Help please. Went coyote hunting this morning and after I fired a round through my .204 I couldn't get it to eject the spent casing. It was one of my reloaded rounds and it was stuck pretty good. Tried cycling the bolt and it just wouldn't do it. Needless to say, that was it for the .204 for the remainder of the hunt. Brought it home and run my rod from muzzle end in and couldn't get it out by just using my hand. I was being very careful as I did not like having to run the rod in this direction to begin with. I ended up tapping rod with a quick and fairly sharp blow with a hammer before the spent casing came free. The casing doesn't really show any abnormal signs. What was the cause? Am I good to go? I cycled a few loaded rounds and it seems to be fine. Just wanting to be cautious. Any suggestions?
I'd pull a couple of bullets just to make sure the powder charge is the correct weight. Assuming your loading procedure is such that there is no possibility that it is the wrong powder, just chalk it up to one of those things.
Check case length also just to be sure that the necks aren't getting jammed in the throat.
Check and see if a bullet will slide into fired case neck to be sure that they haven't thickened from the dreaded brass donut.
My first thought would be the load was well over max pressure. I'd pull a few bullets and check the powder charge weight. You say the case looks normal? How does the chamber look? Is it clean? Dirty? Filthy? Damaged? Damaged, dirty or filthy might cause a case to stick like that but I'm inclined to think pressure.
Yeah I'm at a loss for the time being. I'll check into everything you have both suggested.
Either an overcharge or for some reason you didn't get the case fully resized. What did the primer look like? Was it flattened badly? If so, I suspect an overcharge. If not, I would guess not sized properly.
no one has asked...
what was your load,.... powder charge and bullet weight...
Had the round been in the chamber for a length of time, days or weeks?
Either an overcharge or for some reason you didn't get the case fully resized. What did the primer look like? Was it flattened badly? If so, I suspect an overcharge. If not, I would guess not sized properly.
Primer looked completely normal
no one has asked...
what was your load,.... powder charge and bullet weight...
An even 26grs of RamShot XTerminator behind a 40gr Berger
Had the round been in the chamber for a length of time, days or weeks?
... maybe chambered for 30minutes tops
You mean the bolt wouldn't cycle/open or it just wouldn't grab the case...? Remington?
X-VERMINATOR
The bolt would cycle open, it just wouldn't extract the stuck casing. I'm beginning to think its a sizing issue. I've been shooting this exact load in this exact rifle for several years.
Sounds like the tip of the extractor is either broken off or it is fouled with brass shavings...
A sizing issue would have been noticed when you closed the bolt on the round. Could have been a combination of a round that was a little hot and an extractor that is not fully engaging the rim or is broken..
Inspect the extractor.....!
Something made that case hang up in the chamber tight enough that it took a hammer to break it free.
The options look to be dirt, roughness or load. Without a whole lot else standing out.
Were it me, I'd back up and unload a few to check the components including mic'ing a bunch of the bullets first. Then I'd clean the chamber but good.
Something made that case hang up in the chamber tight enough that it took a hammer to break it free.
The options look to be dirt, roughness or load. Without a whole lot else standing out.
Were it me, I'd back up and unload a few to check the components including mic'ing a bunch of the bullets first. Then I'd clean the chamber but good.
Ya, I don't know?.............. I run all manner of stuff on the hot side but I've never had a Rem fail to extract or leave a stuck case in the chamber. Lots of folks underestimate the cam-ing action of the bolt and the strength of Rem extractors... I still say it's largely an extractor problem...
I'd like to see pics of the case!
X-VERMINATOR
If i had to make a guess on the problem you described i would say it was a case that needs to be annealed and has harden over time by firing and it didn't contract after firing and just stuck to the chamber wall . Just how many times have you fired the brass?
My brother had this happen with his Remington in 25-06. We got it open by beating the bolt with a 2x4 (hard). Upon getting it open and examinig the case we saw the image of a leaf. It was still stuck to the inside of the gun.Cleaned it up and back to normal. And no the bolt handle never feel off. ED K
no one has asked...
what was your load,.... powder charge and bullet weight...
