Sticky extraction may not mean high pressure

[Scott Tschirhart]

I was working with a .480 Ruger that had very difficult extraction (like beating the cases out of the chambers) with loads that were clearly not high pressure for that cartridge.

I got the chamber honing tools from Brownells and after 20 minutes I was able to hone the tooling marks out of the chambers and now the moderate loads fall easily from the chambers and the higher pressure loads are easily pushed out of the chambers.

[Scott Tschirhart]

BTW .480 isn’t much bigger than the.45 Colt so the .45 Colt hones work just fine.

[GunnyMack]

The very first thing we made in gunsmith school was a polishing rod. 1/4" rod , 6" long +/- .050 filed flat and square on both ends. Then a blob of braze on one end. Then hacksaw a slot .
Chuck it in a drill, wrap emery cloth on and polish the chamber.
Then we made a T handle version, for use on the lathe.
32 years later I still use them!

[JimT]

I was running some ammo through the Shootists Marlin the other day and had a cartridge stick in the chamber. The extractor would not pull it out but just popped off. I closed the action and tried again and again it would not pull the cartridge out. I got out my knife, worked the blade in between the rim and the breech and moved the cartridge back and was able to pull it out. The case had split. I am thinking that maybe the extractor hook is not aggressive enough. Will have to check that out. It's the only time I had a failure to extract out of 700 + rounds through the gun.

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[Griff]

Jim, I don't think Marlins are known for their robust extractor... As for split cases, I've had my fair share... mostly in my Uberti '73s. Which are known for having pretty generous chambers. And honestly, have been shot far, far more than any of my other 45 Colt rifles. But... In the split cases I've had, I couldn't begin to guess how many times that particular case has been reloaded. My Marlin hasn't been shot enough in 45 Colt, and of the 100 or so rounds I fired last week, I didn't take the time to inspect any of the fired cases, still in my dirty brass bag. But, when a split one hits the ground (hard surface like concrete), it makes a pretty distinctive sound. And since my 45 Colts often get reloaded with BP, I don't know if that increases the frequency of splits, or no... just the nature of the cartridge & rifle chambers. In the years since I started shooting the 45 Colt in a Uberti rifle, I simply reload cases until I get a split mouth or vertical split such as yours. I've yet to have a case head separation, like other cowboy action shooters have reported with their 38/357 rifles.

[JimT]

Same here. A lot of my cases have been reloaded since the 1980's. The Marlin has larger chambers than my minimum chambered Linebaugh .45. Most of my .45s have been shot in it. I know I have reloaded some of these 20 times. So case cracks and splits are expected.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I’m splitting a few .45 Colt cases but only God knows how many times they have been fired

This was the first time I had chambers so rough that they impeded extraction

[Griff]

... but only God knows how many times they have been fired

... I couldn't begin to guess how many times that particular case has been reloaded.

... I know I have reloaded some of these 20 times. So case cracks and splits are expected.

If Sixgun were still posting here, I'm sure he'd be telling us we should be keeping a reloading log!

[JimT]

... but only God knows how many times they have been fired

... I couldn't begin to guess how many times that particular case has been reloaded.

... I know I have reloaded some of these 20 times. So case cracks and splits are expected.

If Sixgun were still posting here, I'm sure he'd be telling us we should be keeping a reloading log!

I have been told that. Terry Murbach kept track of ever single round fired. I have never been that organized.

[BobM]

I just bought a 32 caliber hone from Brownells myself. I bought one of the Lipseys 3” SP101s in 327, and extraction is sticky with some 327 factory ammo.