Posted on 02/13/2005 5:08:03 PM PST by ladyrustic
I took my brother and his girlfriend (her first time, and she had a great time, and she's a lib, too) shooting today and as we finished up something weird happened with my S&W model 686 .357 mag pistol which I need advice/info about:
We were shooting it with 38 specials at first, then .357 mag rounds after that. When my son's last turn to shoot came, he went to load it with .357's and the cartridges would not fit all the way into the chamber anymore. They almost fit all the way but not quite-- about an eighth of an inch sticks out.
We wrapped up and came home, and when everyone left I cleaned the gun carefully, and examined it (everything looks fine), and tried again but the cartridges just won't fit (and I tried cartridges from 2 different makers.)! What could possibly have happened? Why can't I fit the 357 rounds all the way into my 357 pistol?
It absolutely does work.
I first heard of it in a letter published in American Rifleman about 25 years ago, when Scotch-Brite pads were new and scarcer than virgins at the Clinton Library. I had just bought a Lewis Lead Remover and as soon as I found some Scotch-Brite I started using that. The Lewis Lead Remover worked, but was a PITA. Anyone want a 25 year-old lead remover used only twice?
Takes lead fouling out of shotgun barrels too.
The key is the same on all, taking care of them, keeping them clean and in good repair.
It is hard to beat the Glocks, but I'll take my wheel guns over a 1911 any day. Especially my 625, 45 acp, with the moon clips.
You might check your owner's manual,or talk to the Range Safety Officer at your range. Generally, you should keep that firearm pointed downrange for at least 30 seconds (preferably a minute) before clearing that round.
I get hangfires with rimfires once in a blue moon, but haven't had a factory centerfire hang for years.
I have a Browning HP that I tried some handloads in a number of years back. 115 grain hollow points with Blue Dot, if I remember correctly. I'd have to check my records to be sure. Nearly every one jammed. The cases failed to eject and got caught in the extractor port. It was an extremely cold day; the temperature was probably in the single digits. It was such a nuisance to clear after nearly every shot that I did not shoot up all of the ammo.
Many years later, I found myself short of 9mm ammo before going to the range, and with no time to reload any. So I took the rest of that old batch with me, and it shot like a champ. Not a single jam! It was a warm summer day. Go figure.
I learned a couple of valuable lessons that day. First, don't use handloads when you really, really need the gun to go BANG! every time. And, second, try the ammo out in the gun under the conditions you expect to use it before you trust it. And third, any gun can jam.
I have owned maybe a dozen Brownings in my life. The first one was purchased from King's Hardware in DeFuniak Spgs. Fl. back in 1969. I still remember the price: $104.50.
Using good ammo, I have only had one jam with any of them. One day a friend and I were looking over tht first Browning and his petite (and pretty) wife wanted to try it. The only ammo I had that day was some of the original Supervel 90gr. JHP's. I hated to shoot it up plinking but let her try.
On around the 5th shot, it failed to eject, leaving the empty caught between the barrel and slide. I am almost certain she limp wristed it.
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