Hi
I have just recently started shooting pistol so pretty much everything is new to me.
I have a model 17 and after I fire the rounds I have to push the ejector rod pretty hard to get it going , it's almost as if it is sticking. Once it gets moving it will move the shells pretty easily. With no shells it moves very easy and smooth. I have brushed out the chambers a few times , sometimes it helps but it only lasts one or two loadings then it's back to sticking again.
I am using CCI standard velocity shells.
Any thoughts on this greatly appreciated.
Thanks Tom

Thanks for the reply
I do clean it with a wire brush.
If I look in the cylinder the top half where the brass shell would be is very smooth, beyond that it's pretty course. I guess that's where the powder starts burning.
Should that coarseness be polished out ? If so how much it to much, and what are the ramifications of over ding that ?
Thanks, Tom

Extractor rod is good, I'm certain

As has been stated, that is a common problem with the Model 17 revolvers and you will hear many suggestions.

The Model 17 is a fine .22 and I would not suggest going at it with a Dremel and abrasives.

The proper remedy is to use a finisher reamer for a .22 revolver cylinder. The one I use is a Clymer #184051220 and they are available at Brownells, Midway, etc. The job is very simple to do but if you are not familiar with these things, a gunsmith would be the route to take.

It’s a quick job for a competent gunsmith to polish the chambers.

15-20 minutes.

This is a pretty common problem with Smith 22 revolvers and a simple fix.

Sticky ejection has been common with all the .22 Long Rifle revolvers I've owned and shot. Especially after a few cylinders.

I found a wire brush that was labeled for a 22 mag(slightly bigger in diameter). it had a lot more resistance than a 22 long rifle brush. about 5 minutes or so in each chamber solved the problem. just remember to do this every 200 rounds or so.

Try federal brand ammo..

My 17 hates Winchester and CCI... SAME PROBLEM..case swells and is hard to extract.

My NAA Sidewinder is the same way...

My model 53 has the same issue: and it's very easy to occur in .22 revolvers , as previously stated. I think you will find a lot of interesting infos here:1960 K22 chamber diameter vs. SAAMI sporting specs
and here Finish reaming K22s, or, How To Solve Difficult Extraction In .22lr S&Ws

I just clean mine with patches I cut from a lead wipe-away cloth. No more problems.

__________________
John 3:16 .

.22 ammo in general is dirty stuff. Some brands are worse than others. Some guns favor one brand over another to function smoothly. Some is way more accurate in some guns than others. Even some lots of the same brand, mostly bulk ammo, seem to me to be dirtier than others. They don't use "canister grade" powder to load that stuff, and it can vary from lot to lot.

There are also a lot of variables with most types of guns that are chambered for .22 long rifle ammo. I like to use bronze bore brushes made for .22 caliber centerfire to clean the chambers on my '53 vintage K-22. I used some polishing compound on a patch years ago, but didn't want to over do it. It helped some, but some ammo still sticks if I don't run a brush through it a couple times every range session. A session for me usually involves disposing of at least 500 rounds in at least a couple or three or four guns.

It can be frustrating - till you realize it's just part of the game.

Mark

__________________
S&W Forum Member #721

I've been lucky... my 1948 vintage K-22 and my 1920s vintage HFT both have "loose" chambers and extract well. The OTHER HFT I owned got sticky after a cylinder or two, but a friend of mine fell in love with it anyway, so now HE has to deal with sticky chambers.

So, make the effort to get your chambers right... it will definitely be worth the effort. I'm glad I didn't have to go through all that with mine, but I sure would have if they had needed it!

Froggie

I find it is not that the chambers are dirty, but the cases expand and where the extractor star meets the chamber I get a bulge that sticks the cases. You can see the bulge on the empty case. As soon as I break free that first 1/8th inch they pop right out. Some brands are definitely worse than others, and high velocity is obviously worse than standard.

FWIW I use a .243 rifle bore brush on the chambers.