Help!!!I think I've ruined my K-31

[Matt Dillon]

Folks, I have to admit to you that I think I've really messed up my "new" K31. This morning, I was attempting to develop a load for a Match King 168 grain bullet, and attempting to find the proper COL for the ogive of this bullet, and on the third attempt at chambering, the bullet stuck in the chamber, and the cartridge ejected.
I attempted to dislodge the bullet by placing 1/4" dowel rods down the muzzle, and then hammering on them, to no avail.
I went out and procured a 1 foot length of 1/4" brass, with which I then began to pound on the dowel rods.
The bullet dislodged, but not the dowel rods. I continued to hammer on the brass rod, and a small length of dowel finally came out of the chamber, but then it stopped.
Finally, the brass rod broke off at the muzzle, and now I can't get it to budge.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I might get this to move? I've sprayed WD 40 down the bore in an attempt to displace any moisture that may exist in the wood. I've also poured a little bit of 3 in one oil in the chamber as well as the muzzle.
I'm afraid that I've also messed up the crown, as I see a couple of scratches at the outer edge of the crown than I had before.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated, Thanks in advance, Richard

 

[Wildalaska]

Go to the gunsmith.....

WildstopmessingitupAlaska

 

[Dave P]

Finally, the brass rod broke off at the muzzle, and now I can't get it to budge.

Your 1/4 brass rod broke? What are you hammering it with?!?!
You sure are rough on your rifles, aren't you

Sounds like all that wood in the bore is splitting and jamming the brass rod in place. Maybe pour a bunch of oil down there, and soften the wood? And while you are waiting for the wood to soften, go order another K31 from AIM - might be cheaper than a gunsmith!

 

[Grump]

A sleeved drill bit is the only thing I can suggest. Unfortunately, the oil may expand the wood for an even tighter fit. Water on wood pegs hammered into drilled holes is how the olde-tymers used to break rocks out of the quarry. Oil in the handles of axes is how they kept their metal heads tight on the wood handles.

You would need metallurgist help to know whether you can burn the wood out without killing the barrel's temper. Too much heat for too long can bring long-delayed catastrophic failure. See The Gun Zone for a story about an M1A barrel of unknown make blowing out sometime around January of 2001 or 2002.

 

[Jim K]

That M1A barrel blowup was pretty definitely a defective barrel, not one that was mistreated in some way. It simply split. There was no indication of a defective or overloaded cartridge or any receiver problem until the splitting barrel took the top off the receiver ring.

Jim

 

[redneck]

I wouldn't try burning it out. Re-tempering a simple steel like a gun barrel is made out of is quite simple, can be done in your oven in the kitchen, but the heat inside the barrel is going to be enough to cause scaling and de-carb which would mean that at best your going to get lots of wear really fast when you start shooting again.
Least thats my experience from making knives.

 

[redneck]

Another thought.

Put the whole mess in your oven at about 250-300 degrees for an hour or two. Might shrink the wood a little by cooking out any moisture and the barrel will expand a little while its hot.