A live round jammed

[Merc]

There I was, at the range, shooting my 1925 Springfield M1903. After three shots, I chambered a live round that went part way into the chamber and stuck. I pushed the bolt harder - bad move on my part. Now the round is jammed and would not move in either direction. Not wanting to pound on the bullet from the muzzle, I consulted the Brownells web page and found and ordered one of their Stuck Case Pullers. It was on backorder so it took several weeks to get, but it was worth the wait. The puller is a well built, well designed tool that worked perfectly. The instructions are clear and there is even a tutorial video on their web page.

It had to be the round, right? But I examined the case and it looked fine, I even pulled the bullet, primer and powder and put it through my resizing die and found nothing wrong.

I tried to lightly chamber a dummy round in the rifle and it got stuck but the bolt extractor was able to pull it out. I looked inside the chamber with a bore light and could hardly believe that a tiny piece of grit on the chamber wall was causing the problem. It was easily removed with a medium bore brush soaked in bore cleaner. The dummy round would then completely enter the chamber smoothly.

Obviously, a live round that is stuck part way into a chamber of any firearm immediately becomes a very dangerous condition. The puller is the safest way to remove it.

One lesson I learned from this experience is to always gently chamber every round and stop pushing the bolt forward if resistance is felt. The bolt extractor might be able to pull it back.

The thing I wondered about - how often did something like this happen on the battlefield?

[togor]

Probably not rare and probably they just hammered on the bolt to clear the jam. (It's possible that might have worked here but no need for you to try.) If that didn't work, then throw the rifle away and find some other way to stay alive.

[Merc]

Probably not rare and probably they just hammered on the bolt to clear the jam. (It's possible that might have worked here but no need for you to try.) If that didn't work, then throw the rifle away and find some other way to stay alive.

You do what’s necessary but your life can actually depend on a clean rifle.

Maybe a few Vietnam vets can tell us about their experiences with their M16s.

[togor]

How close to home was the round when it jammed? Guessing pretty far. Was the grit at the neck or below the shoulder?

[Merc]

The collet on the puller looks like it needs about 1/8” of free space between the chamber opening and the case head to grip the head and that is about all that I had. The grit particle was below the shoulder.

[togor]

Glad you and your rifle were unharmed. Always worthwhile to pass such stories along. Thank you for posting.

[Merc]

Glad you and your rifle were unharmed. Always worthwhile to pass such stories along. Thank you for posting.

You’re welcome. My favorite saying is: You never forget a lesson learned the hard way.

[Allen]

Another reason I don't care for the AR15 system with the bolt assist. One push, as expected, may cause a stuck case.

[Merc]

Another reason I don't care for the AR15 system with the bolt assist. One push, as expected, may cause a stuck case.

My grandson’s AR 10 had a round jam the last time he went shooting with me. Fortunately, he was able to retrieve it. It may have come out of the mag at a bad angle.

[Sunray]

That a reload or factory? If it's a reload, it's probable that the case neck got pushed down during bullet seating or sizing. Look for a wee bulge on the shoulder. It's not usually fixable as it will probably not fit in the sizer die. However, as you got it out it's possibly the OAL is too long and the bullet was stuck in the rifling.
That "Stuck Case Puller' is not that. It's a ruptured case puller. Meant to remove cases that has the head pulled off.
The normal method of removing a live round, assuming you can get the bolt out, is a 1/4" brass rod(about $4 in Home Depot) into the barrel and a plastic mallet applied forcefully to said rod.

[Merc]

That a reload or factory? If it's a reload, it's probable that the case neck got pushed down during bullet seating or sizing. Look for a wee bulge on the shoulder. It's not usually fixable as it will probably not fit in the sizer die. However, as you got it out it's possibly the OAL is too long and the bullet was stuck in the rifling.
That "Stuck Case Puller' is not that. It's a ruptured case puller. Meant to remove cases that has the head pulled off.
The normal method of removing a live round, assuming you can get the bolt out, is a 1/4" brass rod(about $4 in Home Depot) into the barrel and a plastic mallet applied forcefully to said rod.

It was a reload and the case was not showing any signs of bulging around the head. I ran it back through the resizing die and it was perfect. It was a PPU case. They are a wee bit thicker and several gr. heavier than most other cases. I tried chambering a dummy round once the stuck live round was removed and it also stuck. The thing that jammed both rounds was a barely visible piece of grit that I removed with a barrel bore brush dipped in Hoppes #9.

I have a ruptured case removal tool that was made for my No 4 Mk 1* and have used it only once. It’s designed to remove headless cases that remain in the chamber after the bullet has been fired. I’ve since found out that a paint can opener works just as well. I carry both in my range bag.

The Brownells Stuck Case Puller is designed to safely remove live rounds that have become jammed in the receiver. It has a collet that fits around the case head and a slide hammer that provides force that backs the stuck round out of the chamber. It’s a pretty slick tool. I thought about trying to tap the stuck round out with a rod but thought it wasn’t worth the risk.

[lyman]

good to know on the Paint Can opener, I have a few and will toss one in my Range stool

[Liam]

I use L.E. Wilson case gages for every caliber I reload. I check every round I load in my gun room. Surprises are much more pleasant in the confines of one's own home, as opposed to the range/farm/etc.

[Merc]

good to know on the Paint Can opener, I have a few and will toss one in my Range stool

You may have to grind or file the hook it a little so it fits through the neck of your case. The paint can opener was going to be my second choice to pull out the stuck live round if the Brownells puller did not work since the opener’s hook did engage the head groove.

[Merc]

I use L.E. Wilson case gages for every caliber I reload. I check every round I load in my gun room. Surprises are much more pleasant in the confines of one's own home, as opposed to the range/farm/etc.

Probably a good idea to double check the case dimensions. I don’t use a Wilson gauge but I do measure the OAL and weigh each round after reloading to make sure I have the correct length and powder charge as a final QA check. The full length die pulls the case back to its original shape and makes chambering smooth. I also anneal each case every time it’s reloaded.