Ruger Mk II tie up

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Riomouse911

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Howdy,

I took a selection of rimfires to the range yesterday including my MkII Govt Target 6.5”.

I loaded up a mag with Aguila pistol match and a mag of CCI Mini-Mag solid point to shoot and compare side by side.

The Aguila rounds would only chamber about 1/3 of the way in, then it would jam. I cleared the round, tried again, no luck.

I figured the bullets were somehow oversized, since they were tight in the chambers of my S&W M17-2, so I dropped the mag and tried the CCIs. Same result. I checked down the bore for an obstruction, but it looked clear. :fire:

I finally quit trying and shot the other guns. I went home to clean, and upon disassembly and a close inspection of the MkII I saw I had a cartridge case wedged deep in the chamber with the rim ripped clean off. I couldn’t see this through the ejection port, nor was it obvious with a bore check using the range lighting.

I put three .22 patches through the eye of a patch puller that I threaded on an old length of brass rod and tapped it into the bore muzzle first. (I was mega-careful as the rod tip neared the muzzle) it dislodged the cartridge case as the bulky patches went into the chamber and now all is well. :thumbup:

I can’t recall the brand I was shooting through the gun last, nor do I recall it jamming on me the last time out. I am guessing the final shot I fired was the cartridge case that failed. Has anyone else had a rim tear off as cleanly as this one did in a .22 before?

6EE6B8A4-10DA-4742-98AA-884B8CFDE41B.jpeg 6595D4A5-F165-4EF7-A173-83784C1C69F1.jpeg

Stay safe.
 
Just in case it happens again...

To remove the broken case body remove the bolt from the gun

From the muzzle insert a cleaning rod with nothing screwed into the tip all the way through so the tip is accessible behind the receiver

Screw a .243 brass cleaning brush onto the end of the rod. (A new 22 brush might work)

Pull the rod back through the barrel until the brush is inside the broken case, there will be resistance.

Now push the rod back into the pistol, the broken case should come out of the chamber and into the receiver with the brass brush.

Unscrew the brush with the broken case behind the receiver.

Pull the rod out from the muzzle.

This operation can also be done from the receiver end, but the rod is not centered as well when inserting the brush into the case.

It may be hard to remove the broken case from the brush.
 
Last edited:
Just in case it happens again...

To remove the broken case body remove the bolt from the gun

From the muzzle insert a cleaning rod with nothing screwed into the tip all the way through so the tip is accessible behind the receiver

Screw a .243 brass cleaning brush onto the end of the rod. (A new 22 brush might work)

Pull the rod back through the barrel until the brush is inside the broken case, there will be resistance.

Now push the rod back into the pistol, the broken case should come out of the chamber and into the receiver with the brass brush.

Unscrew the brush with the broken case behind the receiver.

Pull the rod out from the muzzle.

This operation can also be done from the receiver end, but the rod is not centered as well when inserting the brush into the case.

It may be hard to remove the broken case from the brush.


I didn't want to go in through the muzzle and tried a new .22 bore brush from the receiver end.. and then wrapped a patch around it to increase the friction and tried again, both with no luck. Should it happen again I'll give the .24 cal brush a shot like you described.

I've fired countless bricks of high end to bottom of the barrel .22 LR over the decades, and this is a new one for me. It was like there was a total head separation with a really clean cut rather than just a ripped chunk out of the rim from the extractor as with other case head failures I've had.

Thanks for the idea, and stay safe. :thumbup:
 
Howdy,

I can’t recall the brand I was shooting through the gun last, nor do I recall it jamming on me the last time out. I am guessing the final shot I fired was the cartridge case that failed. Has anyone else had a rim tear off as cleanly as this one did in a .22 before?

View attachment 854509 View attachment 854510

Stay safe.

How old was the rim fire ammunition?

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I have had lots of case separations with centerfire ammunition and old pull down powder, or old IMR powder. Powder I purchased in the 1990's. Old gunpowder ruins cases and causes case failures. If you stuff is ten years or older, that could be the reason.

Or, you had a defectively made case.
 
I don’t think it was over a decade old, but it sure could have been close to it. I’m trying to rotate through older stuff from time to time since .22 is available and affordable :thumbup:.

I’ve had centerfire ammo get the “shiny ring” above the extractor groove or rim (with the corresponding hitch when moving a paper clip bent to touch the inner case wall) that is a sign of possible upcoming separation, but I’ve culled those out before I’ve had an actual case head come off.

I did have an old .22 Magnum round blow a hole in the rim where the firing pin struck it. That one I’m sure was the result of the brass growing brittle from age, that round had to be 30 years old.,

I’m thinking it was your idea of a bad case. I’ll keep an eye out for problems like this in the future and I should be able to keep tabs on the brand and age of the offending ammo.

Stay safe.
 
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