Cartridges Getting Stuck?

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stilettosixshooter

New member
I have a new-to-me .22 win mag Model 51 S&W revolver that I bought this weekend - first gun I have ever owned!

I took it to the range today and had a terrible problem with the empty cartridges getting stuck in the barrel. They were in the gun so tight I had to put the extractor rod against the wooden counter and really lean on it to get the cartridges to pop out, even after the first six shots. When I reloaded, some of the bullets would fall naturally into the chamber, but others would require a bit of poking to get them flush with the cylinder.

At least five times, I shot all six rounds with regular noise and smoke - and then one of the bullets would be still in the casing when I emptied the cylinder (seemed very scary to me).

The cartridges are Winchester brand .22 win mag hollow points. Cheaper than the Remington brand of the same type - maybe I should have opted for the name-brand? I was told by the bumfuzzled gun shop guys that revolvers are not supposed to heat up very quickly causing the casing jam, at least not in the first six shots.

Any thoughts on why this is happening? I love this pretty little revolver, but I will be so sad if it keeps having this trouble!
 
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kraigwy

New member
You say 22 magnum???

Sounds to me like someone have been shooting regular 22s in the pistol. They as you know are shorter, and when fired leave a ring of residue in the chamber. When you put in the longer magnum shells the swell upon firing, forming a seal around the rings cause by the shorter 22 shells.

A good cleaning should solve the problem.

Regarding the shell that wouldnt fire. 22s being rim fires, what happens in gun builds up where rim fits the chamber. When you try to fire this gummy crap coutions the blow so the rim is allowed to move instead of taking the full impact of the hammer blow.

Again, a good cleaning should solve the problem.
 
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stilettosixshooter

New member
Thanks for the quick advice. Any tips on cleaning? Besides a good scrub with the wire bristle brushes and maybe oil - is there a "right" way to do it?

Like I said, new gun owner. :)
 
C

carguychris

New member
Hints...

Cleaning technique: Run a patch soaked in Hoppe's #9 or an equivalent solvent* through the chambers. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes; the longer, the better. Follow up with a couple of passes with a bronze brush, then a dry patch. Repeat until no visible residue remains, then run a lightly oiled patch through each chamber, and follow up with another dry patch. (Heavy oiling will make the sticking worse.)

*Footnote: You're not supposed to let Hoppe's #9 stay on nickel finish for an extended amount of time. If the revolver has nickel finish, use something else.

Range hint: Take a Boresnake or equivalent pull-through to the range. When the cartridges start sticking, run it through each of the offending chambers a few times.

Ejection hint: Hold the cylinder firmly in the palm of your left hand with your thumb wrapped over the top and your fingers wrapped around the bottom. Point the muzzle straight up. Give the ejector rod a nice, firm whack downwards with your free right palm. This will eject all but the most stubborn cases. Since your left hand fully supports the cylinder, you don't have to worry about bending the crane (the swing-out bar that holds the cylinder). FWIW you should never apply a lot of force to the cylinder in any direction unless it's fully supported; doing so may bend the crane, which is very bad for accuracy and proper functioning.
 
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stilettosixshooter

New member
I have Hoppe's Elite and Break Free CLP on-hand. Neither indicate that they shouldn't be used on nickel - am I safe to use either (or is any Hoppe's a bad idea?)? My pistol is indeed nickel finish.

Sorry, last question - I promise! Thanks for the excellent advice/instruction!
 
D

Dingoboyx

New member
+1 A good clean

use good quality ammo..... persevere.... it should loosen up.... perhaps get the cylinder reamed or polished :D
 
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ninjatoth

Moderator
take a handful of Q-tips to the range with you.They fit the cylinders well enough to do a quick pass through to remove any excess debris
 
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scottaschultz

New member
Follow up with a couple of passes with a bronze brush...
Click to expand...
Make sure to run the brush all the way through before pulling it back. In other words, don't change the direction while the brush is still in the cylinder or the barrel.

Scott
 
A

a7mmnut

Moderator
If you have some calipers or inside mics on hand (and know how to use them), make sure the cylinder holes are slightly larger at the front (barrel) end of the chamber. Typically, I'm talking only .003-.004". Sometimes they escape the factory undersized or have already been polished to the point of very little taper left in them. When fired, this allows for easier extraction.




