# 22-250 Bolt Stuck



## ByrdDog76 (Nov 7, 2014)

Long story short, I had a hand load that I thought was just a little tight end up getting stuck when it chambered. It will not pull back out and the bolt handle will not rotate down into the locked position. Obviously that leaves a live round stuck in the chamber.

I have had a couple of people advise a couple of gentle taps on thebolt handle with a rubber mallet. Given the fact that there is s live roundc in there, I am a little wary of doing that. Has anyone had this happen before and if so, how did you get the bolt open?


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## watermedic (Nov 7, 2014)

As long as the bolt isn't in the down and locked position the firing pin isn't able to come forward.

Light tapping with a plastic hammer on the bolt handle should work.


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## TrailBlazinMan (Nov 7, 2014)

What kind of rifle is this?


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## ByrdDog76 (Nov 7, 2014)

TrailBlazinMan said:


> What kind of rifle is this?




Model 700


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## Sharps40 (Nov 7, 2014)

Silver brazed on bolt handle on the 700.  Careful.....taps can break the bolt handle right off at the joint.  Might consult a gunsmith.....prolly ought to call before you show up with a loaded weapon in the case.....


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## TrailBlazinMan (Nov 8, 2014)

^^ What Sharps40 said. Knocking too hard on the bolt handle can rip it off Remmy 700s, then you are in a whole lot of deep refuse. This is the weakness of the 700 platform.

Your local gunsmith would much rather see it how it is now than after you rip the bolt handle off. Most 'smiths have an extra charge for live rounds stuck in the chamber. That said, you locked it in place by hand and it might tap out with less persuasion than it takes to rip the bolt handle off. 

Let us know what you decide.


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## killitgrillit (Nov 8, 2014)

Pour kroil down the bore and let it soak, get a dead blow hammer and lightly  tap on the bolt handle, if u have some way of securing the rifle, wrap a piece of rope around the handle and put constant steady back pressure on it. If the bolt handle breaks off get it tig welded back on and it will be fixed right.


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## coop3r (Nov 8, 2014)

I have see a couple of 700s do the same thing. They do have methods that us gunsmiths use to remove and extract broken, stuck, and swollen cases and I personally would not recommend any individual doing this at home with a live round.

Obviously you reload or got some reloads, do you check your casings for swelling before you reload them? if not, its a great habit to get into.


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## ByrdDog76 (Nov 8, 2014)

3 fairly easy taps with a rubber mallet and it opened right up. Thanks fellows!


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## ByrdDog76 (Nov 8, 2014)

coop3r said:


> Obviously you reload or got some reloads, do you check your casings for swelling before you reload them? if not, its a great habit to get into.



I do check mine. Mainly because I Have a couple of rifles with tight chambers. Ideally I prefer brass only fired in the rifle I'm loading for.

This was from a batch Dad loaded shortly before he died and was one of two that were swollen( lot of 50) .


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## coop3r (Nov 9, 2014)

I'm glad you got her figured out. I figured you reloaded some but was not sure how much. I was not trying to come of in any way rude or obnoxious. A lot of newer reloaders do not know about swollen cases, that's all.


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## GunnSmokeer (Nov 9, 2014)

*question:*

I have a question:

Would it be unsafe or ineffective to do this:

Take a cleaning rod without any kind of tip on the end, just a threaded hole where the tips would screw into, and use that down the bore from the muzzle end to tap the round out, pushing the bullet's tip?

Maybe that would push the bullet back into the case, but ruining the round of ammo isn't a big deal as long as you get the round out of your chamber, right?

Or is putting ANYTHING down the muzzle of a loaded gun a bad idea, period, because "if" somehow that round went off, it would make the action and chamber explode like a grenade?

(Actually, any out-of-battery detonation of that round would be bad, even if the barrel were clear, since the bolt isn't locked.)


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## TrailBlazinMan (Nov 10, 2014)

ANYTHING down the bore of chambered rifle is a bad idea. I am not saying the rifle will go off, but if it does you will most likely blow the gun (and maybe you) apart. Solvent in the bore could cause an overpressure situation too. The risk of blowing the rifle apart isnt worth it.

Also, pushing the bullet back into the case wont help if the case is what is stuck in the chamber.


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## dawg2 (Nov 10, 2014)

Do not put a rod down the barrel.  

I would try Kroil first.  That stuff is amazing.  If that does not work, then try the gun smith.


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## watermedic (Nov 10, 2014)

If a brass case is stuck so bad that you break the bolt tapping on  it with a rubber or plastic mallet, you have bigger problems.


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## ByrdDog76 (Nov 10, 2014)

coop3r said:


> I'm glad you got her figured out. I figured you reloaded some but was not sure how much. I was not trying to come of in any way rude or obnoxious. A lot of newer reloaders do not know about swollen cases, that's all.



No offense taken. I'm always open to good advice. I had my first experience with case swelling when I was about 20. I bought a Ruger #1 in .300 mag.  That chamber was so tight that the only reloads that would chamber without resizing were cases fired in that rifle. 
 As I got older and read more, I tried to match brass with rifle as much as possible for accuracy reasons.


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## ted_BSR (Jan 8, 2015)

TTT. Don't stick a rod down the barrel with a round stuck in the chamber. Tip of the week right there.

I am also bumping this, because I have been there before with a round JAMMED in the chamber. Mine was a loose loading gate on a lever .450 Marlin. Talk about sketchy. I also did not have to call the gun smith and tell him I was bringing him a hot malfunctioning weapon.  Thanks to some help from guys here on the forum, I was able to work it out myself, safely.

Glad the op got it worked out too.


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## Big7 (Jan 12, 2015)

dawg2 said:


> Do not put a rod down the barrel.
> 
> I would try Kroil first.  That stuff is amazing.  If that does not work, then try the gun smith.



DO NOT PUSH ANYTHING BACKWARDS!

If the bolt is locked, as in closed bolt, just shoot it.

You are stuck in the lands.. or head space and a .22-250 bullet weight, that's not a problem.
(usually not head space, unless you have a SERIOUS problem)

When you get it out, clean the chamber and throat REAL
GOOD.. No sweat. 

Areokroil WILL kill yer' primer. Not yer' powder.
Sorry Dawg.. You don't want to kill the primer on a stuck round.
IF the bolt is closed. 

Just shoot it, clean it and carry on.


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