So i was out shooting my AR today when I had a fail to eject. The casing is lodge in the chamber.  Its a .223 russian, steel case round.  I have been shooting these for years now and never had one failure.  To be fair though, I usually keep the gun very clean.  I didn't clean it last time it was out so that might have something to do with it.  Anyway, i tried a small flat blade screw driver to try and pry it out the back and that didn't work.  I used the aluminum rod from my barrel brush and it just bent.  This thing is REALLY STUCK!  Anything else I can try before I take it to a gun smith?  Any ideas why this might have happened?  On another note, my buddy has a Benelli style AR and he got one stuck in his also.  Both today.  Now we have NEVER had any issues with this ammo before in either gun and the rounds are not from the same batch.   

Can you access the rim of the cartridge?

Barely.  I can get a small screw driver in there but it just bends it.  Its really stuck.  Like its fused to the chamber.

I had this happen to me years ago.  I used some oil in the bore along with a brass cleaning rod.  Worked fine and it didn't mar the rifling.  And you need a new cleaning rig now anyway...

 

Good luck,

 

Dave

Does Home Depot or any decent hardware store near you have thin steel rods? The ones near me do, Or maybe you can find a welding rod that would fit into the casing from the muzzle end. Maybe they wouldnt bend when you tap on them, Otherwise, i'd core out the botom of the shell with a dremel and then crimp it in with that small screw driver you mentioned, Actually, I wouldnt use a dremel, but then I have access to high speed, angled head 'drills'.

I had some .308's sticking in a Savage 99.  Hammered them out using a cleaning rod down the barrel.  Maybe try an appropriately sized wooden dowel.

 

 

Edit to add that I've seen shell extractors for sale at Sarco and on various online sites.  Maybe time to invest in one.

used a brass rod also .. bought it at home depot.... forgot the size...

wooden dowel will break... 

bought my brass rod at home depot... 

I was thinking about running out to Lowes and getting a long steel rod.  Ok, so does anyone know why this happens?  I Just can't figured out why it's so stuck.  

Good to know Is happened to other people.  So I guess I shouldnt really worry too much about the gun being damaged from this?

Brass not steel.

yes not steel.. brass...they have it at lowes too

Ok brass.  Thanks.  A shell extractor wont work since the end of the shell is still intact. I guess unless I dremel out the rear of the case.  But hopefully I can find this brass rod.  What section in home depot should I look in?  Thanks alot guys!

Its in hardware here in lowes

Thanks again guys. Ill go tomorrow.  

This is why friends dont let friends shoot steel cased. 

Could you try using an inverted can of canned air onto the casing to cool it and shrink it and then try the cleaning rod again?

If you can access the rim or the headstamp / primer pocket area you can use a small brass wood screw

 

With a long screwdriver bit screw he screw into the spent primer. (Make sure it's spent)

 

Screw it in about half way. You can then wedge a screwdriver under the screw head and pull the shell out

 

This has worked for me twice.

Do you have a fixed stock?  Try mortaring the rifle if so.

...sigh. 7 more years...

Do you have a fixed stock? Try mortaring the rifle if so.

This, works almost every time

Do you have a fixed stock?  Try mortaring the rifle if so.

 

 

I suggested this to someone before and got jumped all over about how it might break stuff.. I am sure it COULD break stuff.. but when I was getting my short AR working right I had several jams... and clearing as you described worked great...

Pour some Kroil down the barrel and allow it to sit for a few hours.

Pour it out, then use the brass rod to tap the case out.

 

The Kroil will help to unstick the case, and make it easy (easier) to tap the case out if your chamber.

I suggested this to someone before and got jumped all over about how it might break stuff.. I am sure it COULD break stuff.. but when I was getting my short AR working right I had several jams... and clearing as you described worked great...

Agreed its actually how we were taught to do it. The weapon is a tool not a priceless painting. Drives me crazy when people get upset about a few scrapes.

I must have shot about 2500 total steel cased rounds through my AR's and never had I had one get stuck. At the last carbine class I took two weeks ago, I think two people had this issue (or maybe the same guy twice). I know steel expands and that's probably why it's more prone to getting stuck but I wonder why I've been lucky so far. Is it something that only happens on new or cheap barrels?

Chrome-lined, CLEAN chambers tend to do a lot better not hanging up with steel-cased ammo than dirty or non-chrome ones.

Keeping the ammo out of the heat of the sun before loading it also helps a lot.

I must have shot about 2500 total steel cased rounds through my AR's and never had I had one get stuck. At the last carbine class I took two weeks ago, I think two people had this issue (or maybe the same guy twice). I know steel expands and that's probably why it's more prone to getting stuck but I wonder why I've been lucky so far. Is it something that only happens on new or cheap barrels?

Brass expands in the chamber during powder combustion to seal the area.  Both metals snap back to their original size however because steel's elasticity is lower, it doesn't do it quite as well as brass.

I must have shot about 2500 total steel cased rounds through my AR's and never had I had one get stuck. At the last carbine class I took two weeks ago, I think two people had this issue (or maybe the same guy twice). I know steel expands and that's probably why it's more prone to getting stuck but I wonder why I've been lucky so far. Is it something that only happens on new or cheap barrels?

I've put alot of steel through my barrel also and didn't have a problem up until my last range trip. I got a round stuck in the barrel and I couldn't get my BCG to pull back either. Had to use a screw driver and pry both out. Didn't have any problems after that.