Lakeylad Posted October 14, 2018 Report Share Posted October 14, 2018 Hi Guys, looking for some help.. I purchased a Howa .223 back in the spring to nail the foxes on my shoot. The first box of rounds I put through the gun (Hornady 40g vmax) shot and extracted perfectly. I was curious to find a cheaper yet still accurate round so I tried a box of Winchester 55gr Varmint x and found these were sticking in the chamber after firing? It took a real good bump with the cleaning rod to remove the empty case. Nearly every round did this. So I went back to Hornady. These are now sticking in the chamber. I call the chap I brought it off and he told me he’d sent the gun back to highland outdoor and had a new extractor fitted but guessed it didn’t agree with certain brands... so I gave the chamber a good clean then got myself a box of Sako ammo. 5 rounds on paper fine.. went out lamping after my first shot of the night another stuck case! It is seriously frustrating. I’m at the point of giving up with it but don’t want to sell the problem to someone else. I can load an empty case and extract fine.. yet firing a round causes a stuck case. And like I said it takes a real good thump on a rod to remove. I can’t see any real visible marks on the cases once removed? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix Posted October 14, 2018 Report Share Posted October 14, 2018 I had this same problem with my Weihrauch 22 Hornet. I got some PPU ammo with it and it regularly failed to extract - and there was nothing wrong with the extractor. Cleaning the chamber helped a bit, but it still happened regularly Since I reload for the hornet, I solved the problem by using a less hot load than might otherwise have used. Something i noticed and you might want to try this, is that when I put a case which had extracted normally back into the chamber lined up exactly as it had been when it was fired, it would extract perfectly. if I rotated the case and put it back in the chamber in a different orientation from where it was fired, it would feel tight going in and would not extract. That kind makes me think the chamber is not perfectly round Cheers Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam39 Posted October 14, 2018 Report Share Posted October 14, 2018 Have you checked the spring is ok on the ejector claw that is positioned on the bolt? I have had this with my 223 but never with factory ammo just home loads and only a few (they were not as hot as the factory looking at the brass/primer) even then it was more a gentle tap to get them out and no more. it seemed the claw was slipping off the case head leaving a very small mark/ scuff on the rim of the base. I did end up carrying a cleaning rod in my truck just in case! not sure it should take a "real good bump" to get them out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakeylad Posted October 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2018 Bruce, I’ve cycled a few empty cases with ease, it’s just once the case has been fired. Sam39- i am eliminating the ejector as the problem due to it extracting empty cases and sometimes a fresh fired case. It has to be a tight chamber? Due to the fresh fired cases jamming tight and I mean real tight! Thank you for your suggestions ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin52 Posted October 14, 2018 Report Share Posted October 14, 2018 Have you compared the headspace on the fired v unfired brass ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradders Posted October 14, 2018 Report Share Posted October 14, 2018 It sounds to me like the chamber is a bit rough and needs polishing Get a piece of 5mm steel rod, cut a slot in the end as per the pics below, wrap some #320 emery cloth round it, chuck it in a cordless drill and run it at high speed with some lube (light oil, WD-40 etc) back and forth in the chamber until it's nice and shiny Finish with #400 grit if you want If that doesn't fix it them ask some nice Gunplumber® to run a reamer into it I doubt the chamber is undersize (tight) as gauging at Proof should show that up, it just wants a bit of a buff up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakeylad Posted October 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2018 22 minutes ago, bradders said: It sounds to me like the chamber is a bit rough and needs polishing Get a piece of 5mm steel rod, cut a slot in the end as per the pics below, wrap some #320 emery cloth round it, chuck it in a cordless drill and run it at high speed with some lube (light oil, WD-40 etc) back and forth in the chamber until it's nice and shiny Finish with #400 grit if you want If that doesn't fix it them ask some nice Gunplumber® to run a reamer into it I doubt the chamber is undersize (tight) as gauging at Proof should show that up, it just wants a bit of a buff up Bradders- my local gun shop did advise this. I was just a bit concerned I would damage or make the problem worse. Is this quite safe for a heavy handed chimp like me to carry out? A rough chamber would make sense as i am now looking into the chamber with a torch and can see a few little pitting/rough spots. Thank you for the images. