Tikka M55 in .308 win: cases stuck after firing

[jrexa]

I have an old Tikka M55 in .308 win.

When I recently got around to shooting it, the cases are stuck. And I need to use a wooden block/mallet to hammer on the bolt, to get it out.

My first Ammo was steel cased Barnaul .308 win with 168 grains fmj.
I then cleaned the chamber using a 16 Gauge bronze brush.
It made extraction slightly easier, but I still need a mallet.

I then tried changing to Winchester Target .308 with 147 grains fmj and brass cases.
Same result.

Now I am thinking about polishing the chamber with Autosol.
But I am open to suggestions.

Nearest Gunsmith is around 3000 miles away... And shipping will take 3 weeks each way, and cost much more, than I paid for the rifle.

 

[eastbank]

i had a .222 sako that acted that way, polished the chamber with J B bore cleaner and then flitz polish useing a electric drill and a short cleaning rod secition. after the chamber looked like a mirror it worked fine. check head space and chamber for jugging also. eastbank.

 

[jrexa]

I have done a couple of minutes polishing of the chamber, with Autosol on a cloth wrapped aroud a 12 gauge bronze brush.

It looked much cleaner.

First testfiring result.

Extraction possible, but not easy
After around 5 rounds, I needed the mallet again....

I did some photos, of an unfired and a fires round.

On the last picture, which I did some "sharpening" on, it is easy to see, that the cartridge has grown "fatter" aprox 0.295" from the bottom
Dia just above the fat place is: 0.471"
Dia from an unfired round is: aprox 0.462"

I have never examined fired brass like this before, and I don't now, if this is just normal. (I hope that it is)

I am thinking about getting a Chamber Hone for .308 Win
And trying to hone the chamber, that way.
http://www.brushresearch.com/brushes.php?c2=183

 

[eastbank]

it looks like you have a very rough or fine pitted chamber, the fired cases should be much smoother than yours look like. a chamber hone may be your best bet. eastbank.

 

[jrexa]

I did some more polishing, using longer time (aprox 10 min) with Autosol, and 10 min with 0000 Trollull.

Extraction is better, it "worked" for 8 shots, but it is rough to get the spent case out.
I didn't need the mallet.

I am trying to get a Flex-Hone, but I might give it a try, tomorrov, with some more AutoSol and Trollull 0000

 

[MEHavey]

Before you flex-hone that chamber to different wall dimensions,
I'd still have a gunsmith look at things....

...and that "...nearest gunsmith is 3,000 miles away" ????
Where RU ?

 

[jrexa]

Sorry. I hadn't filled in the location, in my Profile. (that is fixed now)

I am in Nuuk, Greenland, and We don't have a fully equipped gunsmith up here. (Population 16000 in this city, 55000 in the entire country)

If I am to get to a good gunsmith, then I must send the rifle to Denmark.

Ok. The straight line distance is "only" 2200 Miles.... but first I have to go 200 miles north, to the main airport.

Firearms CAN be sendt by air, but then it will cost around US$ 300 each way.
By Ship, it is "only" US$ 100, and 2 weeks sailing.

And transport elsewhere, is Via Denmark.

And I only paid US$ 125 for the rifle + 125 for a new 5 round mag.

 

[rcmodel]

Nuuk, Greenland??
I see!

The photos of your fired brass look perfectly normal.
But I would also like to see good photos of the fired primers and case heads.

You can't read primers as such.
But you can read fired case heads if you are getting haedstamp ironing, extractor / ejector mark smearing, etc.

I would suggest you clean and properly lubricate the rifle, and especially the bolt locking recesses, bolt lugs, cocking cam on the striker, and anything else that touches each other during bolt opening.

Use a heavy very slick grease so it will stay where you put it.

It might also be wise to throughly clean the bore with copper solvent to insure it isn't clogged half shut with jacket fouling and raising pressure.

rc

 

[eastbank]

i don,t agree that the cases look normal, the second brass and both nickle cases look like the chamber may be finely pitted making the bolt hard to open because of the cases sticking(imbedded) into the pits. here is a photo of cases(.308) fired twice in a remington 700 and resized to be fired again. if you look close at his fired cases some thing is going on about 1/2 inch up the case from the bottom. to me it has to be a chamber problem. eastbank.

 

[jrexa]

I agree, that my brass looks rougher, than the samples from eastbank.

When I got the rifle, I gave it a thorough cleaning, plugging the barrel, and having it stand the night over, with Robla Solo in the barrel/chamber.

The rifling looks clean and sharp and blank.

