Ak-47 has a stuck chambered shell

[SouthernPride]

I recently bought an ak-47 type rifle. It shoots flawlessly. It functions fine and I absolutly love it. I as bored and decided to chamber an empty shell, which it went in fine, but when I try to cock the bolt it won't come back. The shell is stuck, and I have tryed to pull back the handle many times with some force, and I am afraid to pull any harder which might cause damage. What do I need to do to remove the shell? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Coyote3855]

I don't know a damn thing about AK-47s, but I get myself in this kind of bind with mechanical devices with some regularity. If it were me, I'd get a a buddy to pull back on the bolt while I tapped gently on a steel cleaning rod inserted down the barrel.

But I wouldn't try that until you get some opinions here from people who know more about AKs than I do.

 

[Sam1911]

The field expedient solution would be to find a door frame or similar and ram (I think that would be the technical term) the gun forward so the charging handle catches against the frame, which should pop the stuck case free. If the case doesn't pop free, at least the extractor should release and let the bolt and carrier come free. At that point you can put a rod down the barrel and try to tap the case out.

Putting a rod down the bore and hammering on the case won't do much if the bolt is still locked into the trunion.

You almost certainly won't break the carrier.

An alternate to the door frame solution would be to rest the butt of the gun on top of a bench (muzzle straight up) and put a block of wood against the charging handle. Press down on the charging handle to take any slack out of it. Smack the block of wood a few times with hammer and the magic should happen.

-Sam

 

[Sam1911]

If it were me, I'd get a a buddy to pull back on the bolt while I tapped gently on a steel cleaning rod inserted down the barrel.

All good, just make sure you've managed to pull the carrier back until the bolt rotates far enough to clear its lugs out of lockup with the trunion. If that bolt won't rotate at all, you're just pounding against the lugs and that won't break it free.

-Sam

 

[AK103K]

Two things to try that should probably do it for you.

One, hold the rifle muzzle up, and while holding pressure on the charging handle, rap the butt downward on the ground a couple of times.

If that doesnt do it, put the butt on the ground, hold the rifle by the barrel, near the muzzle, and kick down on the charging handle with the heel of your boot. I know you said its an empty, but I'd still hold the muzzle away from me when you do it.

It should go with one of those methods, if not you could try tapping a smaller caliber cleaning rod down the barrel as you put pressure down on the charging handle. I'd do that as a last resort myself though.

 

[rd2007]

that's why I love the AK-47. Anything that requires blocks of wood and door frames to fix is a beauty in my book.

BTW, I have no clue how to remedy this situation, but am curious to see what the more informed ones have to say.

 

[TMM]

i did this with my SKS for the same reason...

i put the butt on the floor, muzzle up, and stomped on the bolt handle until it came back and the shell came out. simple enough.

the reason it got stuck was because the fired shell is a little bit bigger than an unfired shell... once the spring throws the shell in there, it doesn't really want to come out.

TMM

 

[WalkAbout]

Maybe I'm not understanding the exact problem, but I'd take the receiver cover off and remove the spring holding the bolt/action assembly in. Then everything should just be able to slide back and out a little easier...

b

 

[PT1911]

POGO...it will remove the case, remove the rim from the case, or remove the extractor from the bolt... most likely not the latter...

 

[janobles14]

i had this happen with my ak as well. i did the EXACT same thing! i tried the brute force banging method but it didnt work. what i ended up doing was putting the rifle in a padded vice and anchoring a rope loop around the bolt handle and another vice. i took a 4 ft. peice of metal pipe and started twisting! it slowly budged then it popped right out.

 

[nalioth]

Two by four works great.

Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

 

[Quoheleth]

In the age of hyper-delicate machinery and uber-precise micro measuring, this thread made me smile.

Fix a gun with a doorjam, 2x4 and a winch. Gotta love it.

John Browning, Sam Colt, and Carbine Williams are messing themselves right now, reading this.

