is very small, it is not possible to get a full grip on it. Normally it is pulled back with the thumb and fore finger. The catches give the fingers something to latch onto, and ease cocking of the piece.
    There are several models available. The standard gun which is of all steel construction, and has the little catches on the slide. This model also has a flat milled, steel barrel. Then there is the camper model which is the same gun without the catches and with a round, alloy barrel. There is also the micro buck mark, which has a shorter barrel. Finally there are the target models, with long heavy barrels.
    The Buckmark comes in a molded plastic case, which is lockable, and features cutouts for the pistol, and a spare magazine. The manual, and a sight adjustment hex wrench reside in a holder at the top of the case. This is very similar to the case, in which the High Power is sold.
   One final note; the gun is cheap to own, and cheap to shoot. At the time of this writing, the cost is just a tad over two hundred dollars (or a tad less than two hundred dollars for the camper model). This gun is my very favorite recreational pistol. Accurate shooting is almost effortless with this piece, and about two years after my first one was stolen, I had to bite the bullet (so to speak) and get myself a second one.
    This is one of my favorite recreational and knock around handguns; but it is a real job to clean. Disassembly instructions are included below. I have launched springs, ejectors, and washers across the room, cleaning this gun. You might be able to get away with merely brushing the barrel, and wiping down the slide rails; but from time to time, you will need to give the gun a good cleaning. This is particularly true, with the small size of the bore, and the fouling characteristics of 22 L.R. ammunition.

	Remove the magazine, and pull the slide back. Leave the gun cocked.
	Use the included hex wrench, to remove both screws retaining the sight base. The manual warns that there are a pair of lock washers in the top of the base.
	The sight base may then be removed, giving access to the action of the gun.
	Pulling back a it, on the slide, will allow it's removal from the frame. The recoil spring sits on top, and will generally remain in the slide, held in place by friction.
	A look at the top of the slide, with the recoil spring in place.
	Removing the recoil spring.
	A look towards the rear of the frame, holding the buffer unit. This will usually stay in place, but may become dislodged, as it is only held in by friction.
	The hammer, as it looks when dropped. Please note than I slowly released the hammer, with my finger on it. Do not simply pull the trigger, with the gun disassembled. This could damage the hammer.
	With the slide back in the frame, replacing the recoil spring can sometimes be tricky. It is probably easiest, to set it into the recoil buffer at the rear of the frame, and then ease it into the cut out on top of the slide. The small end of the recoil spring guide should be facing upwards. There is a small notch at the bottom of the guide, through which the firing pin travels.
	The recoil spring back in place, and the slide mounted on the frame. Assembly will be completed by mounting the sight base, and tightening up the screws. Sights may need readjustment.