Half of case stuck in chamber, any advice?

[Deleted member 46119]

I used a chamber brush pushed it in just a little and out it came. I bought the brass as once fired and it had been tumbled and sized. I always like to leave a little portion of the case neck unsized just for headspace issues, but was unable to with this brass. This about the last of the brass to be fire formed. I had one other case crack but not break off completely. So I do think it is a headspace problem and could be a bad piece of 2 of brass but probably more headspace. Thank you guys so much!

I was waiting for this detail.

I bought some "once fired" brass, I had a fair amount of case head separations. I traced it down to some portions of the lot that were much more than "once fired" as in multiple ejector marks on brass I had not fired, combined with a requirement to excessively resize the case to get them to fit the chamber.

Once all the questionable cases were culled, problem stopped.

Would I still buy "not new" brass, sure. You just get better at determining whats what. Gotta learn some how.

 

[Deleted member 46119]

and my smith coached me on making a tool to remove the stuck 6mm/6.5 Grendel cases.

It's not a tool for the faint hearted so I'm not going to describe it. It is the tool of last resort. The tool from Brownell's would be much safer but it's not available in my chamberings.

I like the concept of so much I think I will work on making a modular version so that the part that grabs the neck can be the caliber sized "module". The part like the base of the case is extractor groove "module" and a part in the middle to screw the other 2 into to adjust for case length.

I'm pretty much done with my 26-Nosler "wildcats" projects so this would could make it to the top of the list of "hobby" things to make for my firearms tools.

Maybe it will happen, maybe not.

 

[shortgrass]

I watched a guy stick a good sized rat tail file in a chamber he thought had a seperated case in it. In reality, the chamber only had a good coat of brass. I'd cautioned him, "you don't want to do that!",,, but you know how it goes when someone knows more. He crammed it in and gave it a good twist and all that came out was steel filings. That rat tail file did a heck of a job on that chamber and about a month later, after he'd swallowed his embarressment, I set the barrel back and did a heck of a job on his wallet!

 

[royinidaho]

I watched a guy stick a good sized rat tail file in a chamber he thought had a seperated case in it. In reality, the chamber only had a good coat of brass. I'd cautioned him, "you don't want to do that!",,, but you know how it goes when someone knows more. He crammed it in and gave it a good twist and all that came out was steel filings. That rat tail file did a heck of a job on that chamber and about a month later, after he'd swallowed his embarressment, I set the barrel back and did a heck of a job on his wallet!

I've used this method many many times......successfully.

However I "knew" there was a head separated case in there.:roll eyes:

Try the rat tail file in a case mouth to ensure that it will "not" protrude beyond the case mouth.

The process has been successful and I ground off a "special" rat tail file for this purpose.

 

[Dgd6mm]

I've taken them out with a jag and a patch thru the chamber end, works easily. Have not had another head case separation since I bought the proper tool to set my dies up.

 

[Canadian Bushman]

Sometimes you can chamber another empty case part way and it will pull it out. Just start the empty case in there a push on it a bit then, extract and see if it comes out with the broken case over it.

Jeff

This is always the first thing i try.
Least invasive, and easily done in the field.

 

[tanner o]

I love the stick idea, never would of thought of that one even if I had not many trees in that big hay field, and I don't think I will buy fired brass again. I took a good look at it last night and some of it looks more used than others so in the trash they went! Live and learn, that's why I love this hobby so much you are always learning something new

 

[Dgd6mm]

Just for fun, if it was me, I would inspect them with a paperclip that is straightened out with a short 90 degree turn one one end. Run it inside down to the base of the case and slowly drag the end against the case up towards the mouth about halfway. Do this around the entire 36 degrees of the case. If a separation is starting you will fell the change, like a snag in the wall. I know they make tools for doing this, but this is the easiest way without the tool.

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

What he said .....

I wouldn't get very far cleaning lead residue out my m1895 in 405win with that idea set in stone... get a muzzle guard if you have to...

to the o.p..... I've used the brush down the barrel trick a couple of times. One time I had an stw brass separate on me so badly that the brush didn't work- solution- a wood drill bit gently worked into the brass with a bit of penetrating oil sprayed into the chamber. The bit bit into the brass and spun free immediately when the oil got in... A bit of action cleaner to get the oil out and she was good as new. As long as you don't get too froggy the bit won't get through the brass.

 

[Canadian Bushman]

to the o.p..... I've used the brush down the barrel trick a couple of times. One time I had an stw brass separate on me so badly that the brush didn't work- solution- a wood drill bit gently worked into the brass with a bit of penetrating oil sprayed into the chamber. The bit bit into the brass and spun free immediately when the oil got in... A bit of action cleaner to get the oil out and she was good as new. As long as you don't get too froggy the bit won't get through the brass.

I did the same thing with a tap one day lefty.

 

[MNbogboy]

OP... Glad you got it out with method two..usually they are fairly loose...

Some great ingenuity out there in half case retrieval...Had to laugh at the poor guy who used the file and the case wasn't there.....It probably fell out somewhere between the field and his work station.....That's how loose those devils can be...

Korhil78....No offense taken...we all know there is 'some' risk cleaning from the muzzle end and I should have pointed that out...also I should have said the .243 brush in the .223 bore will only travel one direction and his cleaning rod rod has to be long enough to allow him to unscrew the brush once it comes through...sorry about that.....but that method provides the best grip on the broken case neck for pushing on the neck without putting outward pressure on the case wall...I have used a combo with an over sized brush several times over the years and the case always plopped right out....
I have never tried the same combination from the breach for fear if I pushed in too far I couldn't pull it back but with a little bit of measuring I guess a person could figure it out....And it might be more effective yet with that "chinese handcuff" effect in the neck portion...Maybe would work with bore size brush because of the smaller inside neck diameter.

The larger brush on the breach end is probably the safest bet for first try in any case.

Lefty, seems like cleaning from the muzzle end has become much more dangerous to the barrel crowns with the internet becoming more widely used!

Happy shooting everybody,
Randy