Midway usa's shocking indifference to customer

[MOA]

Well, I was really looking forward to casting up and shooting my two new arrivals. A Remington, and a Husqvarna rolling blocks in 12,7x44R.

I DO NOT KNOW IF I WILL EVER SHOOT THEM NOW BECAUSE THE ALLOY FOR CHAMBER CASTING FROM MIDWAY WILL NOT RELEASE FROM CHAMBERS.

BOTH RIFLES ARE NOW USELESS.

Called Midway when first rifle would not release after 15 minutes, and second one would not release after 10 minutes. No answers except to wait an hour an try again.........still stuck after a hour, was told, sorry, maybe I should go to a gunsmith, sorry, we have no gunsmith or any technical help here we just sell stuff, product department thought maybe boiling water might help loosen alloy, but no instruction as to how to go about using boiling water.

So maybe a heads up for anyone else who is thinking about using Midways product. Enjoy my pictures. That's a 1/4 " solid aluminum rod. And even with a sledge hammer I use on firewood would not free the alloy after one hour. The rod now has a nice nail head look to it.




The official response.

[eric123]

Did you try removing the stocks and submerging in a large pot of boiling water?

[Omega]

You are supposed to remove the cast in about 2 to 4 minutes from pouring. It will begin expanding after a few minutes (it contracts first) and in 1.5 hours it is the size of your bore. You will have to remelt it at least part ways. Use a soldering iron to melt it out, or a small torch but be careful not to overheat the chamber.

Here is what I did yesterday with four barrels: I sprayed mold release into the chamber, just a dusting, you can use a light coat of sprue plate lube. I plugged the barrel with an aluminum check, smooth side toward the end of the barrel. I melted the cerrosafe and poured it into the chamber, waited about two or three minutes and used an aluminum rod to pound it out, just a few light taps did it. I did have one in which I poured wider than the locking lugs so had to remelt it a bit, but it melts quickly in a direct flame.

[ShooterAZ]

Boiling water (212* at sea level) is above the melt temp of cerrosafe (approx 190*). Removing the stocks and immersing the barrel "might" just work to soften it up enough to remove it. I'd try that first before going to more drastic measures.

[Warhead]

Take a minute to chill out, and have a beer. I've been there and dun that already, and its really easy to fix!

Take the wood off of the gun, and with the gun in a vice up side down and muzzle pointed the the ceiling at about a 40 degree angle gently heat the chamber with a torch and it'll fall right out!

[Walter Laich]

I was thinking one of those really hot heat guns might do the trick. Not a hair heat gun but one that gets seriously hot

[thegatman]

Thanks for the heads up. It seems lots of good advice too.

[Bent Ramrod]

Boil water in a whistling tea kettle, take off the wood and as much of the metal parts that you can, and hold the receiver/barrel in the steam. Have somebody pushing on a cleaning rod in the bore until what's left of the casting pushes out. Shake out the molten drops and wipe the chamber with an oily rag. Melt the Cerrosafe again, put the cleaning rod with a patch into the muzzle up to the leade, warm the receiver and chamber and pour the casting. As soon as that casting frosts over in the center, tap or push it out of the chamber with the cleaning rod. Let it cool and expand outside the chamber for measurement. The reason that Cerrisafe makes for such accurate measurements is that it doesn't shrink after cooling, like most alloys. As you've found out, this is not an unalloyed advantage. (*Rim-shot*)

As Harry Pope said in his catalog about all the people who got absent-minded in their loading routines and shot their false muzzles off their rifles, "Who has not done this?" If I seem to be the Voice of Experience here, there is a reason. Don't ask.

[slim1836]

Let us know how this story pans out.

Slim

[Omega]

I got my data from this article and seem to match what I measured as I did mine.
http://www.texas-mac.com/Case_Length...mpression.html

[sghart3578]

Yep, been there, done that.

Now I use a heat gun to preheat the chamber and receiver after plugging the barrel. I pour in the Cerrosafe and watch closely.

I have a rod in the bore ready to go. After the Cerrosafe frosts over I count to 10 and tap it out.

[MOA]

Well, I got one rifle done. Real pita. Stripped gun complete. Arranged over ingot tray put the heat to it. Punched out tail end of cast.





Then like a moron, I decide I will recast..........so I recast it, waited 1 minute an attempted to knock cast out. A big no go. So much for my solid 1/4 rod.



So, FORGET IT. THESE SUCKERS WILL NOT BE CHAMBER CAST. I WILL FIND ANOTHER WAY TO SEE IF THEY SHOOT. IF THEY DON'T THEN I WILL REBARREL. I'VE MOVED ON FROM THIS ****.

Will fix rifle #2 tomorrow. Will never, ever, ever, spend a dime with Midway as long as I draw breath. I would rather pay twice the price somewhere else, or do without, period.

[ascast]

sorry to hear all that--I liked the beer part - by any chance you have pits in there?

[Boolit_Head]

Maybe these instructions would help.

[Omega]

Did you lube the chamber, and made sure the sprue was not too wide?

[Fluxed]

Maybe you can ask Larry to come over and cast it for you. He seemed to be pretty good at it in the video posted above.

[edctexas]

The other thing to watch is that you fill the chamber too full. i.e. you get the cerrosafe into a locking lug depression or the like. The heat guns used for shrinking tubing will work for getting out the stuck metal.

The advice of something as a mold release is good. Once you have done it, you'll wonder why anyone would have a problem. If you keep the castings, you can measure them after they expand and still find the true measurement. If you foul up you will hate it. There are other alloys used, but cerrosafe is the easiest and best.

Ed C

[MOA]

Did you lube the chamber, and made sure the sprue was not too wide?

Yes, spray lubed the chamber. If you looked at the first set of images, you would have noticed that I did not quite fill them up to the top. My interest in the casting was the leade and size of free bore if any. I watch Larry's video before I ordered the chamber casting material. I will say this......the product is not cerrosafe. Cerrosafe the real deal usually is a ingot and it has their product name on it, I don't know what this stuff noway is selling be I doubt it is cerrosafe even if they use they name in their product description. I do wonder if the makers of cerrosafe are selling their product to noway. Maybe I'll call them next week an see if they do business with noway. But I digress. I followed all the steps and procedures shown in the video. The second time less then 2 minute before I tried to get it out. Still a no go. Will not be doing chambers casts on these, they either shoot or they will be rebarreled. Period.

[MOA]

Maybe you can ask Larry to come over and cast it for you. He seemed to be pretty good at it in the video posted above.

Larry can put it where the sun don't shine.

[MOA]

The other thing to watch is that you fill the chamber too full. i.e. you get the cerrosafe into a locking lug depression or the like. The heat guns used for shrinking tubing will work for getting out the stuck metal.

The advice of something as a mold release is good. Once you have done it, you'll wonder why anyone would have a problem. If you keep the castings, you can measure them after they expand and still find the true measurement. If you foul up you will hate it. There are other alloys used, but cerrosafe is the easiest and best.

Ed C

Geeeezzzzzz, rollers don't have no locking lugs. Chambers were not filled to the top. Review initial post images. Enlarge if you need a closer and clearer image. The fullest pour was still .1670 below the rim recess. The second rifle had a 1/4" below rim recess. The pour, or the amount, or the lube, or the elapsed time is not the issue.