Model 53 jet hang up issue

[Model29-26.5]

Hey guys,
Any help you can give me on how best to stop the shells from hanging up in the cylinder?
It'll happen with the 22 long rifle and also it just happened with the jet rounds too.
I know it's kind of common but I wonder if there is a good way to best avoid it if possible?
Heck of a lot of fun to shoot though.

 

[22hipower]

That's a common problem with the 22 Jet especially if you're using factory loads. Keeping the chambers very clean (very, very clean) will probably solve the problem. But, if you're shooting original 22 Jet ammo you may be causing another problem in terms of erosion of the barrel at the forcing cone. I use reloads and keep them quite a bit more gentle than the original factory ones. Plenty of flash and bang and fun but without (or with less of) the erosion risk.

The 22LR issue is probably just a case of keeping the cylinder chambers clean too. I have a couple M17s that bind up after a couple cylinders. Some ream them which is supposed to solve it but I just try to keep them clean. Good luck.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[BC38]

The only advice I've ever heard is keep the cylinder bores SQUEAKY clean & bone dry - no oil or anything.

jcelect is one of our resident experts on the M53. If there is another solution I'm sure he'll chime in with it shortly.

 

[murphydog]

I have read cleaning the charge holes (and presumably the exterior of the cases or inserts) with rubbing alcohol helps.

 

[Truckman]

I have read cleaning the charge holes (and presumably the exterior of the cases or inserts) with rubbing alcohol helps.

Keeping a spray can of non-chlorinated brake cleaner in your shooting bag may save a little time...It will evaporate just as quickly as the rubbing alcohol...And there is more than one kind of rubbing alcohol, the drugstore kind is usually 70% alcohol, with the other 30% being water I think...I keep the 91% version on hand for some cleaning purposes......Ben

 

[dave1918a2]

I have shot My Jet since 1975. Always cleaned the ammo with rubbing alcohol, the 91% stuff with no lanolin. Most of the 70% stuff has a lot of lanolin. I also use an eye type jag with a couple of large patches sprayed with carb cleaner and swab out the cylinder. Never had any stick.

 

[nutsforsmiths]

The only time I have had a Jet round stick in the cylinder is when I reloaded a semi-hot round in once fired Jet brass.

I keep a dry patch and swab out the cylinder after 18 to 24 rounds. And get any oil off the reloads before shooting as well.

I've never had any issues when shooring the 22LR inserts.

 

[Model29-26.5]

Thanks folks. Clean and dry I guess

 

[TLflag]

Model 53

Been shooting my Jets since 63', have always rolled my ammo in a tumbler first. No problems.

 

[Venom6]

Yep, clean and dry. Chambers and ammo. My Jet can go 2 to 3 cylinders before it locks up. I think it is because most gunpowder is coated with graphite. Intended to facilitate flowing through a powder measure, and perhaps as a burn deterrent, the residue also acts as a lubricant. That's my theory anyway.

 

[Model29-26.5]

Thanks for the info guys.
I have to say, I shot jets through it for the first time today.
Really enjoyed it. You expect it to kick hard with that flash and bang but I didn't feel any noticeable difference to regular 22lr, but I didn't A/B them on the spot.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

A while back, met a Texican Laddy Buck who has a ranch near Del Norte, CO.
He has a 4 inch 53 which he has shot so much it's beginning to show some throat erosion.
He says, after you clean it, spray it with electronic cleaner.
I've had 2 - Model 53s, they beat me into the ground!

 

[jcelect]

53 Jet

Use NO FACTORY AMMO! S&W wanted Remington to design a load that would send a 40gr bullet out the end of the barrel at 2400FPS! This is what you will end up with, and it starts with the first 100rs!!

I reload all my jet ammo and don't use any max loads in the books! This helps with sticking brass and erosion. I deprime my fire brass first, then tumble the brass using a tablespoon of NU-Shine car wax in the tumbler, and tumble over night. This leaves the brass very shiny and slippery from the wax. When I resize the brass I use a little spray lube in and on the necks. This process will produce a round that is very clean and requires no extra cleaning before firing! The only other advice I have, has been stated above, keep the cylinders very clean! I have never shot a Jet with the inserts, a model 17 is much easier and simpler!
jcelect

 

[22hipower]

This is how they look before the factory rounds.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

https://flic.kr/p/2noDriY https://www.flickr.com/photos/194934231@N03/

 

[jcelect]

This is how they look before the factory rounds.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

https://flic.kr/p/2noDriY https://www.flickr.com/photos/194934231@N03/

Thank you, sir, for the "before" picture! That is most definitely a keeper and very difficult to find these days!
jcelect

 

[SuperMan]

Problem with the .22 Jet is it was made to hunt with not target shoot/plinking... The gun/cartridge was brought out just as handgun hunting was starting to get big... Sight the gun in, hunt, clean and put away...just like most people did with a big game hunting rifle.

Bought a 6" first year of production 4-screw used but hardly shot in 1974. According to my reloading log there was well over a 1000 rounds of reloads through it...very few factory rounds, no more than 2-3 boxes. There was still nothing left of the forcing cone... Lucked out and found a correct period barrel and had a local Smith smith switch them out...not one round of Jet ammo ever went down that tube.... The gun had a complete second Rimfire cylinder that was always used as it was my only rimfire handgun from 1974 till the early 1990s...

A few years ago I sent the gun, original burned out barrel and Rimfire cylinder to Jack Huntington who rebored/rechambered it to .327 Federal...gun gets a lot more use now. It can still be converted back to Jet with the original cylinder and second barrel...

