686 revolver cylinder locked up

WanMan99

WanMan99

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I was at the range this morning and my friend was shooting my 686 when it went click.. I am not sure but it may be a squib load (I was using 158gr RN reloads). I was standing next to him and did not hear a pop like the primer detonated with no powder, just a click like it had hit on a previously fired round.
I can see something preventing the cylinder from rotating, but I am not sure if it is the case or the bullet (and I dont feel like looking down the barrel).
Question is safety:
can i tap it back into the cylinder with a brass rod safely? I am concerned about tapping it back into the firing pin (if the primer is still functional) the hammer does come back just a bit, maybe a half inch.
First time with a jammed cylinder so anyone with experience please let me know a safe way to proceed ( I can just bring it to a gunsmith if necessary but I would like to be able to clear something like this on my own).

Thanks.
 
If the bullet left the case, the primer went off.

I would start by measuring down through the barrel to determine exactly where the obstruction is.

If the bullet head barely left the case and is block ing the cylinder gap it may be possible to tap it back.

If the cylinder gap is clear, it is possible to have a primer back out upon firing, causing the cylinder to lock up.

Good luck!
 
This is a toughy....if you can't open the action then you can't assure safety. I wish I had a magical answer for you but will monitor this thread for responses from the smart people here so I can learn from your experience, as I also own a 686. [thinking]
 
Last edited:
icyclefar has it right. Polymer or wood rod down the barrel and tap the bullet back into the cylinder until you can swing it free.

Been there. Done that. Got the T-shirt. [smile]
 
GaryO said:
Can you safely put a shim behind the hammer to prevent it from coming down?
Click to expand...

This was my thought, I can pull the hammer back about 1/2 inch. I can then place a shim in between the hammer and the frame to keep the firing pin back.
I will do some closer analysis to it in a couple of hours (snuck off to the range during working hours).
Thanks for the insights so far.
 
I've had my share of squib loads and you can drive the bullet back into the case just work slowly and drive the bullet back until you can open the cylinder. On S&W revolvers isn't there a block that keeps the firing pin from hitting the primer unless the trigger is pulled?
If there is I see little danger of setting off a round while trying to push the stuck bullet out of the bore unless Murphy decides to inject himself into the project.
 
WanMan99 said:
This was my thought, I can pull the hammer back about 1/2 inch. I can then place a shim in between the hammer and the frame to keep the firing pin back.
I will do some closer analysis to it in a couple of hours (snuck off to the range during working hours).
Thanks for the insights so far.
Click to expand...

A shim would be fine if you have a hammer mounted firing pin, if not, then there is a hammer block, and you should leave the hammer down.
 
I would figure out if the case is intact. So the first thing I would look for would be the rim of the cartridge sticking out of the rear of the cylinder where it belongs. If there is metal further up on the exit side of the cylinder and into the forcing cone then it would have to be either the bullet or a split case(if that can even happen).
So if there is metal at both ends of the cylinder then I would be a little more confident in tapping out the bullet. But you still may have a live primer and some good ole smokeless in there so anything goes.
Is it possible that you got a wrong sized cartridge loaded in there? ie) maybe a 9mm round that simply drifted forward.

Lastly, a primer with no powder can drive a bullet into the barrel so you may have had a round with no powder.

Be careful!
 
Fixed it.
I took a couple of qtips and stuck them in the hammer.
Placed the gun in a vise (padded the sides so it wouldn't get scratched.
Took a brass cleaning rod and placed in the barrel to see how far the obstruction went in. It was about 1/3" into the barrel from the cylinder (bullet).
I tapped it back into the cylinder and the cylinder would then rotate.
The primer was either a dud or somehow I reloaded a shell that still had a fired primer in it (not too likely as I pay pretty good attention to my reloading).
Not sure how the bullet advanced into the barrel since the primer never fired. I will pull the bullet head to see if there is powder in there when I can find my bullet puller.
Here are a few shots of the bullet in question.
1.jpg 2.jpg 3.jpg
 
Glad you fixed it. But how could the bullet have entered the forcing cone or barrel when the cartridge was still in tact? I must be missing something.
 
Realtor MA said:
Glad you fixed it. But how could the bullet have entered the forcing cone or barrel when the cartridge was still in tact? I must be missing something.
Click to expand...


Does the firing pin striking the primer have enough force to push the cartridge forward enough to lock up the cylinder if the primer doesn't ignite?
 
Last edited:
from the photos looks like the primer fired, either bad powder or more likely not enough or no powder at all.
 
WanMan99 said:
Fixed it.
I took a couple of qtips and stuck them in the hammer.
Placed the gun in a vise (padded the sides so it wouldn't get scratched.
Took a brass cleaning rod and placed in the barrel to see how far the obstruction went in. It was about 1/3" into the barrel from the cylinder (bullet).
I tapped it back into the cylinder and the cylinder would then rotate.
The primer was either a dud or somehow I reloaded a shell that still had a fired primer in it (not too likely as I pay pretty good attention to my reloading).
Not sure how the bullet advanced into the barrel since the primer never fired. I will pull the bullet head to see if there is powder in there when I can find my bullet puller.
Here are a few shots of the bullet in question.
View attachment 121668View attachment 121669View attachment 121670
Click to expand...

I would imagine there was no powder in that one. As strange as it seems, the primer is the likely culprit even though you may not have heard it go off. No way for the bullet to leave the case without something propelling it. I'd say maybe a crimp issue causing the bullet to back out under recoil, but the primer tells a different story....
 
I would be willing to bet that the case was empty, new primer fired, and voila...lock up as described. I have had experience with this. Don't ask.
 
Yup. 99.9999999999999999999999% that it was just a primer that pushed the bullet into the forcing cone. (no powder, which is better than a little bit of powder)

If the primer was spent, then you could have dropped the hammer on it till the cows came home and nothing would have happened.
 
You are correct. I just pulled the bullet and voila... No powder, just a discharged primer residue.
Squib load... I must have loaded this round on my old Lee setup as my Dillon 650 has the powder check alarm.
Lesson learned.
 
icyclefar said:
A shim would be fine if you have a hammer mounted firing pin, if not, then there is a hammer block, and you should leave the hammer down.
Click to expand...

Both hammer mounted and frame mounted firing pin versions have internal safety mechanisms that prevent the pin from reaching the primer until the trigger is manually pulled all the way back.
 
Glad it worked out alright for you WanMan99.

I learned a lot from reading this thread. I have never had a squib in 22 years of shooting revolvers.
 
Zappa said:
Both hammer mounted and frame mounted firing pin versions have internal safety mechanisms that prevent the pin from reaching the primer until the trigger is manually pulled all the way back.
Click to expand...

That is good to know, since I couldn't see if the cartridge primer had fired or not I was nervous about tapping it back (possibly against the firing pin). Since that can't happen I will know in the future if this happens to anyone I know.
 

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