Ithaca 37 problem

[Andy]

Looking for advice on a tricky situation. I have an 37 featherlight in the shop, and the breech block/slide is not coming out of the action by the normal method. Here is a link to a schematic so we can use the same part terms/refer to the same diagram:

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-man...ts-list-ith-37

With the shotgun inverted (loading gate up) the "slide pin" part 15 must be slid against spring pressure to the left, doing so slides the slide pin out of the hole in the action bar. The action bar does not have its own part # but it is the only part next to #44 (forend tube) in the diagram. The action bar then should slide freely forward, allowing the breech bolt to remove to the rear of the receiver for disassembly.

My problem is that the slide pin moves freely left and right, but when slid all the way (even extremely with two picks staggered to really push it to the spring side) to the left, the action bar will not disengage from it. It is not possible to observe what is happening in the blind hole, but I speculate that the slide pin has broken off in a jagged shape, and I am therefore moving/sliding the visible part to no impact on the broken part locking the action bar to the breech bolt.

What I've tried:
- Soaked area in kroil 4 days then:
- I have tapped the receiver while holding the presumably broken slide pin to the left, hoping to make the broken part fall out of the action bar, no luck.
- Did above with strong magnet pulling in direction you want the broken piece to move, no luck.
- Did above while applying flex pressure to accessible part of action bar to wiggle it, again no luck.
- Did above & gave short raps to bolt via brass pin, no luck, this signals to me that it is a real mechanical blockage not just gunk/rust in there.

Not really sure what to do at this point so looking for tips, maybe I'll get lucky and I'm overlooking something simple. I am not an expert on these guns so it is possible there is a basic thing I am not doing right. Happy to provide photos/more info if helpful.

Thanks in advance for any help given, I hate to turn away someone with a gun that I cannot fix but I know my limits and won't force anything or do anything weird. If I can't get it free I would be open to sending it out to a repair business that is knowledgeable on this type of situation, so open to thoughts on that as well.

Andy

[Minerat]

Have you tried to slip a thin piece of metal between the action bar and the pin to see if it is clear? Like a feeler gage.

[Andy]

Excellent idea, had not thought of that. Just did it and can't slide the feeler gauge past the hole even with pin fully retracted, so that lends further likelihood to pin being broken off across the gap.

[Andy]

Yes trigger group & all other parts have been removed from receiver.

[Petrol & Powder]

Obtain a replacement fore end tube/action bar and retaining pin. (part numbers 44 &15 ). With a Dremel tool and a cutoff wheel, carefully cut the action bar. Disassemble the action, removes the faulty parts and discard them.
Remove the wooden fore end from the fore end tube and install the new fore end tube. Replace the needed parts.
Get beer and tell yourself, "it had to be done".

[jaguarxk120]

Try flushing the area with brake clean to get rid of any oils holding the broken
piece. Then try the tapping routine again, maybe the broken piece will
fall into place.
Good luck.

[Andy]

petrol that's a great option as a last resort, I had not thought of that, that would be the least destructive method if all else fails.

I think I'll try hosing a pressurized spray cleaner in there like jaguar mentioned and maybe see if I can get the receiver in a sonic cleaner next, maybe I'll get lucky on one of those.

[rking22]

If you could peg the remainder of the pin in the retracted position and get some serious vibration going, the broken stub might release. Would only have gravity to move the stub, tough situation. I would hate to cut the operation rod, but that will be the quickest, if more drastic, fix.

[Petrol & Powder]

Not trying to be a jerk here ......BUT....I've watched people spend hours, days, even weeks; to save something - only to waste time and make matters worse.

We're not talking about amputating a leg here, we're talking about an action bar on an Ithaca shotgun that is CLEARLY not separating from the bolt. Grab that Band-Aid and rip that sucker off !

The OP has made several good attempts to separate the action bar from the bolt carrier and they have all failed. I don't think the OP's attempts were incorrect or flawed. There really is something broken in that bolt carrier and you can't break it much more. So....bite the bullet, cut the action bar and MOVE ON.

I would remove the barrel from the receiver, wrap some cardboard or something around the magazine tube to protect it and cut the action bar. After that, the bolt and bolt carrier will come out the back of the receiver.

I was once told, "advance or retreat; but don't die in place"! That was good advice. If it's already broken, you can't break it much more.

[Andy]

Hey I finally have some good news for once. I had resigned myself to needing to cut the action bar and so I removed the action bar from the forend tube as prep for that. Once I had it off, with the bolt/slide all the way forward, I was able to wiggle the action bar a lot more than I had been able to previously. Doing this while holding the slide pin back and gently tapping the receiver (3 hand job), did finally get the broken part of the pin to fall out of the action bar and the slide finally released.

The pin has a "head" in the action bar hole, and it had broken clean off just after that narrows down to the pin shaft.

Thanks to all of you who replied, I would not have gotten this fixed without your advice. Sometimes it just takes some new ideas and combining them lands you on something that works out.

[Minerat]

Man it's great when a plan comes together or ya get lucky.
Glad it worked out for you.

[Petrol & Powder]

Awesome !

When you say you "...removed the action bar from the fore-end tube as prep for that...", do you mean you took the magazine tube out of the receiver ? Because it would be difficult, if not impossible to separate the wooden fore end from the metal action bar with the fore-end still on the magazine tube.

Just curious how you were able to get more movement there?