Besides keeping the cylinder clean and dry, polishing each chamber with a fine polishing compound like Flitz helps a great deal. S&W has never been known for overly smooth chambers. Helps also in .22 LR and Magnum cylinders.

Rarely had a problem with sticking as I used the gun for hunting small game and never fired more than about 2 cylinders full while sighting in/practicing.

Neat concept but misunderstood....

Bob

 

[Model29-26.5]

Problem with the .22 Jet is it was made to hunt with not target shoot/plinking... The gun/cartridge was brought out just as handgun hunting was starting to get big... Sight the gun in, hunt, clean and put away...just like most people did with a big game hunting rifle.

Bought a 6" first year of production 4-screw used but hardly shot in 1974. According to my reloading log there was well over a 1000 rounds of reloads through it...very few factory rounds, no more than 2-3 boxes. There was still nothing left of the forcing cone... Lucked out and found a correct period barrel and had a local Smith smith switch them out...not one round of Jet ammo ever went down that tube.... The gun had a complete second Rimfire cylinder that was always used as it was my only rimfire handgun from 1974 till the early 1990s...

A few years ago I sent the gun, original burned out barrel and Rimfire cylinder to Jack Huntington who rebored/rechambered it to .327 Federal...gun gets a lot more use now. It can still be converted back to Jet with the original cylinder and second barrel...

Besides keeping the cylinder clean and dry, polishing each chamber with a fine polishing compound like Flitz helps a great deal. S&W has never been known for overly smooth chambers. Helps also in .22 LR and Magnum cylinders.

Rarely had a problem with sticking as I used the gun for hunting small game and never fired more than about 2 cylinders full while sighting in/practicing.

Neat concept but misunderstood....

Bob

Great info. Thanks!
I put two cylinders through it and had a bad hang up that still isn't out of the chamber.
Loved shooting the jets, and I have 138 rounds left that may get fired over the period of 15 years but I'll see how it's looking if I do anymore.
I'll most likely just shoot 22 LR through it but those jets were a great experience.

 

[BC38]

Use NO FACTORY AMMO! S&W wanted Remington to design a load that would send a 40gr bullet out the end of the barrel at 2400FPS! This is what you will end up with, and it starts with the first 100rs!!

I reload all my jet ammo and don't use any max loads in the books! This helps with sticking brass and erosion. I deprime my fire brass first, then tumble the brass using a tablespoon of NU-Shine car wax in the tumbler, and tumble over night. This leaves the brass very shiny and slippery from the wax. When I resize the brass I use a little spray lube in and on the necks. This process will produce a round that is very clean and requires no extra cleaning before firing! The only other advice I have, has been stated above, keep the cylinders very clean! I have never shot a Jet with the inserts, a model 17 is much easier and simpler!
jcelect

Thanks for sharing these photos of forcing cone erosion in the M53. I understand that this is a known issue with this particular revolver that can develop after only a couple of boxes of factory ammo - due to the hot powder loads behind small, light bullets in factory loaded ammo.

One question that comes to my mind. What is the ultimate negative effect this kind of forcing cone erosion in a M53 revolver?

I know that in the K-frame 357 magnums (like the Model 19) this kind of erosion can and does (occasionally) result in a cracked forcing cone and a revolver that may be unsafe to shoot.

HOWEVER, given the thickness of the barrel extension around the forcing cone on a Model 53, is that even an issue? Due to the small diameter of the .222 bore - is there a significant risk of forcing cone erosion resulting in a forcing cone crack? That seems unlikely to me.

And if a forcing cone crack is unlikely, then what is the major issue to be concerned about? Obviously collectors would prefer a non-eroded forcing cone over one that shows erosion, but other than that, what is the major concern?

Seems to me that an eroded forcing cone on a M53 Jet is much less of an issue than an eroded forcing cone on one of the big-bore K-frames that are so "Internet notorious" for forcing cone erosion causing a barrel crack.

Forgive my ignorance if there is something I am missing here. Please feel free to "school" me - I'm still learning....

 

[BC38]

Problem with the .22 Jet is it was made to hunt with not target shoot/plinking... The gun/cartridge was brought out just as handgun hunting was starting to get big... Sight the gun in, hunt, clean and put away...just like most people did with a big game hunting rifle.

Bought a 6" first year of production 4-screw used but hardly shot in 1974. According to my reloading log there was well over a 1000 rounds of reloads through it...very few factory rounds, no more than 2-3 boxes. There was still nothing left of the forcing cone... Lucked out and found a correct period barrel and had a local Smith smith switch them out...not one round of Jet ammo ever went down that tube.... The gun had a complete second Rimfire cylinder that was always used as it was my only rimfire handgun from 1974 till the early 1990s...

A few years ago I sent the gun, original burned out barrel and Rimfire cylinder to Jack Huntington who rebored/rechambered it to .327 Federal...gun gets a lot more use now. It can still be converted back to Jet with the original cylinder and second barrel...

Besides keeping the cylinder clean and dry, polishing each chamber with a fine polishing compound like Flitz helps a great deal. S&W has never been known for overly smooth chambers. Helps also in .22 LR and Magnum cylinders.

Rarely had a problem with sticking as I used the gun for hunting small game and never fired more than about 2 cylinders full while sighting in/practicing.

Neat concept but misunderstood....

Bob

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Would you have any pictures you can post of the
original "burned out" barrel of your M53?

What kind of issues did you have with the the damaged forcing cone of the original barrel? Did it cause serious accuracy issues? Was it shaving lead?

Please share as much information as you can.

 

[steelslaver]

It is easy for a GOOD smith to remove the barrel turn the shoulder back enough for a couple turns, trim .5555 off the face and recut the forcing cone.

Mine came to me a bit corroded and that is what I did.