Ruptured Case Stuck in Chamber

[A_Matthew]

I was out shooting my Marlin XL7 bolt action 30-06 yesterday, and the last round I fired ruptured in the chamber. I managed to unlock the bolt, but the bolt won't pull all the way open. I know the bullet discharged all the way out of the barrel so I tried pushing the casing and bolt out by pushing a cleaning rod down the end of the barrel. But the bolt still didn't want to open and I didn't want to bust something, so I thought I'd ask your guys' advice. Any thoughts on what to do?

 

[Strongbad]

If the bolt is fully unlocked and in the up/open position, you can probably tap (gingerly) on the bolt handle with a mallet. The cleaning rod method will work too but you have the potential for damaging the muzzle/crown there so if you do it that way, be careful. I've had to do both over the years. If you happen to shear the head off the case and leave the body of the case stuck in the chamber, pull the bolt then take an oversized brush like a shotgun brush and push it into the chamber, through the case far enough to poke out of the mouth of the case then pull the whole thing out. Works like a charm.

 

[bigedp51]

Try putting some Kroil or a good penetrating oil down the barrel and in the chamber. If you can get oil between the case and chamber the case will come out with less effort. A hard wooden dowel rod just smaller than bore diameter can be used to tap, pound, beat, the case out of the receiver. Do NOT pound on the bolt handle you will be taking a chance the bolt handle will break off the bolt.

On the Enfield rifles I collect case head separations are a fact of life with commercial cases fired in the overly large British .303 chamber. If you end up with a case head separation and the body of the case in the chamber do not use anything metal to try and remove the forward part of the case, you can scratch and gouge the chamber. I have a stuck case remover for my Enfield rifles "BUT" a fired case forced into the chamber and with "light" tapping with the palm of you hand on the bolt will normally remove the stuck case.

NOTE: It sounds like you were shooting reloads, careful fire forming of your cases and reducing your charge weight will eliminate stuck cases in your chamber. If you were firing factory loads you will need to look for the cause of your problem, bad case, headspace, etc.

 

[W L Johnson]

Had a 30 carbine do this once, no one could get it out until one got the idea of after taking the stock off, just throwing it in the freezer. The brass shrunk before the barrel and the casing just fell out.

 

[SwissArmyDad]

What a great idea. I'll have to remember that one.

Had a 30 carbine do this once, no one could get it out until one got the idea of after taking the stock off, just throwing it in the freezer. The brass shrunk before the barrel and the casing just fell out.

 

[SwissArmyDad]

Would everyone agree that gun (action/barrel/bolt) is likely going to end up being usable once he pulls the case?

Do bolt guns tend to fare well after such a significant ammo failure? I know my yugo mauser seemed pretty stout. Thanks!

 

[nathan]

I let the gun stand with muzzle faceup. I spray penetrating oil down the barrel and let sit for a good one hr. Then i drop a cleaning rod with a rubber at the tip down the chamber from the muzzle. Let gravity take hold . May have to try several times. It works with my surplus rifles esp mosins.

 

[rcmodel]

I would not suggest beating on the bolt handle.
You will very likely break the extractor if it doesn't tear through the case rim.

I would suggest you get a steel or brass cleaning rod, or a gas welding rod that will fit down the barrel.

Use it's weight to TAP against the inside of the case at the same time you try to continue to open the bolt.

Between the two, you should be able to generate enough force to pop the tapered case loose without damaging anything.

rc

 

[gamestalker]

With that severe of circumstance I wouldn't fire that weapon again until it has been properely checked out by a qualified smith. For a case to rupture and then lock the action up, it is very possible some catrostrophic damage has occured, lug or face set back, and then of course the chamber could be stretched and or fractured. Even a minimal set back or minor chamber dimension effect will change head space, which is another bad event in the works. As a general, head space is not supposed to exceed .006" and if that number should double, it's likely to cause the action to litterally come apart the next time you pull the trigger. I'm also aware that some of us have shot our rifle actions well beyond wear limits, by usng fire formed brass that compensates for the excessive head space. But even that has it's limits, as those of us who do that are aware of.
Was that round a reload or factory round? If factory I would be suspicious of some existing issues you wern't aware of until now. Also check for any ammunition recalls for that lot number. Also check any brass you have from previous shooting sessions for suspicious buldging or fractures.
I've had a few head separations over the years of reloading, but it was the result of brass that had been loaded one too many times.

