>22LR Ammo and Ejection Issues

[Montelores]

Hi, All -

I'm having some ejection issues with a S&W Model K-22, and I believe that it's ammunition related.

CCI Standard Velocity and Federal Auto-Match and Federal bulk (375) will not eject, having a very tight fit after firing.

However, Federal "Champion" in the 50-round boxes (40-grain solid, 1240 fps, bluish-color box) eject just fine.

Even Eley Pistol Match ammo is binding .

We've measured the expended cartridges with a micrometer, and there's a very slight increase in diameter near the rim on all the cases.

I have thoroughly scrubbed the chambers with Ballistol and a brass brush.

All of this ammo functions just fine in other non-ejector star models (autos, Single-Sixes, various single-actions).

Any ideas would be welcome, and I hope that I've put this in the correct forum, even though it's not a Ruger issue.

Thanks to all -

Monty

 

[Snake45]

This seems to be a very common problem with Smith K22s. I had it myself back in the '90s and have heard quite a few similar stories from others.

I sent it back to S&W for remedy. I don't know if they replaced the cylinder or polished it or what, but they returned it to me in less than two weeks, no charge at all, and it's run perfectly ever since. It's now one of my favorite .22 revolvers.

Contact S&W about returning yours. Do what they say. You'll be VERY glad you did. :wink:

 

[Montelores]

Thank you, it's an actual K- model, late '60s, I will give them a call -

Monty

 

[Snake45]

I have a mid-70s K22 that's never given me any problems. The one I had the issue with was made in the '80s. I thought it might be out of warranty when I sent it in in the '90s, but no problem at all. Let's hope Smith treats you the same way.

Even if they want to charge you something to fix it, I'd recommend letting them do it. They're obviously intimately familiar with the problem and have fixed it many, many times before, and know exactly what to do. Better than taking a chance with a local gunsmith who doesn't really understand the problem, and over-polishes the chambers or something, making it even worse.

 

[Montelores]

Thanks again, good advice, and I will contact S&W next week. They have been very helpful with a past issue, and it's a better choice than a local gunsmith, I agree.

Monty

 

[AzShooter1]

I had to get a .22 chamber reamer to fix my 617, cases were sticking on every cylinder. It's an easy job, you just need to use lots of cutting oil.

I'm sure S&W will take care of you though and that's the best source for a solution.

 

[jimd441]

Interesting information here - I have 617 which has fairly tight chambers (all 10), but not so tight that insertion or ejection becomes an issue until maybe 100 or so rounds are fired. Cleaning the gun restores it to normal. I figured this is just normal...

Jim

 

[Snake45]

Interesting information here - I have 617 which has fairly tight chambers (all 10), but not so tight that insertion or ejection becomes an issue until maybe 100 or so rounds are fired. Cleaning the gun restores it to normal. I figured this is just normal...

Jim

This is completely normal with all .22 DA revolvers--I have two Smiths and three Colts. If any of them makes it to 100 rounds without starting to bind up in rotation, I consider that exceptionally clean .22 ammo (or I'm just having a really good day). I keep a USGI M16 bore brush on a short piece of cleaning rod, and a "takedown" camper's toothbrush in my range bag. After shooting about 50 rounds with any of my .22 revolvers, the chambers get one or two pokes with the M16 bore brush and the extractor star gets brushed out underneath with the toothbrush and then I'm up for another 50 rounds or so of troublefree shooting. It's all just part of the .22 shooting fun. :wink:

 

[jimd441]

Thanks Snake45, I keep a bore brush in my range bag as well.

Jim

 

[AzShooter1]

I should also suggest trying different ammo. I can go over 300 rounds using Federal Gold Match, CCI Mini Mags and Federal BYOB. With others I have to scrub the cylinders at least every 100 rounds and sometimes more.

 

[langenc]

Im wondering -is this a new problem or an old one that continues to surface??

 

[Snake45]

Im wondering -is this a new problem or an old one that continues to surface??

I'd never heard of it before I had my problem in the early '90s. Have heard of it from many others since. Dunno if it's ongoing with current production.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Im wondering -is this a new problem or an old one that continues to surface??

Hi,

During the last big ammo shortage before this one, I remember Snake talking about the consistency of the ammo available then. Essentially, it was looking like mfrs seemed to be sweeping everything off the floor and boxing it up to keep things moving. I think this shortage is an even greater challenge. That said, I'd suggest it's a recurring problem.

On top of cleaning the gun meticulously, have you mic'd a few series of unfired rounds to check against the usual "I just grabbed 'em from the box" procedure? Snake's earlier observation may show up. I understand checking rim thickness is a common drill among serious .22 target shooters, too.

Rick C

 

[Snake45]

Rick, I think he was asking about the problem with Smith K22s, not with ammo.

You remember correctly about my observation of quality standards lowered during the Obama Ammo Famine. Up until this point, I had had few if any duds with the common Federal Walmart bulk--that stuff was never particularly accurate, but it was always near 100% in ignition and would function in anything I fed it into. When the OAF started, I began noticing a number of duds in the Fed Bulks. I don't remember the numbers/percentages but they were bad enough that I would make note of the lot numbers and refuse to buy those lots at Walmart any more. There were several lot numbers, IIRC.

Also at about this time I had my first dud CCI MiniMag. Those had also been very reliable up till then.

The Rem Golden Bullets were a slightly different story. With most .22 duds, if you rechamber them and hit the rim in a different spot, they'll go off. All the Rem GBs I bought in the 2000s--both before and during the OAF--had a very consistent dud rate of 1-2%, which means 5 to 10 or 12 per brick. With these, you could hit them all over the rim and they'd never go off--there's no primer in them at all and never was. Maybe that's why Rem packaged them in boxes of 550, so you could have a lot of duds and still have 500 good ones.

I don't know what the situation is like now; I haven't bought any .22 ammo in years. I bought enough in the years before the OAF to last a LONG time, Thank The Lord. Only smart investment I've ever made in my life.

 

[jimd441]

Only smart investment I've ever made in my life - I know what you mean Snake45, the best investing advice have for people is to watch what I do and then do something else.

Jim