Lee PrecisionWidenersReloading EverythingLoad Data
Titan ReloadingRotoMetals2RepackboxMidSouth Shooters Supply
Inline Fabrication
Results 1 to 16 of 16

Thread: Stevens Favorite sticky chamber

  1. #1
    Boolit Master


    foesgth's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Tustin, CA
    Posts
    516

    Stevens Favorite sticky chamber

    I have a Stevens Favorite (1915) with a sticky chamber. I have used a chamber iron on it and the upper part of the chamber looks clean. If I shoot shorts they pop right out, no problem. When I shoot long rifle ammo it sticks. I have tried several different standard velocity rounds along with CCI quiets and some Super Colibri. The hotter the round the harder it is to get out. When I get the brass out I don't see any marks like there is a burr.

    Besides the chamber iron I have chucked a 223 brass brush in a drill and cleaned the chamber with Simple Green, CLP, and Kroil(not all at the same time). I am unable to locate a chamber hone for 22lr. Oh great wise Castbooits gurus help me. This rifle is fun to shoot, but, I am tired of carrying needle nose in my pocket.
    Remember the Law of Probability - The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    Scrounge's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    OKC Metro
    Posts
    1,433
    Does it have a functional extractor? I've got an 1874 Favorite that shoots .22 shorts fine, and .22 LR rounds also shoot fine but are harder to get out. On mine the extractor is broken. The shorts fall out, the LR has be be dug out. I have a new extractor from Wisner's that needs fitted. It may be that the chamber is just a bit short. The easy answer would be to just shoot the shorts in it. Have you done a chamber cast? That would tell you what's what. I bought a couple of pounds of Wood's Metal, an alloy that melts at 158 degrees F to make my casts, but I've read of people using melted flowers of sulfur, too. Not sure where you'd get those, today. Garden shop maybe. Apparently also at pet shops and stock feed stores. Got the Wood's Metal from RotoMetals. It's about $10 a pound, plus shipping.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master


    foesgth's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Tustin, CA
    Posts
    516
    Yes, it has an extractor. The extractor pulls the LR cases out enough to grab but I cannot pull them out by hand. After using the chamber iron the shorts pop out by themselves. Shooting shorts is an option. The problem with that is I live in a communist utopia(California). Most of the LGS only have one or maybe two boxes of shorts. To buy ammo I have to pay for and have a background check. Back when this was part of the U.S.A. I would have ordered a case of shorts and had fun!

    This rifle, like most 100+ year old ones has a rough chamber. I am thinking of drilling a hole in a piece of shot brass and inserting a small screw. I could then coat it with some abrasive and spin it in the chamber. I think if the chamber were a bit smoother the brass would come out.
    Remember the Law of Probability - The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
    Scrounge's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    OKC Metro
    Posts
    1,433
    Quote Originally Posted by foesgth View Post
    Yes, it has an extractor. The extractor pulls the LR cases out enough to grab but I cannot pull them out by hand. After using the chamber iron the shorts pop out by themselves. Shooting shorts is an option. The problem with that is I live in a communist utopia(California). Most of the LGS only have one or maybe two boxes of shorts. To buy ammo I have to pay for and have a background check. Back when this was part of the U.S.A. I would have ordered a case of shorts and had fun!

    This rifle, like most 100+ year old ones has a rough chamber. I am thinking of drilling a hole in a piece of shot brass and inserting a small screw. I could then coat it with some abrasive and spin it in the chamber. I think if the chamber were a bit smoother the brass would come out.
    That could work. If you use something like jewelers rouge, or white rouge, they're fine enough that it would be hard to overdo it. Home Depot had small polishing compound kits: https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-Co...CP11/205642360 this one the buffs look too big, but the tiny tubes of polishing compound look too small. They do have bigger bars, or you could use something like Bon Ami cleanser. I think Clover fine valve grinding compound would be too coarse.

    Your telling me about the ammo problem makes me SO glad I left, and didn't go back. Though it still irrigates me that they are so freaking totalitarian. Preventing crap like that was what I thought I was doing for the 24 years I was in the USAF.