 

[lencac]

Just out of curiosity what kind of ammo was it

 

[bgr2014]

Stuck Bolt

You said you got the bolt to come back a little bit. How far did it come back. Can you see part of the case? If so tap on the case by using a 1/4" wooden dowel down the bore and see if it will come out. That much pressure could have swelled the bolt lugs and they are tight in the action raceways. If so you need a new gun. Get it checked by a compentent smith, even if you manage to get the bolt out it should be checked over by a smith anyway.

 

[jmr40]

Situations like this are rare, but this is one of those times where a good CRF rifle is an advantage. The much larger extractor is more likely to get the case out without damaging the gun. During normal use either type works fine, but during those "oh crap" moments the more rugged CRF is more likely to keep working.

You can try some try some penetrating oil. If that does not work, either heat, or cold would be my next option.

 

[Averageman]

It has been my experiance that the qucker you can fix and issue like this the less problems occur.
Once the barrel cools (to ambiant temperatures) that brass is going to be even harder to get out than it would have been had you taken immeadiate action with a steel cleaning rod and tapping it out when the barrel was still hot.
I.E. Protect the crown and have someone put even pressure on the bolt as you tap the cleaning rod with a mallet while the barrel is still warm.
I have seen a M2 have the base torn away and then be turned in to the arms room and no amount of effort could get that casing out of that chamber.
I would seriously look at putting the rifle minus the stock in to a chest freezer for a weekend in the hope the brass would shrink enough to be removed at this point.
I often drop bearings in to the freezer for a day before I assemble them in motorcycles and it seems to work well.
Thanks
A/M

 

[bigedp51]

gamestalker

Cartridge brass is the weakest link and brass begins to flow at 60,000 psi and the rifle was proofed at over 70,000 psi.

Without the OP coming back with more info and photos we are all just guessing.

The following is from the British "Textbook of Small Arms" dated 1929 "BUT" all NATO small arms are still proof tested to this day with an oiled proof test round which simulates combat conditions. (firing in the rain with water in chamber and bore)



Below is an example of overpressure exceeding the elastic limits of the cartridge case, primary extraction is not strong enough to break the case free of the chamber once the brass case started to flow. (Time to tap the case from the chamber with a dowel rod)

 

[A_Matthew]

Sorry for not answering sooner, but I've been gone most of last night and today.

Thanks for all your suggestions! I'm thinking of putting oil down the barrel, and giving it some really light taps. If that doesn't cut it, than I'll try the freezer. The bolt only comes back about 1/4", so it's jammed in there really good. We'll see what happens.

 

[kiwikid]

410 Brass Bore Brush Worked Perfectly

Today at the range I was shooting some reloaded S&B cases with my 1942 No.1 Mk.4 Long Branch 303, after firing a round it required a firm extraction to get the case out, and you could clearly see the band where if used again the case would separate. Well, on the third I firmly opened the bolt to only have the base pop out . Arriving back at the house the first thing I did was come here to the HighRoad to see what others suggest.

A few squirts of PB Blaster, let it sit with muzzle down for about 10 minutes. I was out of 45 brass brushes, so I gently tapped a 410 bore brush into the stuck case. Inserted a 30 cal Dewey cleaning rod from the muzzle, a gentle tap and the stuck case came out cleanly. Remember you do not need to muscle it when using a penetrating liquid and letting it sit for at least 5 minutes. So save $11.99 for a Broken Shell Extractor and just use a big brass bore brush and PB Blaster or equivalent.

Thanks guys for your excellent suggestion!

 

[A_Matthew]

I finally found time to mess with my gun, so I soaked the inside chamber area with a penetrating lube, and let it sit a little, and that loosened up the bolt so I can lock and unlock it, but it still will only come back about 1/2" or so. And when it comes back, it acts as if it is running into an obstruction, like the magazine somehow got jammed into the bottom of the bolt and won't let it come back. Kind of hard to explain, but I think there is more going on than a ruptured case. I think I'm going to have to take it into a gunsmith and have them take a look.