Total case head separation

[LewisH]

My 22-243 suffered a total case head separation with the case lodged firmly in the chamber.

I've had a few suggestion from my buds about how to get it out without taking the rifle to a gunsmith, e.g.

1. Soak chamber with penetrating oil, sharpen the end of appropriate sized dowel and tap tightly up into wedged case, then tap out from muzzle end with cleaning rod.

2. Same with over-sized brass brush.

Any other suggestions or experiences from this knowledgeable board would be greatly appreciated.

[Kevin Cram]

Come in from the muzzle with the next caliber size up bronze brush. When you poke into the case neck it should pop free. Good luck.

[specweldtom]

LewisH, if that doesn't work, check out the broken shell extractors on pg 115 of Brownells catalog #60. either one of the .22 cal extractors should be able to be adapted to pull the case out even though they won't work with your bolt face. I wouldn't try to drive it out from the front, it could scar the neck area, but if you drill and tap the back of the extractor for an extension, or silver braze an extension to it, it should pull the case without doing any harm. Worth checking out. I almost forgot, was the case just old and tired, or is something else wrong. For starters, give the chamber a good cleaning with bore solvent and a bronze chamber brush, then solvent and dry patch it. If you have access to a borescope, use it too. Could be a number of causes for the separation, but you need to know why, so it doesn't happen on a hunt, or so you don't jam another round in on top of a broken case.

Good luck, Tom

[JeffVN]

Sorry to hear about your plight.

I had a total separation in my .308 - long story; after letting it sit overnight to think about what I was going to do, it tried two differnt approaches; neither of which should harm the firearm and the second of which worked for me;

first I took my cleaning rod and regular sized nylon brush, carefully pushed it in from the muzzle and tried to snag the brass that way. I could feel it but it did n't come out. NExt I took the same wooden dowel that I use for testing seating depth and throat when using my Stoney Point gizmo, and pushed it in from the muzzle end. After a few tries I managed to pop out teh offending front 2/3 of the case (its possible the brush gizmo loostened it enough for the other part to work).

JeffVN

[tpbscha]

Put it in your deep-freeze overnight then pop it out using the above-mentioned suggestions. Had one do that in my Encore and after freezing it the case fell out with a tap on a chunk of 2x4.

[Freebore]

Here is what worked for me..take a cartridge case that will fit partially inside of your separated case. Clean the outside of it with a little steel wool. clean the inside of the stuck case with a brush and remove all solvents with alcohol. Get a small tube of locktite from the harware store or automotive store. Get the one that is made not to come apart. Put a few drops on the case that is going inside. Allow to dry. Pop out stuck case with a short sharp blow from a cleaning rod that fir inside the glued case.
Got this from a guy on this forum works like a champ for @ $2.00.!

[Varmint]

put cotton wad in the neck of stuck case and then with a funnel pore lead in case let harden and tap out with cleaning rod.