How to remove stuck case from chamber.

[gregintenn]

I've been going through some old guns I recently acquired, and got to this ancient 1894 Marlin. After some tinkering, cleaning, etc., I decided I wanted to shoot it. Well, the ammunition wouldn't begin to chamber. A quick glance showed that dreaded ring of brass at the back of the chamber.....A case with the head ripped off.

I'd like to claim this idea, as it worked great, but it was actually a suggestion from my father. I removed the bolt, and ran a tap of the proper size into the case, just deep enough to get a good bite, and drove it out with a wooden dowel. A tap and die set can be had pretty inexpensively from somewhere like Harbor Freight if you don't happen to have one already. The tap cuts threads into the brass rather than pushing the brass harder and harder into the chamber walls like an easy out or screw would do.

I hope this idea might be of some help to someone here if you ever encounter a stuck case.

[Wingshooter]

3 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

I've been going through some old guns I recently acquired, and got to this ancient 1894 Marlin. After some tinkering, cleaning, etc., I decided I wanted to shoot it. Well, the ammunition wouldn't begin to chamber. A quick glance showed that dreaded ring of brass at the back of the chamber.....A case with the head ripped off.

I'd like to claim this idea, as it worked great, but it was actually a suggestion from my father. I removed the bolt, and ran a tap of the proper size into the case, just deep enough to get a good bite, and drove it out with a wooden dowel. A tap and die set can be had pretty inexpensively from somewhere like Harbor Freight if you don't happen to have one already. The tap cuts threads into the brass rather than pushing the brass harder and harder into the chamber walls like an easy out or screw would do.

I hope this idea might be of some help to someone here if you ever encounter a stuck case.

Great idea! I'll have to store that one in the memory banks in case I ever have that issue. Thanks

 

 

[xtriggerman]

Certainly a great way to make that fix. Just a word of caution, all ways measure the leading OD of the cartridge against the tap OD to be used making absolutely no question that you wont cut all the way threw the brass & into the chamber wall. That could make for one very bad day if only the back side of brass comes out and leaves tap cuts in the chamber wall. Easy does it is the key here!

[gregintenn]

It shoots fine, but it now appears the extractor is awol..........more parts from gunpartscorp!

Such is my luck with a pig in a poke.

I really enjoy fooling with historic pieces such as this however. This ont is chambered in 38-40, and has a 24" octagon barrel and a cresent buttplate. Had the previous owners taken care of it properly, I likely would have never had the opportunity to hold this rifle.

[xtriggerman]

16 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

It shoots fine, but it now appears the extractor is awol..........more parts from gunpartscorp!

Such is my luck with a pig in a poke.

I really enjoy fooling with historic pieces such as this however. This ont is chambered in 38-40, and has a 24" octagon barrel and a cresent buttplate. Had the previous owners taken care of it properly, I likely would have never had the opportunity to hold this rifle.

  That Marlin is a real Gem. Anything that's tapered (unlike todays Henry's) octagon with crescent steel butt & a breach loader instantly rises to the top of the drool list! Weird how that is.....   I used to work for George Numrich at Auto Ordnance which was across the parking lot from what is Thegunpartscorp of today. you should have seen what was called the "break down room".  8 foot high racks filled with handguns of all sorts in every kind of disrepair and stacks upon stacks of rifles every where. The only time George would put someone to work salvaging parts in there for the parts bins is when the orders slowed down.  They all ways had parts pickers walking off with antique & current goodies out of there in their lunch bags.

  I see you like 99's, I was at a Gander mountain yesterday and they had a basic 99E in 300 Sav their for sale. Nice shape but nothing special with colored hard wood & press checkering. Burned my hands on the price tag of $1049 !!! What the hell are they thinking?  Years ago I restored a 1899 303 TD for a friend of mine. It was spray painted to stop some bad pitting going on and the stock was cracked nearly in 2. A real basket case. I put new wood on it with a crescent butt & complete reblue.  Heres how it came out....

 Jimmy was in shock when I handed it back to him. He likes shinny stuff.....

