Remington 550-1 trouble extracting

[presspuller]

A buddy gave me his wife's rifle to fix, said it wouldn't extract the spent case. After tearing it apart and getting the 30 years of gunk out of it I seen that everything was there that should be, nothing broken or worn. I figured the good cleaning would do the trick.
Loaded it up and the second round wouldn't extract. I pulled the floating chamber out with the spend case still in it and I had to really push to get the brass out. I looked at the case that it did extract and the front of the case is scuffed where it slid back through the floating chamber. Unfired rounds fall right in with no issues.
What is the fix for this? I re-scrubbed the area in front of the chamber and I'm positive there is nothing there. The extractor is sharp and strong, the spent brass will pull back maybe an eighth of an inch but no more.
I tried different ammo and Remington seemed to do better than Federals but the problem was still there.
Thanks in advance.

 

[wiscoaster]

The chamber might be pitted, which causes a fired round's expanded case to get stuck due to high friction. A good cleaning, maybe some Flitzing of the chamber walls might help. That's an approach that worked for me on a couple of milsurps with primary extraction issues.

 

[Blue68f100]

What shape are the springs in? It's been decades since I've had a Rem 550.

 

[Kp321]

Not a cheap fix but a Flexihone is the best medicine for a sticky chamber. They come in specific sizes for various calibers and are available from Amazon. Be sure to get the special oil to use with it and they will last a lifetime.

 

[Reloadron]

I would try and hone the floating chamber using the afore mentioned flexihone. You can also chuck up a Q-Tip (or similar) and use some Flitz as mentioned. Pretty interesting rifle the Remington 550. I want to think the early 550 had two opposing extractors and they went to a single extractor on the 550-1. I still have one tucked away which I have not shot in a few decades.

Ron

 

[BBBBill]

I want to think the early 550 had two opposing extractors and they went to a single extractor on the 550-1.

That is correct.

 

[presspuller]

Well, I have polished it to the best of my abilities with what I have, still not fixed. With the best magnification that I have there are no pits or anything else that could be causing this. The rifle is in very good shape overall, it's biggest problem was it wasn't cleaned for decades, but it wasn't shot too much either.
All the springs seem to be in good condition, the extractor spring is very strong.

 

[Reloadron]

Well, I have polished it to the best of my abilities with what I have, still not fixed. With the best magnification that I have there are no pits or anything else that could be causing this. The rifle is in very good shape overall, it's biggest problem was it wasn't cleaned for decades, but it wasn't shot too much either.
All the springs seem to be in good condition, the extractor spring is very strong.

We are missing something somewhere. With a clean and polished floating chamber and a strong extractor I don't know what the problem might be.

Ron

 

[presspuller]

The brass in front of the floating chamber will not pull back through the floating chamber without a firm push. The ones that do extract have some serious rub marks all the way around the brass in the area in front of the floating chamber, nothing deep but burnished all the way around. Unfired rounds go in and out with no issues at all.
I'm perplexed.

 

[Reloadron]

If you have a set of pin gauges you could look at the inside diameter of the chamber. Grasping a little for straws but if that chamber is slightly oversized allowing a cartridge to expand more than it should on firing. Should be part #50 (Recoiling Chamber) in the illustrated parts breakdown. Then too if that is the case I would expect some split cases which I am not seeing mention of. Like I said, grasping at straws. Remove the chamber and try dropping a few cartridges in it and see how much play you have.

Ron

 

[presspuller]

I don't have pin gages. The rounds will drop into the floating chamber with no issues at all when doing it by hand, when it's in the rifle or out. They extract out smooth as silk.
I can't help but think there is something that I'm not seeing, but I can't figure out what it could be. Other than age there is nothing wrong with the rifle, it's not been used a lot, nothing is worn to excess that I can tell.
It's like the area in front of the floating chamber grew for no reason. No split cases at all, by the way.