# Rifle hull getting stuck in barrel



## Woodscrew (Feb 11, 2008)

I bought a Savage model 24D .223/20ga. from a guy this past weekend. When I went out to shoot the rifle I was using a cheaper brand ammo that has the steel casing. After shooting the rifle the steel case had swollen and was stuck in the chamber. I had to stick a welding rod down the barrel and beat the case out of the chamber. Well then I thought it must be the cheap ammo even though I never had a problem shooting it in anything else so I go get a good round with a brass casing and try it. It gets stuck to but not as bad. I still had to use the welding rod and tap the case out of the chamber. Anyone ever had this happen or know what causes it or know what to do to correct this problem? I was going to try polishing the chamber out some with a stiff wire brush and my drill.


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## polarbear (Feb 11, 2008)

I use a drill, a brass brush and some flitz polish.  It is a blue colored metal polish that will really put a "shine" on metal.
Use your dremmel, if you find a brush that will fit it.  The dremmel will spin faster, thus less time spent polishing.
Of course, don't polish it so much that you compromise the integrity of the chamber - or make it dangerous.


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## Woodscrew (Feb 11, 2008)

Where can you get Flitz Polish? Is it mail order only of can you get it at Lowes or somewhere like that? You use that polish with the brush?


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## Razorback (Feb 11, 2008)

You should be able to find Fitz in most gun departmens, automotive departments of Wally World or auto parts store.

Razor


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## Bill Brown (Feb 11, 2008)

or "www.MidwayUSA.com"


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## Twenty five ought six (Feb 11, 2008)

If you wrap a little 4/0 steel wool on that brass brush, it will hold more polish and do a quicker and better job.


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## Woodscrew (Feb 11, 2008)

I was thinking of using a small steel brush that just fits the in the hole.


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## leoparddog (Feb 11, 2008)

I might not use a steel brush. Steel on Steel might score the chamber or remove too much.  Start with something mild and work your way up.

The other thought I had was if the chamber is too large already, the brass will expand beyond its ability to contract and may stick in the chamber.  

Can you examine the fired cases and or measure them with a good tool?  Visual comparison and measurements are a good safe place to start.  If the fired case is markedly larger than the unfired case, your course of action should be re-thought.

Good luck


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## dawg2 (Feb 11, 2008)

Woodscrew said:


> I bought a Savage model 24D .223/20ga. from a guy this past weekend. When I went out to shoot the rifle I was using a cheaper brand ammo that has the steel casing. After shooting the rifle the steel case had swollen and was stuck in the chamber. I had to stick a welding rod down the barrel and beat the case out of the chamber. Well then I thought it must be the cheap ammo even though I never had a problem shooting it in anything else so I go get a good round with a brass casing and try it. It gets stuck to but not as bad. I still had to use the welding rod and tap the case out of the chamber. Anyone ever had this happen or know what causes it or know what to do to correct this problem? I was going to try polishing the chamber out some with a stiff wire brush and my drill.



Steel cases are coated with a lacquer that keeps them from rusting.  That lacquer can melt and stick to the inside of the chamber, so when you change to brass, it will hold the brass.  I do not recommend steel, nor do I use it in ANY of my firearms.  It is JUNK.  I have seen your problem a LOT in .223 & 7.62x39, in other people's weapons.


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## Twenty five ought six (Feb 11, 2008)

I wouldn't use a steel brush, but the steel wool will not damage your chamber.


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## Woodscrew (Feb 11, 2008)

I do beleave the cases are swelling. I have shot the cheaper rounds alot and never once had a problem with them. Plus I would be aboul to see if anything was melted off the old case and that isn't the problem here.


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## ROCKRIVERDUDE (Feb 11, 2008)

check your headspace if polishing the chamber dosen't work.


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## Woodscrew (Feb 11, 2008)

shootist said:


> check your headspace if polishing the chamber dosen't work.



Don't really have anything to check it with or now what the measurement should be.


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## JWarren (Feb 11, 2008)

I had  a rifle that did this....turned out to be a cracked chamber.


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## GAnaturalist (Feb 11, 2008)

Compare a spent case to a new casing. If the spent case is larger, or expanded a good bit (looks bigger than the original casing) then you no doubt have a headspacing problem. Send it back to Savage, they will likly replace or ream out the chamber, otherwise you could have a accident and then try to sue them for a faulty whatever. 

Anyway, I had two rifles that had headspace problems, one was re-reamed for free, the other they replaced and shipped me a brand new rifle. I would think about sending it to the factory.


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## Woodscrew (Feb 11, 2008)

Ok this evening I tried polishing it with the bronze brush and some 00 steel wood. Even used my drimal and some mother metal polish. That it really looking good after I cleaned it all up. I could see a few small nicks in it though. I saw them before I started to. After cleaning it I lubed it with a Q-tip and some Rem oil. I even polished the dang bullit I was going to fire in it and rubbed a little Rem oil on it. Well I fired the gun and when I opened it the case did move out a tiny bit but I still had to use a welding rod to get the case out. I just pushed this time and didn't need the hammer. I could see places on the side of the case where the nicks in the camber must have made. I got my 1in. mic out and measure the front and rear ends on the case and compaired it to a couple of unfired round and it was about .0035 to.004 larger than the unfired rounds. I don't know if this is to much or not. So now i'm just not sure what to do. They guy told me he would give me my money back but I do like the gun.


