Cheap fix for tight chambers....

[woad_yurt]

I don't know if this has been said in this particular forum already but another thread about someone's Norinco 213 in the semi-auto forum inspired me to post my response here, too, so more may benefit. It seems that this problem may be more common with Com Bloc weapons but the process will work in any chamber:

You said that the casing gets stuck in the chamber. How tight is the chamber?

I had the same problem in two pistols, a Mod. 213 (like yours) and a CZ 52. In both, a shell would sometimes get stuck tightly in the chamber and it always took a lot of work to unjam them when it happened. With the 213, it was a regularly recurring issue with different brands of 9MM. Of my two CZ52s, only one gave me this problem and then only with Rumanian surplus ammo. It worked fine with all other ammo but, since I had bought quite a few spam cans' full, I figured it'd be best to re-work the chamber rather than limiting myself and the gun to shooting only expensive, newly made commercial ammo.

Anyway, I took an empty shell and drilled out the primer hole a bit so I could pass a long, thin screw screw through, leaving the head inside the case. I then put a nut on it to keep it from slipping, giving me a perfect mandrel. I coated the shell with some finely abrasive valve lapping compound and spun it in the chambers with a drill. After doing that, they've been flawless performers. The CZ52, btw, still cycles any and all other ammo perfectly.

I saved the cases that stuck the tightest to use as a gauge. I merely lapped the chamber until they fit nicely.

Note: Spend the extra five cents on the nut and screw and specify grade 8; grade 8 is much stiffer and will let you use a bit more pressure. A lock washer under the screw head keeps it from loosening while in use. Most importantly, use a very fine grit, go gradually and check often. One shouldn't remove too much or you may create other issues.

[James K]

The cause of that problem is soft cases, which expand into tool marks in the chamber and then can't be extracted. The solution of polishing the chamber (you can also use 600 grit or finer emery paper on a slit dowel rod) is fine if changing ammo is not practical.

Jim