[prefetch]

hey folks,

i kind of doubt there are a lot of M2HB folks here, but i figure it's worth a shot.

today i fired a round and the bolt jammed shut after it fired. i can't figure out how to unjam it. i tapped on it with a brass hammer, but it doesn't give at all. i tried gently prying on it, but nothing.

any ideas on how to get this bolt unstuck? here's a picture:
http://i.imgur.com/OmtRi.jpg

[TurtlePhish]

Did you try a cleaning rod or wooden dowel from the front?

[prefetch]

no. i havent tried that - i figured that if me pulling 100lbs on the charging handle didn't budge it at all, then pushing a little rod down the barrel isn't gonna do much good.

i suppose i'm getting desperate now, so i'll have to give it a try.

[steveracer]

Do you have an auxilliary charging handle? Do you have a BIG hammer?
I have sledgehammered them back open before. Not gonna hurt the gun.

[dprice3844444]

can u remove the barrel?
http://www.corpsman.com/images/FMF-Stuff/110Coreanswers.doc
http://www.scribd.com/doc/4302577/ARMY-50-Cal-Machinegun-Maint-Op-1984-112-pages
http://www.socnet.com/archive/index.php/t-78697.html

[prefetch]

no, you can't remove the barrel on an M2HB without pulling the bolt back a bit so you can unlock it. unfortunately.

[steveracer]

Pick one thread, and lock it. The other will be the one to use for responses. I replied in the other one. (Crane certified Specwar Armorer for crew served weapons and small arms)

[dogmush]

I mentioned it in the other thread, but just in case:
Pull the backplate, pull the driving spring and rod, hold the gun vertically (Muzzle up) and kick the charging handle. Hard. You aren't going to break it.

[steveracer]

Concur. "Gently tapping" should exit your M2HB vocabulary immediately.

[medalguy]

A BFH is one of the tools I used a lot working on .50s. Did you install the breech lock & cam correctly?

[prefetch]

hey guys,

so i got my gun unjammed, but i also got a face full of brass shrapnel and blood all over the place.

it turns out that the blank shell (loaded w/ aprox. 9 grams of FFG) was live.

pressing the butterfly trigger felt like the firing pin had struck, and the bolt was pushed forward all the way (obviously - that was the stuck part!)

i removed the backplate and spring and beat the hell out of the charging handle with a block of wood and a sledge hammer, but nothing seem to work.

next i tried to hammer the brass with a chisel - and that was useless.

finally i got a drill out and a small bit and started to drill the brass, thinking it may weaken it and help get it loose.

aaaaaand....BOOM!!

the primer and the 9 grams of FFG go off, and all the little bits of brass that i've drilled out embed themselves in my face. luckily the drill offered some protection. i got shrapnel in my hand, face and arm. little drips of blood dot my face - but luckily, it seems like my eyes are okay.

i cleaned up really quick, and i was pissed. i just got a pipe wrench out and twisted off the shroud and barrel (it's a hollywood BFA, and the shroud is actually attached to the barrel) kind of busting the barrel lock. the shell fell out, and i examined the bolt and no sign of the firing pin protruding out, and the shell had no dimple in the primer. ***? sigh. by then i was spent, and i just went in the house and took a shower and dug out all the little grains of brass in my skin.

so....lessons learned?

if you are belt feeding into an MG and you find yourself left with a shell in the chamber, ASSUME IT'S LIVE.

[mljdeckard]

I'm glad you're ok. but......A DRILL?!

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

:eek:

Hope you were wearing eye protection!

[prefetch]

I'm glad you're ok. but......A DRILL?!
well, yeah - i mean, i didn't really have a lot of other options, and i was sure the blank round had been fired, so why not drill through it? obviously i was incorrect.

oh and no, i wasn't wearing eye protection, because, hey, it was an spent blank round, right? :-p

[sixgunner455]

Powertools=eye pro
guns=eye pro
messing around with ammunition/reloading components=eye pro

Combinations of the above? Eye pro!!

Kind of like motorcycle riders who plan to live to be old motorcycle riders - all the gear, all the time.

[forindooruseonly]

Glad you aren't too worse for wear. Next time wear glasses, k? Thanks...

Chalk it up to a lesson learned. Make sure you get all the brass out, even if it means going to the doctor.

[jlewis406]

If the cam is installed backwards it would definitely cause this problem. I've also had a breech lock depressor remove itself and jam the breech lock up. You can take a large screw driver and put it in the left side of the bolt, then put another in the T-Slot. Remove the backplate, op rod, oil buffer assy and anything else that you can. Rest the gun on the ground barrel pointing up and kick the <deleted> out of the screw driver in the bolt while a buddy pry's on the screw driver in the T-Slot.

You can also remove the side plate and get something skinny like a scribe and try to wiggle it free.

Also, was the cocking lever forward when you installed the bolt?

[50 cal]

After your are sure the gun accually fired, use a 3/8 steel rod to tap out the casing from the muzzle while a buddy pulls back on the charging handle. If the case head rips apart you will need a broken shell extractor. I have had this happen to mine several times and it usually is a two man process. Re-check your headspace before firing again. Sometimes its a headspace issue and sometimes it just a bad case. For some reason, I couldnt get your pics to load, so I hope this info helps.

[medalguy]

Prefetch, did you ever get the .50 opened up? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Averageman]

Insure the weapon has fired the bullet first.
Remove the backplate and spring. Now get someone to hold the weapon reciever down and kick the chaging handle like you are starting a motorcycle.
You may rip the cartridge head off of the brass at this point, but thats where you are.
These things are best done on the range when the weapon is still warm.

[Sam1911]

Threads Merged

[Bubbles]

Holy cow dude, any time you've got a stuck round or jammed bolt in any gun, you assume that sucker is live and deal with it accordingly. Be glad you weren't hurt worse!

[Sam1911]

Bubbles is exactly right, and the OP is very fortunate.

Our friends out in Hollidaysburg, PA will never forget and still mourn a friend and colleague who lost his life under similar circumstances:

http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/15269.html?nav=742