Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing How to remove a stuck case/cartridge from chamber?

There is little doubt I was too kind and still un appreciated! GD

God bless true experts. (When I need one the expertise is gladly paid for. Imagine trying to do your own root canal!)

The problem (apprently) is, per the previous poster, it will not fit the Vanguard receiver. Spoke with the smith, he still hasn't gotten it out. His next step is to attempt hydraulic pressure from the muzzle. If that doesn't work, the barrel is coming off. Initially I told him if he couldn't get it done for $50 (his hourly rate) I'd simply purchase the Brownell tool myself (before I knew it apparently won't fit) and attempt it myself. He said "No problem I'll keep it at that budget". He voluntarily reconfirmed that last night. I don't really care that much about the price as long as it's professionally done. That rifle has not a single scratch on it. I am a little concerned he doesn't even have that Brownell tool and I sure hope he has the proper tapered vise when he pulls the barrel as I suspect will be the final solution.
In any case, he's also replacing the firing pin on my dad's old 742. It won't fire about every 3rd shot or so. He said he's seen the firing pins get out of spec with some regularity and replacement fixes it. He's ordered a new one. I'd have figured the spring would lose tension before the pin would lose material.
For a few reasons I'm not feeling 100% confident but the proof will be in the pudding obviously.

CALL AND TALK TO BROWNELL TEC SUPPORT. THEY ARE VERRY HELPFUL PEOPLE. THEY WILL KNOW IF THAT COLLET WILL FIT OR NOT. I HAVNT USED MINE ON THAT ACTION.

This is what I have done in the past. Fill the barrel with motor oil and get a wood dowel and some o rngs on the dowel.And put the dowel in the barrel with the o ring at the crown and just bash the sh*t out of it. It will blow the stuck case to the ground.

Give it a try hope it helps

Well funny you mention that. He got the cartridge out using "hydraulic pressure" and made some comment about "you wouldn't believe how I do it". When I pick it up later this week (after he replaces the firing pin on the 742) I'll ask him but I suspect it's something very similar to what you described. Althought I though he mentioned transmission oil maybe? We'll see...
That gun just better NOT have a single mark on it...

A gunsmith I worked for was drilling beside the primer to make a hole to put oil in to deaden the powder when the primer went off. all it did was blow the primer out the powder never lit. He turned pale for a couple minutes and said to me am I still alive? I was watching to learn how to do it. I told him that was a good example as to what not to do.

Ya THINK??? What an idiot..

Geez..

Well, got my gun with the stuck loaded round back yesterday from the smith, he removed the barrel to get at it. Also found only one locking lug was contacting its mating surface and galled, the other one was just floating free, he took care of that. So for that and smoothing up the trigger and mounting the scope and he supplied the base and rings and test firing it was $187.00, I thought that was a bargain.

most guns only have 1 lug contact.

If you read all the posts you will see where another smith was doing the same thing. so it must be a common method , but not by me.

This is from an article/story in the first edition (1944) of Gun Digest.

Field Repairs for the Big Game Hunter by Clyde Baker.

Shell Stuck In Chamber.

"Not likely to happen. If it should, pour in a bit of Hoppe's at breech. Let stand 10 minutes, then pour in some more from the muzzle, and let stand for 15 or 20 minutes. Insert one piece steel cleaning rod from muzzle (you should never use any other kind, in the woods or anywhwere else), and gently tap with hammer. If shell doesn't move tap harder. If it still doesn't move, try the axe. If no success, remove barrel from stock, heat chamber portion over fire, and try again. Failing this, pack up, go home, and see your gunsmith."

I have read of several incidents where pounding on a loaded cartridge that is stuck, using a steel rod and a hammer causes the cartridge to fire.

The rod and hammer were used from the muzzle, sometimes with oil added, and sometimes dry. But in some cases, the powder ignighted and the cartridge fired.

I got to thinking, why would this practice cause either the primer or powder or both to ignite?

Could it be because of dieseling? I do know that high pressure will ignite diesel fuel, under some conditions, and this might be one of those conditions.

I do know that in a pellet gun, putting a small drop of oil either on the pellet or in the chamber, will cause the oil to ignite from the heat from the compressed air. You can actually hear the difference between a regular shot and the one with the oil. The oiled pellet is louder.

If it could happen in a pellet gun, it could also happen in a tightly sealed chamber.

This is not meant to be "how to remove a stuck cartridge",but
why does the powder ignite when it is soaked in oil or grease?

My guess, and it is only a guess, the diesel effect causes it to ignite. If so, then I would say that it is dangerous to pound on something flammable and which has a tight seal.

Maybe. Could be that there is powder in the flash hole and with a hammer you transmit enough force to crush the primer pellet. A modern primer is more impervious to oil than some think. Whichever, Darwin award stuff. Nitrocellulose particularly put up as a powder is pretty insensitive. Put a few grains on an anvil and whack at it.

Then there's the fire plunger which was an alternative to flint and steel. Tinder goes in the bottom of a closed tube, close fitting plunger cylinder inserted, and given a whack. "Close fitting" makes them tricky to make though.

I would probably submerge the whole thing under water before drilling a hole in it with an aircraft drill. I have seen some get hot and go off when I thought I was being plenty careful. I also agree that the primer- seated tightly, is pretty impervious to oils etc.

As for dieseling, if you put a few drops in and compress it tightly it might diesel. If you put an ounce in the barrel it cannot. No way to heat that much oil up with compression. Not sure the best method to seal the bore to effect a hydraulic pressure. Maybe a short, soft lead slug? To use O-rings, you would have to cut some rings in the end of your steel rod and hope the rubber stayed in them and still sealed the grooves. Then again, you might create enough pressure to get it out despite getting a face full of whatever you use for the liquid.

Well this ended about as poorly as I could have feared! http://24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/6542701/Absolutely_furious#Post6542701
Thanks in advance to anyone that reads it and has any suggestions for a fix.

I see, in my original reply, that I neglected to insert the word 'GOOD' between "a" and "gunsmith"...

Sorry you found a butcher... It appears there are far more 'Bubbas' around than I feared..