-7-
 
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Doyle

New member
If they are still slightly sticky after cleaning, then they may indeed be a tad undersized as previously mentioned. some 600 grit autobody sandpaper wrapped around a wooden dowel will hone them a bit.
 
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bikerbill

New member
had the same problem with a .22 mag Taurus ... shoot about 30-50 rds and the cartridges were really hard to get out ... the problem is that .22 rounds are dirty and gum up the works with carbon residue ... I always took a spray can of cleaner with me to the range and when things got sticky, I'd clean out the cylinder and barrel, give it a few swipes with a bore snake and i was ready to go again ...
 
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stilettosixshooter

New member
Thanks, everyone - I just did a thorough clean with some Breakthrough CLE (nickel finish revolver), and I am letting it "cure" for a bit before I dry out the barrel & chambers and lightly oil to finish. I'm also ordering a boresnake - thanks for the tip! I'll pick up some different cartridges if that fails.

Much appreciated! I'll let you know how it goes at the range this weekend.
 
J

James K

Member In Memoriam
Check the ingredients in your cleaning compounds. Hoppes used to contain ammonia, and no ammonia compound should be used on a nickel plated gun. The reason is that ammonia dissolves copper and if it can get under the nickel it will dissolve the copper undercladding used in the plating process and dissolve it, leaving the plating unsupported and flaking.

Jim
 
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stilettosixshooter

New member
Careful! Those chambers are tapered.
Click to expand...

Does this affect how I should clean the chambers? I'm not sure what you mean. I don't plan to get into altering the size/shape of the chambers, that is way beyond my novice capabilities :)
 
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stilettosixshooter

New member
FYI - couldn't wait until the weekend, went to the range yesterday :)

Turned out to be 100% a cleaning issue. A boresnake (or probably even q-tips, as someone recommended) through the chambers works wonders throughout the range time if things start getting stuck. When I look down the barrel before after every 4 or 5 reloads, I can see debris on the inside.

I also switched to CCI .22 maximags, and I'm in love. Problem solved. I still hold onto *just* the cylinder (thanks for the heads up about the danger of affecting the hinge) and gently tap the extractor rod a few times on something other than my hand (which just isn't strong enough) to loosen the sticky cartridges, but it is much better than before. And no more misfires!

Thanks for all the advice!
 
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Lost Sheep

New member
One way to empty a gun

To keep the crane safe, here is how I empty my double action revolvers:

For a right-handed shooter.

Holding the gun in the right hand in the normal shooting position, use my thumb to unlatch the cylinder. The left hand reaches under the trigger guard. Two fingers (whichever are most comfortable) push the cylinder out of the firing position in the frame to the loading/unloading position. The cylinder is supported on the other side by my thumb. My other two fingers hook onto the top strap of the frame or the hammer to hold the frame stationary with respect to the cylinder.

The right hand can now let go of the grip (handle) and is free to operate the ejector rod. It is usually best to point the muzzle up so that gravity will help clear the empty brass from the gun. (It is trouble when a cartridge falls back under the ejector star, what with the spring loading and all, sometimes it takes more than just two hands to get a fumbled cartridge out of a chamber. Best not to let it happen in the first place.) I usually empty my gun over a bowl or small bucket because I don't like to sift through the gravel to recover my reloadable brass. Done this way, the butt of the grip is facing me and the barrel is pointed straight up. The cylinder, swung out like it is, is freely available for my right hand to smartly eject all chambers of the cylinder. The cylinder is FIRMLY held by my left hand's thumb and two fingers while the other fingers keep the frame of the gun from flopping around. Nothing moves unless I move it (or the cartridges fall free by gravity).

If an empty cartridge refuses a sharp rap from my palm (no more than that) I will not use the ejector star to forcibly eject the cartridge. That puts asymmetrical load on the ejector and its shaft and can cause bending. I will use a cleaning rod to push just that one cartridge out. Rest the back end of the cylinder against a piece of soft wood (still holding the gun and cylinder cradled firmly and securely in my left hand). A few sharp but light raps on the back of the cleaning rod should knock the case out cleanly. Just make sure the support for the cylinder is not in the way of the cartridge case.

To reload, point the muzzle down with the gun still in the left hand and insert bullets one or two at a time with the right hand or a whole cylinder full with a speed loader held in the right hand.

There are other ways to do both these operations, but once you pick a preferred method, practice it until it becomes second nature.

Lost Sheep
 
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