Author Topic: Need help before my .223 goes out the window! (Read 793 times)

ebonitekid767 · « **on:** October 06, 2005, 10:59:43 AM »

i took it out the other day and shot it and the case wouldnt eject..which i know is a common problem so i knocked out the case with a cleaning rod and tried again...same problem.so i cleaned it and tried again same thing...so i tried putting a fired case in and the gun wont even close!what the heck is the problem here?!been using the win white box and have had NO problems until now!

safetysheriff · « **Reply #1 on:** October 06, 2005, 11:07:43 AM »

did you fire that ammo' in an oily chamber that now has sludge in it, holding onto the brass so it won't eject?

only fire in a dry barrel and chamber.....

ss'

quickdtoo · « **Reply #2 on:** October 06, 2005, 11:10:07 AM »

The same applies to oil or crud on the cartridges themselves, everything needs to be clean and dry. A good chamber polish will also insure good ejection, certainly won't hurt.

ebonitekid767 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 06, 2005, 11:37:47 AM »

well i used a mop after i cleaned it but i guess it wasnt dry enough?and ok so now i have sludge in there how do i fix it?and how come a unfired case will go in and close no problem at all?

Lost Okie · « **Reply #4 on:** October 06, 2005, 02:19:48 PM »

Had some of the same experiences with my .223 bull when I got it. I went back and cleaned the chamber with a brass bore brush and bore scrubber (lightly). Cleaned it with a patch and alcohol. Would not recommend this unless you have a lot of experience with a dremmel, but I put polishing compound on a round buff, ran it in and out with dremmel (cordless on 15000 RPM) for approx 20 seconds. Cleaned again with alcohol and now the only problems I have are with Wolf ammo and only if I don't wipe the bore and then each case before I shoot. Please keep in mind that I have been using dremmels for 30 yrs to do all sorts of crazy things. A cordless hand drill would probably work better for most folks..Also; you can always polish a little more....if you do too much....ya can't put it back. After that, I played with the forearm and reloaded using 24.5 gr. of IMR 3031 with 50 gr Hornady's. Shoot 5 rds inside a dime at 100....Nikon 4.5 x 14AO. Don't get frustrated, take it slow and easy and you will get there.

Mainer · « **Reply #5 on:** October 06, 2005, 02:59:46 PM »

Give the chamber a good polishing. Buy a bore mop that's slightly larger than a .223 case, put it on a single length of cleaning rod, coat the mop with metal polish, and use a cordless drill to turn it slowly in the chamber, working it in and out as it turns.

Do that for 200-300 revolutions. Clean. Test fire. If the problem persists, repeat the polishing.

If that doesn't work, trade the gun for another Handi.

Good luck!!

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 06, 2005, 03:07:02 PM »

Something i found that works very well is to go to a gun show and pick up a chamber brush for a m-16 .

Wrap a patch around it with a very fine polish on it , then chuck it up in a batt drill and polish the chamber .

Did it first when i gut my 223 and have NEVER had a problem .

Stimpy

Paul5388 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 06, 2005, 06:13:13 PM »

I used fine Clover (automotive) valve grinding compound on a case that had a screw in the primer flash hole to chuck up in a cordless drill. I shoot neck sized brass in it and don't remember how long it has been since I've had a stuck case.

bajabill · « **Reply #8 on:** October 07, 2005, 07:06:07 AM »

how many of your fired cases will not allow the action to be closed. Have you experienced this before, or is it just with this bunch of ammo. You mentioned you have no problem with Win white box ammo, is this the same.

The fired brass not fitting into a closed chamber leads me to thinking of a loose or weak closing action. Allowing the brass to expand in the headspace dimension. Can you push the fired brass into the chamber, so the head is flush with the barrel back surface? If you do, I bet it does not eject.

I have this problem with my 243, but never after one firing, only after a few neck sizing cycles.

groovyintheusa · « **Reply #9 on:** October 07, 2005, 07:45:58 AM »

I bought mine new, and have not had any problems with 55 grainers, but I have had the same problem with the 63 grainers. I have read that after 150-200 rounds of lighter ammo, the heavier ones should be fine too. The sludge and extra oil will still cause problems even after this though. Hope this helps ya!

bajabill · « **Reply #10 on:** October 07, 2005, 08:40:40 AM »

another idea I read here is that the chamber could be out of round, but that should effect every cartridge you shoot. You could check it by indexing, place a ink mark on the side of the brass, load it with the mark at the top, fire, remove, try to insert the brass rotated 90 degrees to the fired condition.

Also, check the dimensions of the fired brass, how much growth in the diameter are you noticing. Could be the brass is not allowed to spring back much, but I dont know if we typically measure well enough compared to the amount of spring back we see in a fired case.

trotterlg · « **Reply #11 on:** October 07, 2005, 01:43:49 PM »

If your rifle will not close on a fired round then either the chamber is not round or something is wrong and the rifle is opening up some to allow the case to expand larger than the chamber is. Brass will always snap back a little after it is fired, and the entire practice of neck sizing only is based on a fired case fitting back into the chamber. Check it out carefully, you will most likely find something wrong or you have a very hot batch of ammo. Larry