Overall, my son was happy with his nova as well. I have taken it in to 2 different gunsmiths. I thought maybe it was a weak firing pin. Both told me they found nothing wrong, it was a short stroke issue. They stated not to be afraid to use force when pushing the forearm forward, after ejecting a shell. Yes, the pin does come in contact with the shell. In some cases there is a dent in the primer, but not enough to disharge. In one case the shell did discharge before it was locked into position. It ejected a flaming shell. It definitely got our attention.