My Browning Target Pistol is Frozen

[FryGuy2086]

I have an old .22 browning target pistol I was given by my grandfather. The gun appears clean from the outside with no signs of rust, but the slide is frozen in place. I have tride Liquid Wrench and other penetrating oils to no avail. I am worried about putting the gun in a vice and applying some real pressure as I don't want to damage the gun. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[Harry Bonar]

Sir:
Don't know what model it is? Make sure it's not loaded and the safety isn't on!
Is the slide stuck shut, or open part way - welcome to the Forum!
Harry B.

[Unclenick]

FryGuy2086,

Handle this gun carefully, since you have no easy way to check for a round in the chamber? Keep that muzzle pointed only at things you are OK with seeing accidentally destroyed. As Harry suggests, look for a safety that locks the slide closed. If there isn't one, remove the magazine, unscrew and remove the grip panels, then submerge the metal in mineral spirits for a couple of weeks, then see if it will move? If not, you are better off taking it to a gunsmith.

Nick

[bswiv]

I'm not a gunsmith but have read with intrest many of the postings from the knowledgables on this forum.

HEED their warnings!!! Be safe!!! If you can't prove it is unloaded assume it IS loaded!!!

[FryGuy2086]

I haven't been home to check the model number yet. It it frozen shut and there is not a safety locking it shut. I will remove the grips and try soaking it while assuming that it is loaded. If that does not work I'll take it to the gunsmith. Thanks for the advice and please let me know if anyone has any other suggestions before I take it in.

-Jonathan

[Hawg]

Soak it in kerosene for about a month. If it's loaded the kero will soak into the loads and they'll be inert. If straight soaking doesn't free it try lightly tapping with a wood hammer handle. I freed a 92 Winchester that was buried for no telling how many years this way.

[James K]

If you can see the rear of the barrel, try inserting a small diameter wood dowel rod into the barrel and measure to see if it reaches the back of the barrel. If it does, you will know there is no round in the chamber. If there is, treat the gun as loaded and use great care in doing anything else.

If there is nothing in the chamber, then try cutting the dowel to about 1/2 inch longer than the barrel and tap it with a light hammer. That might drive the slide open if it is held only by old grease.

Jim

[4V50 Gary]

Ditto everyone above. If the barrel is round, find a piece of hardwood and drill it to the diameter of the barrel. Then band saw it in half. What you've just made are barrel blocks. Place the unloaded gun with the barrel into the blocks and then you may safely place it into a vise. That'll hold the gun while you tap on it with a wood or plastic mallet.

[T. O'Heir]

"...they'll be inert..." And soaked in a flammable liquid. DON'T use kerosene on firearms.
Does the slide wiggle at all?

[Alleykat]

Most liquids used on firearms are flammable! :)

[James K]

I have found G96 Gun Treatment to be a good penetrant for freeing up dirty and rusty parts. The two main enemies of such guns are a big hammer and impatience. The combination has ruined a lot of guns that only needed cleaning.

Jim

[DnPRK]

I would bet the previous owner cleaned and lubed using WD40. Once the WD40 carrier evaporates, the gun was effectively glued shut by the residual varnish. A guy I worked with had a loaded Colt Cobra that was glued solid by WD40. I got it open after removing the grips, hosing it down with carburetor cleaner and letting it sit overnight.

[Hawg]

they'll be inert..." And soaked in a flammable liquid. DON'T use kerosene on firearms.

If it's inert what difference does it make if it's soaked in a flammable liquid? The primer will be soaked also and won't fire. As far as using flammable liquid on guns, strike a lighter and spray Remoil across the flame and see what happens. Kerosene is the best thing to use for freeing up rusted parts. What do you think the main active ingredient in WD-40 is? Kerosene will leech through a galvanized bucket given enough time and once it does it won't hold kero anymore but it will still hold gasoline.

[James K]

Hawg, don't bet anything important, like your life, on oil or penetrant killing a primer or smokeless powder. Modern cartridges are well sealed and can fire after long submersion in water, oil, penetrant, etc. Most primers are sealed internally, and again even long soaking in oil or water will not deaden them. As to fire, fire is about guaranteed to set off primer and powder, even if they are totally soaked in oil.

Jim

[Unclenick]

Agree that soaking is not guaranteed to render ammo inert. That is a dangerous assumption. In a thread on another forum some folks tried various soaking liquids to try to find something that consistently rendered loaded centerfire ammo inert. They never found anything that worked. .22's are not usually so "tight" in their cases, but that is variable. so you can't count on it.

Lots of commercial cleaners break up rust and gum well. If the gun has no plastic parts, mixing up a batch of Ed's Red (http://home.comcast.net/~dsmjd/tux/dsmjd/tech/eds_red.htm) will work better than most, since it contains both polar and non-polar solvents.

[James K]

Well, just for fun, I took a large pistol primer, and removed the anvil. (Yes, I know, it's dangerous and don't try this at home!)

Then I sprayed the inside with WD-40 and G96 Gun Treatment, and put in a drop of kerosene. Left the mess sit for 24 hours. Drained it, replaced the anvil, loaded the primer into a cartridge case (.45 ACP). Meanwhile I put a charge of Unique in a cup, sprayed and soaked, using the same items. After the same 24 hours, I drained the liquid off, loaded the oily powder in the same case as the "treated" primer, and followed up with a lead RN bullet. Into the gun, pull the trigger and...BANG! The noise seemed a bit weak, but the bullet went on its way.

Maybe some primers/powder would have been deadened, so I can't say absolutely that they won't be. Maybe other solvents or substances would do so every time. And I certainly don't advise spraying penetrant around live rounds that your neck may depend on. But as for spraying or soaking a loaded gun and then declaring it safe, myth busted.

Jim