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlts Posted October 14, 2018 Report Share Posted October 14, 2018 2 hours ago, Lakeylad said: Bradders- my local gun shop did advise this. I was just a bit concerned I would damage or make the problem worse. Is this quite safe for a heavy handed chimp like me to carry out? A rough chamber would make sense as i am now looking into the chamber with a torch and can see a few little pitting/rough spots. Thank you for the images. If the chamber is already pitted then you’ve nothing to lose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akeld Posted October 14, 2018 Report Share Posted October 14, 2018 Wasn't there a recent post on a Howa having a short chamber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubs Posted October 14, 2018 Report Share Posted October 14, 2018 Myself and two mates had this problem with Remington 700 rifles ,when you get the empty case out of the gun does it have small indents and pitting marks on it if so then it could be time to get it rebarelled or a new gun, as the problem will only get worse. It's so frustrating to use once it starts I moved on and got a Tikka best move I've done, my friend got his drilled out like in pics but it came back again then he got it rebarelled with a border barrel now it's great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gun Pimp Posted October 14, 2018 Report Share Posted October 14, 2018 Lakeylad - if it will chamber and extract a brand-new case then, dimension-wise, the chamber is OK. A quick look with a borescope should reveal any internal finish problems. Any gunsmith will have a look for you - and hopefully correct the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakeylad Posted October 15, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2018 6 hours ago, Tubs said: Myself and two mates had this problem with Remington 700 rifles ,when you get the empty case out of the gun does it have small indents and pitting marks on it if so then it could be time to get it rebarelled or a new gun, as the problem will only get worse. It's so frustrating to use once it starts I moved on and got a Tikka best move I've done, my friend got his drilled out like in pics but it came back again then he got it rebarelled with a border barrel now it's great. Tell me about it. I can’t be doing with keeping a rod in my pocket just in case... to have it rebarelled I’d be seriously out of pocket as I haven’t had the use out of it yet.. I’ll get it to a gunsmith and hope it’s cured. ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chanonry Posted October 15, 2018 Report Share Posted October 15, 2018 Give it back to the guy who sold it to you and neglected to tell you about the problem. Refund or small claims court. His choice ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony1954 Posted October 15, 2018 Report Share Posted October 15, 2018 Hi This seems to be a problem on used Howa 223's I have no had 5 rifles in for this concern . If a new extractor is fitted the problem is nearly always fixed. Supply issues with getting new extractors I have found that stoning the extractor claw to a slightly steeper angle works . Hope this may help. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakeylad Posted October 15, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2018 1 hour ago, Tony1954 said: Hi This seems to be a problem on used Howa 223's I have no had 5 rifles in for this concern . If a new extractor is fitted the problem is nearly always fixed. Supply issues with getting new extractors I have found that stoning the extractor claw to a slightly steeper angle works . Hope this may help. Tony Hi Tony, cheers for the advice. I will see if my gunsmith will polish the chamber like mentioned above and if that doesn’t work maybe consider the extractors. I just put the extractors to the back of my head as the shop that sold it to me said it had already gone back to highland outdoors for this work to be done. I can’t quite work out why the fired cases are jamming so tight in the chamber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradders Posted October 15, 2018 Report Share Posted October 15, 2018 1 hour ago, Lakeylad said: Hi Tony, cheers for the advice. I will see if my gunsmith will polish the chamber like mentioned above and if that doesn’t work maybe consider the extractors. I just put the extractors to the back of my head as the shop that sold it to me said it had already gone back to highland outdoors for this work to be done. I can’t quite work out why the fired cases are jamming so tight in the chamber. Do it yourself, I’ve told you how! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubs Posted October 16, 2018 Report Share Posted October 16, 2018 From my experience the new brass will eject easy as its not fire formed to your chamber and expanded causing the pits and indents which act like barbs when you try to pull back the bolt to eject the empty case, try and get a gunsmith to have a look inside the chamber and also check the bolt extractor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dashed Posted October 23, 2018 Report Share Posted October 23, 2018 On 10/15/2018 at 3:15 PM, bradders said: Do it yourself, I’ve told you how! As the OP bought it from a gun shop, I’d not be touching it myself but making sure it was their problem to sort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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