# Need help/advice on weird issue



## Ryancharles (May 21, 2012)

I have a 1932 H&R 7-shot, top break revolver. It is a .22 rimfire. I can't figure out why, but bullets, and I've tried many kinds, do not fit all the way into the chamber(s). They stick out the back about 1 mm. This being the case, the gun will not close all way, or you need to shut it fairly hard. When this happens, the barrel will not rotate because the bullets aren't seated flush. I have oiled the barrels' chambers and it does not help. The gun is extremely clean and in working order. I shoot it once in a while, but lately the bullets just don't fit well enough to shoot it without it being a huge ordeal of misfires and similar troubles! Any ideas what is causing this to happen? Why don't the bullets fit?


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

2 things come to mind but DO NOT slam it shut and force it,it's a rimfire and you ure don't want one going off that way.

If the cylender isn't recessed for the rim to sit in,check the chanbers well.You're looking for lead and carbon or rust buildup behind the chamber shoulder,if it's got a shoulder.

Is the gun marked S,L,LR ?If the cylender is fine it may be chambered for longs and the long rifles are too long.


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## Ryancharles (May 21, 2012)

It's a 22 LR. I'm using .22 super colibri bullets by Aguila. They are tiny, 20 grain, 500 fps. Here are some pictures to show you what I'm dealing with. 
http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo52/clutch2009/Gun.jpg
http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo52/clutch2009/Bullet.jpg
http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo52/clutch2009/Bulletfit.jpg
http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo52/clutch2009/Barrel.jpg


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

If different brands all sit like that,there's an issue in the chambers.If you can come up with a pick made of brass,anything but steel,you can find out if the shoulder in the chamber is the real one or years of buildup or rust.Take a black Sharpie to the bullet and case mouth area,insert it as far as it will go and give a little push with your finger,then pull it out.Whatever is stopping it will remove the Sharpie and you know exactly where to look.If it isn't buildup you're going to have to find a local smith to check it and have a chamber reamer for a 22.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

I just noticed something looking at the cylender.Your ejector star seems to be twisted ,it looks like the chamber and star don't make a round opening with the star twisted counterclockwise on the cylender.That would do it and require a smith to figure out why.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

rex said:


> I just noticed something looking at the cylender.Your ejector star seems to be twisted ,it looks like the chamber and star don't make a round opening with the star twisted counterclockwise on the cylender.That would do it and require a smith to figure out why.


I don't think that's the problem.
Either the pistol has been fired a lot and not cleaned adequately, or the bullet's shape is to blame.
I tend to believe that the problem might be the bullet's shape, as its nose is blunter and "more square" than normally-used .22 bullets. If the chambers are throated, rather than through-bored, there would be interference.

My first thought would be to run a bronze brush through the chambers, from back to front, and see what comes out.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

the ejector star does look a little offset, is there any play or looseness to the ejector at all? are all the chambers consistent in the shell not sitting proper.If it were one or two i say it might be a cleaning of the bore but all chambers being exactly consistently tight. sounds mechanical 
if there is absolutely no play it might be dirty or bent from being dropped causing the misalignment of the ejector star to to the cylinder openings. is there a hard or inconsistent drag when using the ejecting mechanism?.did you drop the gun maybe?


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## chessail77 (Mar 15, 2011)

Is it possible that it is chambered for .22 shorts ??? Unlikely but double check to be sure.


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## Ryancharles (May 21, 2012)

pic said:


> the ejector star does look a little offset, is there any play or looseness to the ejector at all? are all the chambers consistent in the shell not sitting proper.If it were one or two i say it might be a cleaning of the bore but all chambers being exactly consistently tight. sounds mechanical
> if there is absolutely no play it might be dirty or bent from being dropped causing the misalignment of the ejector star to to the cylinder openings. is there a hard or inconsistent drag when using the ejecting mechanism?.did you drop the gun maybe?