Q

 

[jojo200517]

Place rifle butt on floor, hold by muzzle, still away from face, ensure safety is disengaged, align heel of combat boot with cocking handle, bring foot inside said combat boot down with significant force. It should pop it out or rip the rim off the case. I really doubt it breaking the extractor, there pretty heavy duty but in the event it does there pretty dang cheap and easy to replace.


Post back and let us know how its going.

 

[Shadow Man]

Seen it happen before. Simply ram the charging handle against anything solid you don't mind having a few dents in. (cinderblock walls work well, from experience) Shell should pop free. AK will work fine. Carry on.

 

[-v-]

Put it on the ground and give the charging handle a few good whacks with something heavy and non-marking. The durability of the AK stands a much better chance of injuring you then you stand of damaging that AK.

 

[Guy de Loimbard]

Grab it by the bolt handle, smack the butt stock on the floor or some other hard surface. If it tears the rim off, dissasemble and pound out the case with a cleaning rod. Although I've never had a stuck case in my AK (yet) I used to do this quite a bit with my AR-15 and if the AR can take that beating the AK will take it and smile at you.

 

[janobles14]

oh yeah i forgot...you can also drop ice chips down the barrel in hopes of shrinking the case a bit. a tube down the barrel with a shot or two of something cold (upside down air canister for keyboards works well) might do too. may save you some banging around.

 

[briansmithwins]

oh yeah i forgot...you can also drop ice chips down the barrel in hopes of shrinking the case a bit. a tube down the barrel with a shot or two of something cold (upside down air canister for keyboards works well) might do too. may save you some banging around.

I can't tell if you're being serious or not.

Seriously, just smack the charging handle with a rubber mallet or 2x4. All the banging of the stock on the ground is a holdover form the AR guys that would destroy their charging handle if opened the AK way.

BSW

 

[Mauserguy]

I would spray generous ammounts of penetrating oil down into the chamber to help loosen the stuck cartridge then try the various door frame and hammer techniques. Good luck.
Mauserguy

 

[Sam1911]

Maybe I'm not understanding the exact problem, but I'd take the receiver cover off and remove the spring holding the bolt/action assembly in. Then everything should just be able to slide back and out a little easier...

Naaah, the spring isn't in his way at all. The case is stuck in the chamber and the extractor still has a very good grip on it. As the case won't move, the carrier can only come back until it tries to move the bolt, which is anchored to the case.

If he can drive the carrier back, it will turn and retract the bolt. If the bolt turns (to disengage its lugs from the trunion) and retracts, it will either pull the case out, or will tear through the case rim.

If it pops the case out, great! Scour that chamber clean to get any old case laquer or gunk out, and the problem is solved.

If the rim tears off, at least now the bolt is out of the way so he can drive the case out with a rod down the muzzle.

-Sam

 

[Hizzie]

Whack the bolt. There a numerous stories about Vietnam era soldiers capturing an AK and storing it in their foot locker. An unknown period of time would elapse and the GI would find his trophy rusted shut. A swift kick to the bolt was the remedy. Out on the range one day we had a bolt stick on a M1 Garand Tanker (.308). Swift kick to the bolt and she was good to go.

 

[WardenWolf]

Elbow grease. I had an unfired round get stuck in my PSL (the AK-47's bigger brother; functionally identical). Took it to a gunsmith after calling and warning them ahead of time, and receiving instructions. He got it out just by pulling REALLY hard. It's an AK, the toughest gun in the world. Don't be afraid to force it.

 

[janobles14]

for the record i was being serious!

 

[SouthernPride]

Hey sorry I have replied yet, I have been busy. I got the shell out. I sprayed a good bit of WD-40 down the barrel and started tapping the charging handle with a rubber mallet with increasing force until it slipped out a little, and then a few more good whacks and it popped out. Thanks for the help.

 

[AK103K]

Are you going to do that again?