A cheap-o fix for tight chambers....

Status
Not open for further replies.

woad_yurt

Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2007
Messages
2,265
Location
36° 31' 47.1742" X -87° 21' 34.0301"
I don't know if this has been said in this particular forum already but another thread about someone's Norinco 213 in another forum inspired me to post my response here, too, so more may benefit. It seems that this problem may be more common with Com Bloc weapons but the process will work in any chamber:

You said that the casing gets stuck in the chamber. How tight is the chamber?

I had the same problem in two pistols, a Mod. 213 (like yours) and a CZ 52. In both, a shell would sometimes get stuck tightly in the chamber and it always took a lot of work to unjam them when it happened. With the 213, it was a regularly recurring issue with different brands of 9MM. Of my two CZ52s, only one gave me this problem and then only with Rumanian surplus ammo. It worked fine with all other ammo but, since I had bought quite a few spam cans' full, I figured it'd be best to re-work the chamber rather than limiting myself and the gun to shooting only expensive, newly made commercial ammo.

Anyway, I took an empty shell and drilled out the primer hole a bit so I could pass a long, thin screw screw through, leaving the head inside the case. I then put a nut on it to keep it from slipping, giving me a perfect mandrel. I coated the shell with some finely abrasive valve lapping compound and spun it in the chambers with a drill. After doing that, they've been flawless performers. The CZ52, btw, still cycles any and all other ammo perfectly.

I saved the cases that stuck the tightest to use as a gauge. I merely lapped the chamber until they fit nicely.

Note: Spend the extra five cents on the nut and screw and specify grade 8; grade 8 is much stiffer and will let you use a bit more pressure. A lock washer under the screw head keeps it from loosening while in use. Most importantly, use a very fine grit, go gradually and check often. One shouldn't remove too much or you may create other issues.
 
Interesting. I'm going to try that on a .22 cal Clark barrel that I just put on my S&W Model 41. It's been giving fail-to-eject especially with a cold barrel. Clark says to lube the top bullet in every other magazine with FP-10.
Although oiling bullets is inconvenient, it does work.
Not having to do it would be better! A polished chamber may just do it.
 
I have done the same but only used Flitz as a polish. Works wonders in something like the M1A or Garand chamber that you can's get to really good.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top