An even 26grs of RamShot XTerminator behind a 40gr Berger
I wouldn't view that as overpressuring the round that much, to cause it sticking.. I occasionally have rounds that do that, refuse to extract...normally it has been something funky with that case's rim...and it has been reloaded multiple times...
it is enough of a pain, at the worst possible time.. either at the range or out varmint shooting...that I went down to the hardware store and bought a steel rod about 36 inches long, that was less diameter than a 22 caliber case ( took a 223 case in to see if it would fit down the neck).. I have one in each of my cars, that I might drive to the range or to go varmint hunting...
along with a rubber mallet...
when it happens, I just knock it out with the rod, and get back to what I was doing.. and discard that particular case...
those rods only cost me like $1.50 each... any hard ware store carries that sort of stuff...might be more now, as these have given many years of service...
many times, just dropping it down the barrel will knock the stuck case out...
Did you hit your intended target? If ya hit where you wanted I wouldn't think the charge would be off. Maybe clean the chamber and try some more from the same batch providing you've fired others from this batch before this happened. If not I would pull them and start completely over with FL resizing.
#1 guess, case length too great, brass jamming into throat
#2 rough chamber
#3 seating die out of adjustment, too long COAL, bullet jamming into throat
#4 different lot of powder
So I picked up some factory ammo this week because curiosity has the best of me ... I wanted to find out if it's just my reloads. Anyway, I got around to trying them today. Bolt was hard as hell to lock closed and I went ahead and fired the round. Casing stuck in chamber just like my reloads. Stuck tight and had to tap out with my cleaning rod again. Something's up with my chamber. Its so damn hard to see inside the chamber but maybe it's just dirty. I don't know? Any suggestions? I hope nothing is seriously going on ... this rifle has always shot awesome.
How long has it been since you've swabbed the chamber?
Yes, a chamber can become sufficiently fouled to cause cases to stick.
How long has it been since you've swabbed the chamber?
Yes, a chamber can become sufficiently fouled to cause cases to stick.
To be honest ... never. I've never in my life focused specifically on cleaning a chamber in any of my rifles. Barrels and the bore, now that's a different story. This must be a tight chamber to begin with is my guess. I've been trying like hell to get this chamber clean since yesterday and haven't had any luck yet. Bolt is still very hard to close with the factory loaded round.
What's a good solvent to soak the chamber with? How do I keep the solvent in there to soak? I have a feeling this fouling is built up in the front end of the chamber where it meets the bore, which is the hardest to get at. I sure don't want to take the chance of scratching or damaging anything. Any suggestions on how to get this daggum chamber clean?
Try using a oversized bore mop to fit the chamber snug... with 91% alcohol -or- lighter fluid -or- brake cleaner (non-chlorinated). Soak it pretty good, insert, twist, etc. Then let it sit. Take it out and wring it dry, towel dry, etc. Do it again. When you're satisfied, use a clean bore mop to remove any excess and dry it.
I was taught on an M-14 Match gun that after brushing the bore w/solvent you use a chamber brush w/solvent, then patch all dry and lube. Think about it, when a wet patch enters the bore liquid is squeezed out of the patch and settles in the chamber, every time. I always clean the chamber after I clean the bore then run a last dry patch down the bore to pick up anything that might have entered the bore from the chamber, then LOOK. Muddy
RB, if you have a chamber brush, great, if not just use an pistol bore brush that fits the chamber, then dry with an oversized pistol patch.
If you want to soak it, use one of the foaming cleaners, such as Wipeout or Shooters Choice Extreme Clean.
40 cal pistol brush should be fine.
Chambers should be swilled out and dried every four or so bore cleanings, or whenever in doubt. At least that's what I do.
As for Seafire's idea, yes, I always have handy cleaning rods along and a special stubby jag, flat on the end. If I can't do it with the rod just tippy tapping, then the gun is done and I go home for the BIG tools.
Hard rod, like Seafire says, with one caveat. GENTLY run it to bottom on the case, mark the rod at the muslim, wrap the rod with tape, to protect the precious crown. THEN get out the nice hammer or mallet. Pretend this is your approach shot to the 18th green in the final round at the Masters.
and give it a whack......
Try using a oversized bore mop to fit the chamber snug... with 91% alcohol -or- lighter fluid -or- brake cleaner (non-chlorinated). Soak it pretty good, insert, twist, etc. Then let it sit. Take it out and wring it dry, towel dry, etc. Do it again. When you're satisfied, use a clean bore mop to remove any excess and dry it.
This, only soak the bore mop with Kroil oil, using a pistol rod insert into the chamber, the bore mop should be left in the the chamber for a couple of hours. If you want you can mix the kroil with a solvent like trying to clean Moly, but would not use a high ammonia type. Kroil is a penetrating oil that will not dry out and dissipate like alcohol or lighter fluid.
After soaking use a pistol brush that fits the chamber and spin it to break all of the crud loose, swab out and lightly oil.