An Unpleasant Surprise

AzShooter · December 15, 2021, 07:31 PM

Not once but twice today my Walther 1911 22 fired out of battery.

Good think I always wear safety glasses. Loud report and smoke all over my hand but no other damage. I think I need a heavier recoil spring so I ordered a few of different weights.

**4V50 Gary** · December 15, 2021, 07:39 PM

Slamfire? Does the striker stick out or something? Protrusions on the breech face?

AzShooter · December 15, 2021, 07:55 PM

Didn't appear to be a slamfire,it happened after I pulled the trigger.

Bill DeShivs · December 15, 2021, 08:26 PM

Clean the chamber and breech face.

**4V50 Gary** · December 15, 2021, 09:45 PM

What Bill suggests. Bet they're not chambering because of a buildup of fouling.

AzShooter · December 15, 2021, 09:59 PM

I gave it a good cleaning when I got home. I'll try it again next week. Thanks for the advice.

**4V50 Gary** · December 15, 2021, 10:03 PM

Is there a ring in the chamber that would prevent the cartridge from seating fully?

Do you have 22 dummy rounds you can do a function test with.

AzShooter · December 15, 2021, 11:17 PM

The chamber has been brushed real well and there is no ring. I don't have any dummy .22 rounds to play with at this time. I will buy some.

**4V50 Gary** · December 16, 2021, 10:35 AM

Good. Function test to see if when fed from the magazine that the slide locks up.

stagpanther · December 16, 2021, 03:59 PM

I don't know about your pistol, but I have played around with barrels on 22 rifles, what I've noticed is that 22lr is exceedingly sensitive to proper head-spacing, I've had a few cases separate at above the rim that looked a lot like yours'. Sometimes even very slight variations in the case OD can result in that. 22lr is also notorious for leave-behind unburnt powder residue in pistols.

**4V50 Gary** · December 17, 2021, 12:59 PM

Yep and that's why go and no go gauges are so helpful. Copper Chore-boy wrapped around an old brush helps to clean up the residue.

pete2 · December 17, 2021, 01:10 PM

My guess is it fired out of battery due to dirty chamber. Some ammo is pretty dirty, may need to clean the chamber more often.

**44 AMP** · December 19, 2021, 02:56 PM

My first guess would be residue from firing built up on the barrel, preventing the round from being in contact with the barrel steel. (fully chambered).
The action was still able to close enough to allow firing, but with the case not fully flush against the barrel it blew out the small gap.

This could easiiy result in the ruptured case looking like the gap was larger than it was due to the gas pressure opening the action a little during the blowout.

OR it might have been a couple of bad rounds. Unlikely to get more than one at a time, though.

I once had a Remington round blow out of the rim, in my 10/22. Not just ahead but acutally out of the rim itself. Case body (with no rim at all) was left in the chamber, found a disc of brass in the action (the rear face of the rim) and the extractor went bye-bye into the weeds.

Bad round, obviously. Only happened the one time, of of the tens of thousands of rounds I've fired from that gun.

Clean the breechface and the rear face of the barrel specifically and everything else in general and try again.

If it happens again, you've got a gun problem that needs to be investigated and repaired.

December 15, 2021, 07:39 PM	#2
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,838	Slamfire? Does the striker stick out or something? Protrusions on the breech face? __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

December 15, 2021, 08:26 PM	#4
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,985	Clean the chamber and breech face. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

December 15, 2021, 09:45 PM	#5
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,838	What Bill suggests. Bet they're not chambering because of a buildup of fouling. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

December 15, 2021, 10:03 PM	#7
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,838	Is there a ring in the chamber that would prevent the cartridge from seating fully? Do you have 22 dummy rounds you can do a function test with. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

December 16, 2021, 10:35 AM	#9
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,838	Good. Function test to see if when fed from the magazine that the slide locks up. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

December 15, 2021, 07:55 PM	#3
AzShooter Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2006 Location: Surprise, Az. Posts: 766	Didn't appear to be a slamfire,it happened after I pulled the trigger.

December 15, 2021, 09:59 PM	#6
AzShooter Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2006 Location: Surprise, Az. Posts: 766	I gave it a good cleaning when I got home. I'll try it again next week. Thanks for the advice.

December 15, 2021, 11:17 PM	#8
AzShooter Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2006 Location: Surprise, Az. Posts: 766	The chamber has been brushed real well and there is no ring. I don't have any dummy .22 rounds to play with at this time. I will buy some.

December 16, 2021, 03:59 PM	#10
stagpanther Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2014 Posts: 11,789	I don't know about your pistol, but I have played around with barrels on 22 rifles, what I've noticed is that 22lr is exceedingly sensitive to proper head-spacing, I've had a few cases separate at above the rim that looked a lot like yours'. Sometimes even very slight variations in the case OD can result in that. 22lr is also notorious for leave-behind unburnt powder residue in pistols. __________________ "Everyone speaks gun."--Robert O'Neill *I am NOT an expert--I do not have any formal experience or certification in firearms use or testing; use any information I post at your own risk!*

December 17, 2021, 12:59 PM	#11
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,838	Yep and that's why go and no go gauges are so helpful. Copper Chore-boy wrapped around an old brush helps to clean up the residue. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

December 17, 2021, 01:10 PM	#12
pete2 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 2,566	My guess is it fired out of battery due to dirty chamber. Some ammo is pretty dirty, may need to clean the chamber more often.

December 19, 2021, 02:56 PM	#13
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,835	My first guess would be residue from firing built up on the barrel, preventing the round from being in contact with the barrel steel. (fully chambered). The action was still able to close enough to allow firing, but with the case not fully flush against the barrel it blew out the small gap. This could easiiy result in the ruptured case looking like the gap was larger than it was due to the gas pressure opening the action a little during the blowout. OR it might have been a couple of bad rounds. Unlikely to get more than one at a time, though. I once had a Remington round blow out of the rim, in my 10/22. Not just ahead but acutally out of the rim itself. Case body (with no rim at all) was left in the chamber, found a disc of brass in the action (the rear face of the rim) and the extractor went bye-bye into the weeds. Bad round, obviously. Only happened the one time, of of the tens of thousands of rounds I've fired from that gun. Clean the breechface and the rear face of the barrel specifically and everything else in general and try again. If it happens again, you've got a gun problem that needs to be investigated and repaired. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.