Unspent powder/breech issues.

L

LSU12ga

New member
I have an older .22 rifle that I took to the range today and I noticed that it occasionally threw some unspent powder towards me when I fired.

Is this bad? Am I heading towards catastrophe or is this something I can ignore.


Also, I just noticed that the breech is missing some metal...Does anyone know if this is a normal looking breech or something that needs to be taken care of.

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huhwck.png

Thanks!
 
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Rimfire priming is not that efficient..... I have noted that .22 autoloaders throw quite a bit of powder, burnt or unburnt..... particularly with cheap bulk ammo.

My kids declined to shoot a S&W 22a a second time after being hit with crud flying out the breech ......
 
ok great, thanks!

I also assume that missing metal might be contributing to the powder escape.
 
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I would have to see the fired cases to be sure what is happening is there blackening on the outside of the casing showing powder is coming around the case. Are there any cracks or splits in the case at the head. With bolt action the powder should not be hitting you on firing. The reason the S&W sprayed powder is that it is a recoil operated action and the case is pulled out ot the chamber with powder still burning in the barrel. You may want to have it checked by a gunsmith if the cases are cracking or splitting. If the cases are clean or show minor black streaks on the side of the case starting at the open end and moving toward the back it is normal for a 22. occasionally a 22 will not create enough pressure to keep the case sealed to the chamber until the bullet leaves the barrel. I don't see this as unsafe just unnerving to a new shooter. So look at the fired cases, they tell a good story about what is happening in your rifle
 
It is normal for a little powder residue to be present when firing, but your seems to be a bit much. The "broken" areas you see are actually extractor cuts.

It appears that your ammunition is not sealing properly in the chamber. When the cartridge is fired, the pressure inside the case swells the case to the chamber wall and creates a momentary seal. Brass does have some "memory" to it, so shortly after firing the case springs back slightly (this also aids in extraction).

Usually what causes the case not to seal is a rough or badly pitted chamber, or a build up of powder in the chamber.

I would suggest a thorough cleaning of the chamber with a brass brush first to insure that there is no powder residue left. Try using a .22 cal brass brush attatched to a drill and keep wet with powder solvent (Hoppes etc) while being careful not to go into the rifling. When the chamber has been scrubbed and cleaned with patches, inspect to see if the chamber is rough. If the chamber is rough, there are ways to smooth out the chamber surface.
 
Thanks for the help guys.


Big Al; I posted a picture a few threads down of the spent casings, they are all clean with a little residue.

My guess is that I didn't do a good enough job cleaning the chamber, and as you can see from the pictures there is still a lot of dirty in there..so I'll be attending to that. Thanks for the advice, sc928porsche.

Best.



here is the picture of the spent casings, you can see that they all look normal with minimal fouling.

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I just bought a small 22 single shot for my girl. The breach in that unfired rifle looks the same as yours except a lot cleaner. No worries about the metal.
 
Thanks SJ, I'm more confident about this rifle now.

I appreciate all the help. If you guys are interested you can follow the refinishing (which will start in a week or so) in this thread
 
toss the thing and buy a ruger 10/22. Never throw a bullet out of a fire arm that you question, not even a .22
 
While I appreciate the advice JPR the only reason I questioned the rifle was because of my ignorance and inexperience with rim-fire rifles. The gun performed well at the range, it's only issue being the powder. If i were more knowledgeable about rifles and I had an Unusual issue crop up then I would be leery. That being said you are correct, but I think it's situational.
 
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