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## ROCKRIVERDUDE (Feb 12, 2008)

does it seem tight when you chamber the round? when you chamber it does it seem to have a little too much resistance when closing the action? If so, you need your headspace adjusted. Find a smitty in your area and have him check it. only takes a few minutes and probably won't charge you much if anything. worst case you send back to the mfg. and have it repaired under warranty because it could need to be reamed a little deeper.


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## GAnaturalist (Feb 12, 2008)

Sounds like it is just too tight. A gunsmith would make quick work of that problem, and just ream it a bit. 

Or send to the factory, that might be cheaper. They might even pay for shipping to and fro. Calling them is no going to cost you anything.


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## Woodscrew (Feb 12, 2008)

Well the buttel don't seem to have any problems at all going into the chamber. It will drop all the way in will pushing it. If you close the gun and open it back up there is no resistance at all when taking the bullet back out. It kinda seems as if after its fired the casing sweels and the small nicks I saw may be holding it in. I can see places on the side of the case where the nicks were at. Its an older gun not new so I dought it would be under any kind of warranty. I may call Savage though and see what they tell me.


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## Twenty five ought six (Feb 12, 2008)

Clean out the oil.  It's probably not the whole problem, but oil in the chamber will cause the brass to stick.

Even with a tight chamber, it the loaded round slips in and out, the fired round should come out.

The expansion numbers are just about right on the money.  You need some expansion to release the bullet and seal the chamber.  

If it should some improvement with the polishing, I'd keep at it.


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## Woodscrew (Feb 12, 2008)

Well I just took it out and shot it again. The polishing did help out a good bit. I fired it twice today and I could pull the bullet hull out with my fingernails but it was really stiff. But it was along way from having to beat the first one out. I did notice that the hull had swelling on just one side. It was enough you feel a hump where the swelling started. I couldn't see anything wrong in the chamber that would cause that though. I took a fuzzy cell phone picture showing where the sweeling starts. There was also alot of marks on the hull that wasn't there before it was fired.


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## Woodscrew (Feb 12, 2008)

Also I went to the Savageweb site and they say they will NOT work on a Savage firearm that has a ser.# prior to F498821.

Savage Arms Inc. will provide service on all firearms manufactured after November 1, 1995 (serial #F498821 and above), as this was the date Savage was acquired by its current management. We regret we are unable to provide service for firearms made prior to November 1, 1995 but our current judicial system allows frivolous lawsuits, as evidenced by the number of state and city suits filed against the firearms industry. If the new Savage company serviced products made before November 1, 1995 (prior to serial #F498821), we could be considered responsible for the prior owners liabilities, real or imagined.


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## dawg2 (Feb 12, 2008)

Woodscrew said:


> Also I went to the Savageweb site and they say they will NOT work on a Savage firearm that has a ser.# prior to F498821.
> 
> Savage Arms Inc. will provide service on all firearms manufactured after November 1, 1995 (serial #F498821 and above), as this was the date Savage was acquired by its current management. We regret we are unable to provide service for firearms made prior to November 1, 1995 but our current judicial system allows frivolous lawsuits, as evidenced by the number of state and city suits filed against the firearms industry. If the new Savage company serviced products made before November 1, 1995 (prior to serial #F498821), we could be considered responsible for the prior owners liabilities, real or imagined.



That sounds like they had a problem with those rifles then


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## Twenty five ought six (Feb 12, 2008)

Before I do anything else, I would go back to the thought that you had in the first post.

Buy some first class ammo, and see what happens with that.

Mark you cartridges relative to the extractor, and see if you can get an idea of where  the bulge is if it's still there. 

If that is there consistently about the only thing I can think of is some sloppy chambering.


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## Woodscrew (Feb 12, 2008)

Twenty five ought six said:


> Before I do anything else, I would go back to the thought that you had in the first post.
> 
> Buy some first class ammo, and see what happens with that.
> 
> ...



I haven't shot anymore of the cheap ammo with the steel casing. I did keep up with where ther hull was in relation ti the extractor today and I can't see anything to cause the swelling. I'm thinking sloppy chambering to. Don't think i'm going to do anything else with it unless I get stuck with the gun.


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## leoparddog (Feb 15, 2008)

I had a similar problem with a used shotgun I bought once.  The fired hulls would stick.  If I put my finger in the chamber I could feel the dings and divits.  I took it to a smitty and got the chamber polished.  It would then shoot low brass shells, but not high brass.  

The gunsmith told me that he polished it all he could.  I don't know what causes such a problem, but if the gun isn't functional for you now you're probably going to have to go to a gun smith.
If the chamber is out of round or really bad you may be able to get it rechambered in a slightly larger .22 cal round.  Being a 'combo' gun, having the barrel pulled, milled, setback and rechambered for .223 may not be an option, but who knows.

good luck.


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## Bruz (Feb 15, 2008)

It's hard to tell from the photo but it looks like you might have a case head expansion problem. I WOULD NOT fire it again until Savage or a qualified gunsmith takes a look. I almost had a Remington 700 blow up on me a couple of years ago and Remington had to replace the bolt.

Robert


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## Doyle (Feb 15, 2008)

dawg2 said:


> That sounds like they had a problem with those rifles then



No, it isn't that.  The company changed ownership and if they do any factory work on the old (previous owner's) guns they open themselves up to lawsuits from any defect in the old guns.  By refusing to work on them, they protect themselves from liability on stuff they didn't produce themselves.


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## packrat (Feb 18, 2008)

*Ammo*

Try A Brand Name Ammo. I Have Had Nothing But Trouble Out Of That Silver Bear And Some Of The Wolf. It Was The Same Problem As Yours In My .223.
Winchester & Remington Shoot & Eject Fine In Mine.


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