Broken Shell fragment in the Chamber!

[clement1]

I have an antique GEW 88 that I have found to have a very old broken brass casing perfectly lodged in the chamber, and very much completely taking up the entire area just prior to the actual barrel.
It is so fused in there that I was not aware of it until I tried chambering a round to find that the new round would only enter part way.
What is the best way to remove this old brass fragment from the chamber.

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[simmonsguns]

soak the chamber in kroil for a day, plug the chamber with cloth to keep the kroil in place, make a long small hook and try to snag the end of the case. or if you can order some cerosafe from brownell's plug the chamber in front of the case, ment the cerosafe and knock it loose with a dowell rod, this is the easiest way if you have cerosafe. the hook is a pain in the butt and if your not carefull you can damage the chamber. if you have a local gunsmith check with him, i do several of these a month.

 

[Sniderman]

Kroil,,
Absolutely, Simmonsguns is right on track. The only thing I would add is to warm the chamber before applying the Kroil, Were talking hair dryer/heatgun heating here, NOT blue flame torch heating! 150-200 degrees max. The heat will move the two dissimilar metals at a different rate and when adding the kroil the quick cooling will help crack the crud bond between the two surfaces. Also, the kroil will penetrate even better when it warms with contact with the metal. I've pulled, among other things, pipe plugs out of 60 year old turbine bodys with this method. if it doesn't work the first time just do it again, it will come free.
Patience.

 

[Jim K]

Another way, which must be used carefully, is to thread an appropriate size tap into the brass case WITHOUT cutting through into the chamber wall. Once the tap has a grip, use a cleaning rod from the muzzle to push it out. I have taken out many headless cases that way for calibers where a headless shell extractor wasn't available.

The best way, of course, is to use a headless shell extractor. The ones on the market are almost all surplus made for the .30-'06, but they will work for 8mm as well. They have spring fingers that compress inward to allow the extractor to be inserted, then spring out to engage the case neck. Gun Parts Corp. has them for around $12, less in quantity. GI is P/N 1086440, the repro is 525180. Every gun shop should have a couple.

If the old case is really in there or pieces of case have been ironed into the chamber walls by firing, a reamer might be needed to clean out the brass, but that is a last resort.

EDITED TO ADD: A headless case is nearly always the result of excess headspace in the rifle; when you do get the brass out, DO NOT fire the rifle without having it checked.

Jim

 

[buttrap]

Usualy running a over sized cleaning brush into the chamber will pull and twist the things out.

 

[Jim K]

The cleaning brush will work only if you get to the job right away and there are no complications. The OP described the case as "fused in there" which I took to indicate that an easy fix probably wouldn't work.

Jim

 

[buttrap]

Its a starting point. Most folks that have a stuck case and need ideas on how to remove them tend to think as "fused in place". Also a short peice of brass rod split for a inch and spread a bit eased down the bore then rapped with a cleaning rod will get most of them out.