Sheridan Knocabout Shell Ejection Problem

[Mark in Indiana]

Hi All:

I inherited a Sheridan Knocabout pistol from my Dad, who has passed. Being an avid fisherman, he bought the gun in the late 1950s - early 1960s to take to the stripper pits. It's the first hand gun I've ever shot. See first picture.

A couple of months ago, I replaced the broken plastic grips, clean / oil it and take it to the range. At the range, I tried it out, using .22 LR ammo (I read that it will shoot 22 cal. LR, L & S). It shot fine. However, the shell casing didn't eject. It was stuck in the barrel, like a press fit. I pulled the shell casing out and tried another shot. Same shell ejection result. I took it back home and cleaned / oiled it. Then I placed an unfired round in the barrel, closed it, then opened it. The unfired bulled ejected flawlessly. The second picture shows the barrel open with the claw extended.

My firearm technical knowledge is at the novice level, that's a work in progress. My questions are:
1. Why is the spent shell stuck in the barrel instead of ejecting? Looks like the shell diameter is expanding. Why?
2. How can I fix this? Is there a recommended ammo to switch to?

Thanks in advance.

 

[WebSnyper]

Hi All:

I inherited a Sheridan Knocabout pistol from my Dad, who has passed. Being an avid fisherman, he bought the gun in the late 1950s - early 1960s to take to the stripper pits. It's the first hand gun I've ever shot. See first picture.

A couple of months ago, I replaced the broken plastic grips, clean / oil it and take it to the range. At the range, I tried it out, using .22 LR ammo (I read that it will shoot 22 cal. LR, L & S). It shot fine. However, the shell casing didn't eject. It was stuck in the barrel, like a press fit. I pulled the shell casing out and tried another shot. Same shell ejection result. I took it back home and cleaned / oiled it. Then I placed an unfired round in the barrel, closed it, then opened it. The unfired bulled ejected flawlessly. The second picture shows the barrel open with the claw extended.

My firearm technical knowledge is at the novice level, that's a work in progress. My questions are:
1. Why is the spent shell stuck in the barrel instead of ejecting? Looks like the shell diameter is expanding. Why?
2. How can I fix this? Is there a recommended ammo to switch to?

Thanks in advance.

I'll start by saying I know nothing of this particular gun, so hopefully someone who does will come along.

That said, the case is going to expand when shot, and form itself to the chamber (pressure expands the case). You might try a different brand/load of ammo and see if it continues to have the same problem.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Web:
It's an interesting gun with interesting history. If you Google it, you will find some good reads about it. Funny thing, it was marked towards fishermen for protection against snakes. Might be fine if you only need to shoot one snake, and hit it. Otherwise, you need to rely on your snake avoidance skills.
Regarding the ammo: I fully agree with your theory. I'm going to pick up a small box of .22 shorts.

 

[KokomoDave]

If the chamber seems tight, you can spin a shell with toothpaste on it to polish the chamber. If it was shot extensively, it might need a new extractor. If it was dry fired a lot, it might have firearm pinging from the firing pin going "PING" against the breach face. All common problems with rimfires.

 

[Doug]

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