doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT Auto-5 problem

At a Boy Scout shooting activity last weekend, I was showing a scout how to load my 20 gauge Auto-5 (war years, Remington made) with an empty hull, while we were on the trap line. He was a newby and I wanted to show him how not to get his fingers trimmed when closing the action on a shell.
Anyway, the shell went in fine, but we couldn't, and still can't pull the bolt back and eject the empty. We removed the barrel, pushed back on the barrel and when the NRA instructor who was assisting me suggested he hold the gun while I stomped on the ejector handle, I cried "uncle" and just cased the gun.
Any ideas on how tackle this gun that feels welded shut?

There aren't a lot of gunsmith options in this area of northern California. Of course I will take it in if need be, but if you've got some tips, I am listening.

Thanks, Lou M

autoloaders don't have much camming power to remove a tight hull and even worse you don't have much leverage with that bolt handle. stomping on the handle is a bit overkill but you might try putting the gun up next to a wooden workbench and catching the bolt handle on the edge and shoving the gun forward. chambering unresized empties is sometimes a problem.

roger

Fastest way is dowell rod and mallet hitting inside of case.Best way now is to probably take it apart.You try first tapping lightly on the bolt handle pushing it forward and then try back again.It just happens and ussaly when a round is not chambered under full power.

Take the barrel off, drop a wooden dowell down the muzzle and whack with a mallet. I'd not go stomping on the bolt handle.

Operating the bolt handle carefully with the foot is the accepted method of removing a stuck empty shell from an autoloading shotgun.

I'm with rocketman here. I've done this numerous times while doing duty as a Range Officer*. This same technique will also work with rifles and pistols.
*That's what a range rod is for.
Jim

In rereading the poster's description of the problem, I get the idea that when he "took the barrel off", the shell remained attached to the bolt and extractor. He indicates that he took the barrel off but "still can't get the bolt to retract". That's not a tight shell problem, it's a problem with the action of the gun.

Thanks to all who offered advise. I will try the dowel, but me thinks that I might have what eightbore suggests, a bigger problem with the action.
Gunsmiths in central to northern Calif. you'd trust with a nice Auto-5?
Lou M

question: did you take the barrel off the gun or not? the way i read the original post, the bolt and barrel were locked together because the empty was stuck. if the barrel is OFF the gun and the bolt won't retract then the problem has nothing to do with a stuck empty and a dowel won't do a thing.

if the bolt and barrel are locked together by the empty, they're not really that stuck. you just can't get enough leverage with your hand to pull the empty out. it might come unstuck just from the recoil spring tension alone if you take the f/e off and pull the bolt handle back as far as it will go so the bolt is disengaged from the barrel hood.

but the first thing to do is clarify exactly what you meant by the cited phrase.

roger

Remember you have to go against the hammer spring pressure so it feels stuck worst than it is probably.Many times when slow feeding the extractor does not engage the case correctly and jams the works up.Better to hit a dowell with a hammer than the plastic case or metal