>>> MISFIRE TRIAGE !!! <<<

[dan lenson]

Alrite, I know I should do my homework before hittin' the panic button!

So anyway... while firing some less-than-desirable ammo (*!%$#@ Tula) today, I had a misfire in my .380 auto.

It has firmly jammed my semi-auto slide, with a live round inside.

Slide kicked back 1/8th of an inch.

How can I clear this safely without shooting the neighbors?

 

[LEaSH]

If you can relieve the grasp of the extractor with a pick or similar tool, you can field strip it and push the bulged round with a wooden dowel rod.

Or we can do at my house 'cause my neighbors are getting on my nerves anyway.

 

[dan lenson]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to LEaSH again.

 

[XtremeVel]

If you can get the slide back an 1/8 inch, use a screw driver and gently pry... Usually, it doesn't take much. Be careful not to mark up your finish...

Also, if you are 100% sure of your firing pin being in a safe position, lightly tapping on a rod down the barrel usually works also.... Just be sure to tap with your hand safely above the muzzle of course ! I have only done this when the slide won't open enough to start a small screwdriver.

Whatever you try, just remember muzzle awareness...

 

[dan lenson]

Also, if you are 100% sure of your firing pin being in a safe position, lightly tapping on a rod down the barrel usually works also....

I've burned my 'freebie' card for today, Bro-- tried something similar with my SKS & gained a Remington 700 style surprise.

Had 3 or 4 misfires with Wolf ammo, so pulled the bolt carrier back just far enough to reset the trigger... and then closed the bolt by pushing it forward with my palm. Round fired & the bolt handle left a nice tattoo on the heel of my hand.

Grateful for range rules. Gonna leave the tap-tap-tapping to Adam Sandler for a few days. ' )

 

[22rssix]

grab the top of the slide with your left hand and hit the back of the grip with your right hand.

That should give enough force to move the slide and the jammed round in the chamber.

 

[XtremeVel]

Yes, if you can not see to verify that the firing pin is withdrawn, by no means tap on it... I would not rely on thinking you know the function of the pistol... I would only rely on seeing it and following proper safety.

Is this due to a bulged round ? A round with the OAL too long can keep the slide from opening if the ogive of the bullet is stuck in the rifling... I have cleared this condition in XD's and Glocks with "shorter chambered" barrrels more than once. It rarely takes much to open, but often times it will unseat the bullet, leaving it still in there !

I always feel much more confident with clearing revolvers... You can always look between the cylinder and frame to make sure the firing pin is inside the frame and not out... It happens often when reloaders don't use proper case tension or crimp on their loads and the bullets " walk " forward into the forcing cone, locking up the cylinder...

 

[dan lenson]

Alrightee. Yesterday was a long day, so sorry I wasn't clear on the facts before I posted.

Took my supervisor to the range & while I was tweaking the optics on my rifle, I had him shoot my Taurus 738.

It's been jamming alot, and when it does, it often takes some work to get it cleared.

Getting to the point: the problem was a misfeed, not a misfire. The slide seemed almost unmovable, so I assumed the worst.

Came in from the topwith a flathead to take advantage of a small gap between the barrel and the slide opening.

I think when I depressed the barrel with the screwdriver, it aligned the round's seating and allowed the action to correct. Problem fixed!!

Thanks for your advice, INGO! Sorry for the thread misnomer.

 

[XtremeVel]

Problem fixed!!
.

Glad to hear ! Also, hopefully you were right in the OP... That it might of been due to cheaper ammo... Hopefully it won't happen again for you.