 

[gregintenn]

2 hours ago, xtriggerman said:

  That Marlin is a real Gem. Anything that's tapered (unlike todays Henry's) octagon with crescent steel butt & a breach loader instantly rises to the top of the drool list! Weird how that is.....   I used to work for George Numrich at Auto Ordnance which was across the parking lot from what is Thegunpartscorp of today. you should have seen what was called the "break down room".  8 foot high racks filled with handguns of all sorts in every kind of disrepair and stacks upon stacks of rifles every where. The only time George would put someone to work salvaging parts in there for the parts bins is when the orders slowed down.  They all ways had parts pickers walking off with antique & current goodies out of there in their lunch bags.

  I see you like 99's, I was at a Gander mountain yesterday and they had a basic 99E in 300 Sav their for sale. Nice shape but nothing special with colored hard wood & press checkering. Burned my hands on the price tag of $1049 !!! What the hell are they thinking?  Years ago I restored a 1899 303 TD for a friend of mine. It was spray painted to stop some bad pitting going on and the stock was cracked nearly in 2. A real basket case. I put new wood on it with a crescent butt & complete reblue.  Heres how it came out....

 Jimmy was in shock when I handed it back to him. He likes shinny stuff.....

 

That old Savage looks great! I'd love a tour of the Numirich Arms place. I'll bet it huge!

Here's an old 1899 my father restocked and gave me once. You're right...I really like the old Savages.

 

[xtriggerman]

Clearly, your Dad is great gunsmith himself. I like the custom touch of extended splinter forend and stretched receiver wood panels. Very tastefully done with the custom checkered panels..... a real keeper to pass down! Your lucky you have a Dad like that. My Dad didn't want to have any guns. He was a Lt. in the Germany Wehrmacht during WWll and wounded 3 times on the Russian front. I guess all that messed him up some..... 

[gjohnsoniv]

5 hours ago, xtriggerman said:

  That Marlin is a real Gem. Anything that's tapered (unlike todays Henry's) octagon with crescent steel butt & a breach loader instantly rises to the top of the drool list! Weird how that is.....   I used to work for George Numrich at Auto Ordnance which was across the parking lot from what is Thegunpartscorp of today. you should have seen what was called the "break down room".  8 foot high racks filled with handguns of all sorts in every kind of disrepair and stacks upon stacks of rifles every where. The only time George would put someone to work salvaging parts in there for the parts bins is when the orders slowed down.  They all ways had parts pickers walking off with antique & current goodies out of there in their lunch bags.

  I see you like 99's, I was at a Gander mountain yesterday and they had a basic 99E in 300 Sav their for sale. Nice shape but nothing special with colored hard wood & press checkering. Burned my hands on the price tag of $1049 !!! What the hell are they thinking?  Years ago I restored a 1899 303 TD for a friend of mine. It was spray painted to stop some bad pitting going on and the stock was cracked nearly in 2. A real basket case. I put new wood on it with a crescent butt & complete reblue.  Heres how it came out....

 Jimmy was in shock when I handed it back to him. He likes shinny stuff.....

 

Man, I could learn some things from you.

[peejman]

You could combine the tap idea with heat/cold. Get the tap to grab and heat the outside of the chamber with a propane torch. Once it's hot, spray the inside of the case with some aerosol freeze spray and it should come right out. 

[xtriggerman]

4 hours ago, peejman said:

You could combine the tap idea with heat/cold. Get the tap to grab and heat the outside of the chamber with a propane torch. Once it's hot, spray the inside of the case with some aerosol freeze spray and it should come right out. 

Your right, that should work pretty good. The thing is, you never know if you have to go that far with it. In this case, better to go the extra work or you might end up with just the back end of brass. There are only about 3 instances a brass casing will lose its head. Excessive head space, a reload that's been reloaded way too many times, a reload that's just loaded way to hot, a chamber that has rust pitted chamber walls can make all those instances far more possible in semi autos. Extra precaution is never a bad thing!