 

[MEHavey]

OK.... time to lube the cases before firing.
Any good-quality 0-20-WT motor oil will be fine.



...and no, I'm not kidding.

 

[jrexa]

I was thinking about giving the cases a coat of Caramba MoS2

I will try that, in the Weekend

I have ordered an 800 grit Flex-Hone. I hope it arrives next week.

 

[rcmodel]

I don't know what Caramba MoS2 is?

But it sounds like wax or grease??

Don't do that!!!!

Slippery cases just increase case stretch and back thrust on the bolt locking lugs.

rc

 

[Jim K]

I would not use lubricant on the cases. It could create the opposite problem with excess pressure.

Those cases look like ones I have seen fired from badly rusted chambers. The case swelling is normal, but the brass is too rough for a normal chamber.

Here is a thought. Can you thread a rod, then drill and tap a case for it. That will give you a case with an extension out the back of the rifle. Then you chuck the rod in a drill, put some oil and mild abrasive on the case, and run it into the chamber to polish the chamber. That might enlarge the chamber a tiny bit, but can't make it much worse.

Jim

 

[MEHavey]

Moderately lubed (i.e., thin-film) cases cause neither excess pressure,
nor excess bolt thrust beyond normal design limits. This is an old saw which
continues to flourish in internet lore.

What it will do is hydraulically fill the microscopic chamber rough spots/pitting
during case expansion, and reduce the residual cheese-grater effect which locks
the case into the wall after firing.

 

[jrexa]

I Owned a Ljungman AG42b, Semi Auto in 6.5x55
In the manual, it is specifically stated, that the catridges must be lubed, before shooting.
The Locking system on that one is not stronger, than on a Tikka Bolt action, and I have no qualms about firing lubed cases, for testing

JimK: The threaded case would give the same result, that I have already tried, with a Cotton 16 Gauge bore swap, with AutoSol(polishing paste) and with 0000 Trollull(Steel Wool)
I am waiting for an 800 Grit .308 Chamber Hone, from Flex-Hone (PN# 08041)

rcmodel: Caramba MoS2 is a light penetrating oil, with MoS2.
http://www.caramba.eu/en/products/mos2-lubricating-oil/

Maybe I should just give the cases for the testing a light coat of BreakFreeCLP

 

[MEHavey]

BreakFreeCLP...

Put some on your thumb/forefinger and simply/lightly wipe
the [body of the] case like you were lubing for resizing.
Stay off the outside of the neck as a general rule.
I'd surprised if the cases stick badly after that.

 

[eastbank]

great, now i have to carry a can of 3in1 oil in my hunting kit. just kidding. myself i would want my rifle to work like it should with out any additives added. i have hunted over 60 years and owned many many firearms and never oiled any shells. eastbank.

 

[jrexa]

I also want it to work, without oiling, but for testing if it helps, I can manage oiling 3 rounds

 

[jrexa]

Update:

I got the flex hone chamber hone, 800 grit, and has put it to good use.

I started with 3 mins in my cordless drill,(aprox 1000 spm) and it improved extraction a little bit. But I still needed the Mallet...
I then gave it 10 mins, and it was slightly better, and another 10 mins, and now it is usefull, but still far from perfect.

I might give it another 10 minutes at some other time, but for now, I can actually start using the rifle.

And if I needs to do this again, I will get the 400 grid hone also....

 

[jrexa]

Last update

I finally decided to give it a last polishing, with the 800 grit hone. (13 minutes)

Now it works almost as new, and the fired cartridges are uniform and smooth. with no rough spots, from the previusly bad champer.

Now I can finally finish this project, and end up with a supressed rifle, for hunting Caribou.

(Reminder to self: Remember Test shoot cheap rifles, before bying )

 

[BBBBill]

...On the last picture, which I did some "sharpening" on, it is easy to see, that the cartridge has grown "fatter" aprox 0.295" from the bottom
Dia just above the fat place is: 0.471"
Dia from an unfired round is: aprox 0.462"

Sounds like you're in the ballpark. Here's a drawing with case dimensions for comparison.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.308_Winchester#/media/File:Cartridge_308.PNG

 

[jrexa]

Here is a picture of the rifle in question.
Tikka M55 in .308 Win, shortened to 45cm (18")

It was originally fully stocked(Mannlicher style) But I cut the front part off.
Cheek rest is a Mathews Kydex Cheek Rest
Supressor is a Schültz & Larsen Hardcore TDM 45 Twister (It goes aprox 3-4" over the barrel)
Scope is a Chinese(Vector Optics) 1-6x24 with Duplex and a 30mm tube.