The ejector is seated well. There is no play in it and it works properly. The gun has never been dropped. It was my grandfathers, then my fathers, now mine, and they were pretty particular with their guns being well maintained. So...it isn't the ejector, and yes, every chamber has the same exact issue. Also, I discovered this morning that some 30-year-old "Blazer" 22's I found DO fit perfectly into the chambers. However, they are high velocity and I can't shoot them from this gun. Frustrating stuff. I think I might take the gun to a smith and see if the chambers could be opened by a hair. I have had fitment issues at the breach before, but never to this extent. Any other ideas would be appreciated, and thanks for your responses.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

As Steve said,afer that post I'm leaning to the bullet shape also.There's something about the case that just don't look right,but shy a mic I don't know.Looks long to minimize bullet jump because of the shortened bearing surface on the slug deviating from the WC,but the ogive is what's causing it.Do the Sharpie test and you will know exactly what's up.22s are basically running a SWC bullet and chambered so,and that round appears too long without a reference.

Brainfade,sorry.If this got worse with this ammo,look there first.I forgot this is 80yrs old so how much has varied off original spec?I don't recall when the LR hit but today's ammo isn't the same .Tried any Eley?


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## Ryancharles (May 21, 2012)

rex said:


> As Steve said,afer that post I'm leaning to the bullet shape also.There's something about the case that just don't look right,but shy a mic I don't know.Looks long to minimize bullet jump because of the shortened bearing surface on the slug deviating from the WC,but the ogive is what's causing it.Do the Sharpie test and you will know exactly what's up.22s are basically running a SWC bullet and chambered so,and that round appears too long without a reference.
> 
> Brainfade,sorry.If this got worse with this ammo,look there first.I forgot this is 80yrs old so how much has varied off original spec?I don't recall when the LR hit but today's ammo isn't the same .Tried any Eley?


I had a local friend and gun fanatic check it out today. He just called me and said that the front of the chambers are indeed smaller than the rear end, but that it doesn't look to be from any sort of build up...strange. He recommended that I have a gunsmith (he's good friends with one) reamer it up to size. I trust him, but just to be safe... Does this seem like a bad idea?


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Ryancharles said:


> ...He recommended that I have a gunsmith...reamer it up to size. I trust him, but just to be safe... Does this seem like a bad idea?


It's a bad idea only if the gun has collectors', or strong sentimental, value.
It _may_ be worth as much as $600.00 (retail) to an interested collector. (ref.: _Standard Catalog of Firearms_)


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## Ryancharles (May 21, 2012)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> It's a bad idea only if the gun has collectors' value.


I'm pretty sure in "excellent" condition it's only worth 300 bucks. Not to mention I'm never going to sell it. I plan to give it to my son someday, but I'd like to have it be able to keep on shooting.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

If the chambers were originally throated (that is, their mouths were of reduced size), they were manufactured thus because doing so made the pistol more accurate.
(After all, it was a bullseye-competition gun, desired for its built-in accuracy.)
Therefore, if ordinary .22 LR cartridges will seat properly, I would not change the chambers in any way. Just don't use those Aguila Colibri cartridges in it.

In its day, it was a good-quality, entry-level competition pistol, and it was even used by many more-experienced shooters during my lifetime.

_I strongly suggest not modifying it_, unless, in its dotage, it proves less accurate than it should be.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

A good smith will do no damage running a reamer in it,if there is any crud behind the houlder it will clean right out.Being a match gun as Steve said it probably has a tighter chamber.What I don't know is if today's LR are a litle off spec of that 80 years ago.If you can find a box of Eley match ammo,that should help diagnosing the problem.If they fit,it's a tight chamber,if they don't it may just have been short chambered from the start.If the gun did chamber fine years ago it has to be a change in ammo spec or hardened buildup behind the shoulder,headspace can only increases with use and not get tighter.


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## 21guns (May 24, 2012)

I agree with Steve. Don't mess with the gun, it's something of a classic. Are the Colibri brass casings longer than standard 22LR casings?


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