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Cecilia, Kentucky
    Posts
    6,715
    What I'd do, is take some 1000 grit paper and sticky it to a skewer and sand the chamber with a back and forth motion. I'd do it with lube, and minimally. Youd have to focus on each quadrant the same amount.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master uscra112's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Switzerland of Ohio
    Posts
    6,314
    If the little gun has been used with shorts for any length of time, there will be a hard, hard ring of primer residue where the short case ends. Look at your extracted LR cases; you'll see a lot of scratches toward the mouth where the empty case was dragged across this ring. Very hard to get the ring out, as solvents barely touch it. Ed's Red with adequate acetone is best, but it takes some soaking. I've resorted to a .225 chucking reamer on occasion.

    I've found one old .22 single shot with a rust ring at the same place. Nothing you can do for that but set the barrel back and rechamber. And quit using shorts!
    Cognitive Dissident

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
    Scrounge's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    OKC Metro
    Posts
    1,433
    Quote Originally Posted by uscra112 View Post
    If the little gun has been used with shorts for any length of time, there will be a hard, hard ring of primer residue where the short case ends. Look at your extracted LR cases; you'll see a lot of scratches toward the mouth where the empty case was dragged across this ring. Very hard to get the ring out, as solvents barely touch it. Ed's Red with adequate acetone is best, but it takes some soaking. I've resorted to a .225 chucking reamer on occasion.

    I've found one old .22 single shot with a rust ring at the same place. Nothing you can do for that but set the barrel back and rechamber. And quit using shorts!
    I'll have to look at that myself. Mine is as much as 136 years old, and I know it's had a LOT of shorts and CB & BB caps run through it. My dad got it when he was 13, so probably 1950. I learned to shoot with it.

    Thanks!

    Bill

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Cecilia, Kentucky
    Posts
    6,715
    If it is just a carbon ring then you should be able to remove it with a 22 or case that's belled to scrape the chamber walls. Tap it in with a brass punch and out with a cleaning rod. Then a bore brush in a drill and solvent should suffice. But since you've power scrubbed the chamber already I'll bet it's a few flakes of rust.

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master uscra112's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Switzerland of Ohio
    Posts
    6,314
    Quote Originally Posted by Scrounge View Post
    I'll have to look at that myself. Mine is as much as 136 years old, and I know it's had a LOT of shorts and CB & BB caps run through it. My dad got it when he was 13, so probably 1950. I learned to shoot with it.

    Thanks!

    Bill
    Favorites are hard to date. But the first 2-3 years after the 1894 model was introduced (in 1894, duh), they had real serial numbers, up to five digits. Sometime around 1897 (we think) they hit #99999, and instead of adding a sixth digit they started using a code with one letter followed by three digits. There is no rhyme or reason to the codes, so we can't date them that way. Features didn't change, either. So all we can say is that they are between 123 and 105 years old if they're the 1894 style with the codes. If you've got one with a serial number, it's a treasure - they don't show up very often.

    BTW the Favorite is a very easy barrel to reline, so that's a "final solution" if the chamber is unrecoverable. It spoils the originality, but I've made replacement barrels for them out of cast-off Marlin Model 60 barrels, which you can buy for as little as $60 on Gunbroker.
    Cognitive Dissident

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master pietro's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    New England
    Posts
    5,253
    Quote Originally Posted by uscra112 View Post

    If the little gun has been used with shorts for any length of time, there will be a hard, hard ring of primer residue where the short case ends.

    Look at your extracted LR cases; you'll see a lot of scratches toward the mouth where the empty case was dragged across this ring.

    Very hard to get the ring out, as solvents barely touch it.
    Ed's Red with adequate acetone is best, but it takes some soaking.
    I've resorted to a .225 chucking reamer on occasion.

    I've found one old .22 single shot with a rust ring at the same place - Nothing you can do for that but set the barrel back and rechamber.

    And quit using shorts!

    While this is the God's honest truth, as an alternative you can also use the EASY button and forego using LR ammo in it, in favor of limiting it's diet to .22S only.

    .
    Now I lay me down to sleep
    A gun beside me is what I keep
    If I awake, and you're inside
    The coroner's van is your next ride

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
    Bent Ramrod's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Southern Arizona
    Posts
    4,284
    If the front of your fired shells are a few thousandths larger in diameter than the rear, there might be a little chamber erosion ahead of where the short case mouth ends. If it is slight enough, you may be able to lap the chamber.

