Live Round Stuck in AK47

[blaisenguns]

I have this AK 47 I am working on, and apparantly a round failed to fire and got stuck in the chamber. Then it was allowed to sit for a LONG period. Is there a safe way to remove this? I am aware that sticking something down the barrel and hitting it with a hammer is a VERY BAD IDEA.

 

[rcmodel]

With your head out of the way.

Pull back on the charge handle as hard as you can and slam the butt on the ground.

Inertia of the bolt carried should yank it out.

If I was still a solder, I would set the butt on the ground and kick it open with the heel of my combat boot!

Again, stay away from the muzzle though.

rc

 

[Jim K]

I assume the round is a dud or you would just fire it. If it is a dud, try rcmodel's suggestion.

If that doesn't work, your first idea just might. Fortunately, with the AK it is easy to remove the bolt carrier and bolt, so do so.

Then put a bronze rod down the barrel (1/4" is fine - do NOT use a wood dowel) until it rests on the bullet nose. Keep away from the muzzle and point the rifle in a safe direction* and tap the rod with a hammer.

*I have to say that or I will get yelled at. But with the bolt removed, the round can't fire - there is no firing pin and the hammer is out of the way. Unless the bullet is explosive (very unlikely) tapping the bullet nose won't do anything. At worst, it drives the bullet down into the case, but that doesn't make any difference as the round is going to be discarded. Note I said "tap". You don't want to bang the case so hard it flies out of the chamber and the primer strikes some part of the gun. Again, I assme the round is a dud.

FWIW, yes, I have done this on several occasions; nothing went bang and my head is still in place.

Jim

 

[blaisenguns]

Thanks guys, a litle wd40 + giving the charging handle a good whack made it come out.

 

[carbine85]

This can't be, AK's never fail

 

[SDC]

While keeping the rifle pointed in a safe direction, you should be able to take the top cover off, then pry the bolt carrier rearwards to unlock the bolt.

 

[Jim K]

If the bolt won't extract the case with the cover on, it probably won't do it with the cover off. And on the AK, you can't even get to the extractor to pry it out of the case groove, so my original idea probably won't work either. The rod will work, but it has to force the bolt and carrier back (the spring can be removed and the safety put on).

Jim

 

[rcmodel]

A Vietnamese conscript peasant would have been trained to kick it open with his truck-tire tread floppy shoe!

Same as a U.S GI Issue Grunt with a stuck MI or M14 would set it down and kick it open with the heel of his combat boot.

Thats how you open them in combat when they get stuck shut!!!

Solid steel op-rod handles are wondrous things!!

rc

 

[col.lemat]

and they always opened up

 

[rcmodel]

Question? Or statement?

Doesn't matter.
Yes, they almost always did!

rc

 

[col.lemat]

statement

 

[col.lemat]

Did have to use hammers on stuck M2 50's

 

[rcmodel]

Hmmmm?

Sometimes you can throw them off the top of a M113 Track real hard, receiver end first, and duck behind the armor.

If the ground is hard enough, it might pop them open without using a hammer.

Or so I have heard, sometime in a past life.
Maybe not though!

Just joking of course!

No sane GI would ever do that!
Would they??

Only the Shadow knows!

rc

 

[blaisenguns]

Sometimes you can throw them off the top of a M113 Track real hard, receiver end first, and duck behind the armor.

If the ground is hard enough, it might pop them open without using a hammer.

I neer could get behind throwing a gun. Guns need to be babied.

 

[1911 guy]

Nah. Rifles I paid for get babied. Rifles Uncle Sam handed me got used like a crappy rental car. Just tools.

 

[sean326]

Used to happen to me daily when I was a range officer, we rented ak's to tourist to shoot. A thousand rounds a day on the weekends and we cleaned and serviced them once a month whether they needed it or not. I'd keep the muzzle pointed down range turn the gun sideways bolt handle down, place it on the edge of the shooting booth and whack the but firmly forcing the handle back and ejecting the round.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I have a Yugo M70AB2 with unchromed barrel that gives great accuracy even with crap ammo. Due to "unchromed" I make a point of cleaning the barrel and chamber within seven hours of use and -- knock on wood (my head) -- have not had this problem. Hopeful by maintaining my firearm, I can avoid this, but the recommendations that seem to work in the field (boot on bolt handle, watching muzzle) and range (bolt handle against edge of bench, muzzle down range) i will add to my mental file. In fact I am tempted to add my spare lee loader mallet (rubber mallet with added leather faces) to my range kit just in case.