Hard Empty Cartridge Ejection

[Shooting Padre]

I just got a K22-18 and noticed that it was very difficult to eject the spent cartridges. Also, on RimefirCentral.com. I found posts of the same problem. I was shooting Remington 550 Bulk Pack at the time, which I really have come to dislike. I had grabbed the wrong box of ammo. I switched to Federal 550 Bulk Pack and have had no more problems. After reading the problems with Remington ammo on the 15-22 forum, I try to stay away from it. Has anyone else experienced this problem with the K22, or other S&W .22 revolvers? Other than Remington, has anyone else had problems with any other brand of ammo?

 

[tgd31968]

My K-22 is sticky ejecting with most ammo. Not a big deal, just a firm rap on the ejector rod strips them out.

I assume the thin brass pressure forms to the chambers, and if they are naturally tight to begin it might be the reason.

I am not a big fan of the remington 550 golden bullet bulk pack either. I picked up a bunch on sale, but it doesn't work well in any of my autoloaders.

 

[310Pilot]

K-22s (and the 17 & 18, after S&W changed to model numbers ) were designed as target pistols, and typically have very tight chambers. That results in occasionally difficult extraction, which sometimes requires cleaning during range sessions, but contributes to their excellent accuracy. As to ammunition, it has been my experience that, over the last 20 years or so, Remington 22 ammo went from good to garbage in terms of quality and reliability - I won't buy it anymore under any circumstances. Enjoy your K-22, they are accurate, well balanced and fun to shoot.

 

[Oldiron]

When I start having trouble with my 22/32 kit gun I clean the cylinder. Makes life a lot easier for a while.
I have pretty much quit using the Remington 22 ammo. Started noticing that on my pump rifles while shooting bugs with 22 shorts that the Remington report went anywhere from poomp to crack. Picked up a brick of Aquilla 22 shorts and they are very consistant. Sound and accuracy.
Larry

 

[Texas Star]

I sold a Model 34 after becoming disgusted with having to literally pound the cases out with a mallet. This happened with every brand that I tried.

I did some research, including asking another writer who had published an article on the K-22. He admitted that he was assigned that story and that he normally uses .22 autos. A factory spokesman admitted that S&W has had trouble with .22 revolvers since the 1930's or before, and that sometimes, it helps to polish the chambers better. Something that should be done at the time of manufacture, especially as they KNOW that it's a problem area...

I will never buy another S&W .22 revolver. I use a Ruger MK II .22 auto.

However, the Ruger and my .22 rifles also dislike Remington ammo, which has become notorious on the Net for poor quality. I prefer CCI among the brands that I find. I think it's absurd that dealers here don't stock more brands of .22 ammo. When I could get them, I liked T-.22's and other Winchester ammo.

 

[Cooter Brown]

Like 310pilot said, the tighter chambers are a concession to accuracy.

I'm willing to put up with it given the accuracy of my K22s. I carry a bronze brush if I'm going to shoot much and when extraction gets a little difficult a couple of swipes takes care of it.

I also find the Federal bulk ammo to be cleaner than the Remington.

 

[red9]

Remington makes very good rimfire ammo, BUT they use a thicker wax coating on the bullet than other brands. That causes a faster buildup in the chamber than the others. As a result, like most of the posters, I have switched to Federal in all my target guns.

Bob

 

[Sgt Neutron]

Same problem in my M18-3, Remington bulk pack had very hard extraction, even on the first cylinder load. Federal bulk has very easy extraction, even after 200+ rounds.

 

[pharmer]

I shoot my 17-3 almost as much as my Ruger MK II. I single load the cartridges and push each "home". No misfires/FTF. For the first 50 rds or so they pop out easily. Next 50 need a "palm swat" on the ejector rod to eject. At this point I run the .22 bronze brush with a slight spray of BreakFree on it, through the charge holes. Repeat, shooting till done. A Wallybox wil last a long time this way, unlike the Ruger with 5 magazines. Joe

 

[tops]

I have 2 M17s and a M34 and a M43. When the shells start sticking I use some Shooters Choice and a .30 cal. bore brush in a drill. Wet the chambers and run the drill wide open for 4 or 5 sec. in each chamber. Do this 2 or 3 times. I cleaned a M17 1500 shells ago and it still works good. Larry

 

[Redmond]

I had my K22 at the range yesterday and was experiencing difficult empty cartridge ejection using CCI Blazer ammo. Switched to Federal bulk, and no problem at all. This is the second time I noticed this with Blazer.

On the other hand, the Blazer works better in my MP 15-22 than the Federal.

 

[Texas Star]

I have 2 M17s and a M34 and a M43. When the shells start sticking I use some Shooters Choice and a .30 cal. bore brush in a drill. Wet the chambers and run the drill wide open for 4 or 5 sec. in each chamber. Do this 2 or 3 times. I cleaned a M17 1500 shells ago and it still works good. Larry

You've probably polished the chambers, and maybe enlarged them slightly.

 

[wraco]

An 18-3 I bought new in 1975 is sometimes a bit sticky with empties. Not too bad if I stick with Winchester or Federal, if I clean the charge holes at the range.

My 18-2 and pre 18 will shoot and eject any brand without any range cleaning. The same with my two pre-17's, they just perform flawlessly every time.

I've been meaning to polish the charge holes on the 18-3 as it is irrating to have range clean and fight with ejecting spent cartridges. My thought is; polishing the charge holes would help to eliminate the crud sticking to the walls that seems to be what hangs on to empty cases.

Rod