    Solder a few of your fired LR cases to the heads of a few long nails, coat with Clover compound and turn the case in the chamber with a hand drill, slowly, for maybe a minute. Push and pull the lap in and out as the drill rotates. Clean the barrel and chamber well, reassemble and fire a shot or two to see if extraction improves. You can try a fresh case/nail lap and continue until either you can pull the extracted shell out with your fingers or it becomes obvious that lapping isn’t helping.

    In the latter case, a chamber sleeve or a liner is indicated.

    I was gifted a couple rifles in .22 Short, and have to say that generally there is more .17 HMR on the gun store shelves than .22 Shorts. They seem to be going the way of the .22 Long.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
    NoZombies's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    N. Florida
    Posts
    2,493
    I've used a resharpened .22 LR reamer to remove carbon rings in the past with good results. I start with the (slightly smaller than standard) resharpened reamer because my goal is to keep from enlarging the chamber unnecessarily. If the resharpened reamer won't get it all, I can always use a standard LR reamer afterward.

    7/32 laps can also be had, and I've used them on rough chambers but never specifically for a carbon ring, though I can't see why it wouldn't work. Depth control is important with the laps, so make sure to use either a stop or at least use some tape to create a visual stopping point.
    Nozombies.com Practical Zombie Survival

    Collecting .32 molds. Please let me know if you have one you don't need, cause I might "need" it!

  13. #13
    Boolit Master


    foesgth's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Tustin, CA
    Posts
    516
    Quote Originally Posted by Bent Ramrod View Post
    If the front of your fired shells are a few thousandths larger in diameter than the rear, there might be a little chamber erosion ahead of where the short case mouth ends. If it is slight enough, you may be able to lap the chamber.

    Solder a few of your fired LR cases to the heads of a few long nails, coat with Clover compound and turn the case in the chamber with a hand drill, slowly, for maybe a minute. Push and pull the lap in and out as the drill rotates. Clean the barrel and chamber well, reassemble and fire a shot or two to see if extraction improves. You can try a fresh case/nail lap and continue until either you can pull the extracted shell out with your fingers or it becomes obvious that lapping isn’t helping.

    In the latter case, a chamber sleeve or a liner is indicated.

    I was gifted a couple rifles in .22 Short, and have to say that generally there is more .17 HMR on the gun store shelves than .22 Shorts. They seem to be going the way of the .22 Long.
    I just check a couple of the fired cases with a micrometer. Like me they are fatter in the rear. I examined one of the cases with a 20x magnifier and there seems to be a ring of scratches about 1/3 of the way down. I am going to build a "case spinner" and try some clover compound.
    I don't know why I like this old rifle so much but it is just a hoot to shoot the stupid thing.
    Remember the Law of Probability - The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master uscra112's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Switzerland of Ohio
    Posts
    6,314
    If it's just a ring on the case, you've got a rust ring in the chamber. The case is expanding into it which makes it drag on the way out.

    A borescope would be mighty handy about now.
    Cognitive Dissident

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master
    Mk42gunner's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Butler, MO
    Posts
    9,021
    The curse of an old .22- shot for years with BP, then when smokeless but still corrosive primed shells came out, people thought they didn't need cleaning.

    I bet there is corrosion just in front of a Short case in the chamber. Not real bad, you can still get the LR case out and the Shorts don't hang up.

    In one of the Gunsmith's Kinks books from Brownell's there was a fix for eroded chamber .22's, sorry I don't remember which volume.

    I have a Remington Model 12 with this affliction, only worse. Shorts will extract with a strong pull on the foreend, but LR's are next to impossible without a rod down the barrel. Its a shame the rifle is still accurate, but basically unusable right now.

    Robert

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master uscra112's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Switzerland of Ohio
    Posts
    6,314
    Smokeless powder with corrosive priming killed millions of low-end .22s. And quite a few expensive target .22s, too.

    On another thread there's a discussion about a pitted chamber in a .50-70 rifle. One fix suggested is to fill the pit with epoxy. JB Weld to be specific. Getting the metal clean enough for the epoxy to bond is the big sticking point. A solvent wash, even with acetone, isn't going to do it. Boiling water and TSP ought to work.
    Last edited by uscra112; 06-28-2020 at 10:42 AM.
    Cognitive Dissident

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check