FX New First...Not a Good Thing, Stuck Slugs in Barrel!

[johnwoitalla]

In 25 years of airgunning I have never accidentally double loaded my chamber...until today. I was zeroing with 37gr Wildman slugs in my new FX King, my main pressure was higher than my regulator(125bar), so I thought I would be good to get a zero, then fill the tank and commence to sniping ground squirrels. After a couple of shots, the gun didn't fire a round and when I cocked the rifle, back pressure was released. It didn't occur to me that there was a slug stuck in the barrel. So I cocked it again, ignorant of the fact that I was was just stacking more slugs. I thought that my regulator had taken a dump on me. So I called Pyramid as that is where I bought the rifle. They sent a message to their repair/warranty department and said they would get back to me (but they still haven't). After calling them and a guy in Arvin, California who works with Utah Airguns(who it turns out is a fabulous guy and very helpful) who work, it dawned on me what my problem was. I thought I would be able to tap the slugs back out, but there was a slug at the tip of the barrel and others behind it, and they won't budge. A few hours later I got a call from the guy in Arvin and he told me the slugs would need to be mellted out of the sleeve and that it would not be a big deal. But I am not familiar enough with the workings of the gun, and I don't have a heat gun strong enough to melt lead, so I am going to have him take care of the problem. Turns out that the regulator was not set high enough for 37gr slugs and that that is why the first one got stuck and consequently others were shoved in right behind them. I had never heard of a single slug getting stuck in a barrel, so it didn't occur to me that that was the problem until it was too late, and such an issue is not mentioned in the owner's manual. In fact, in all of the years I have been into shooting I have never heard of that issue. So, this time I am a victim, next time, if it happens again, I will be a volunteer. Luckily, I had my trusty AA S410 as a back-up and it performed flawlessly(good for me, not so good for the squirrels). And btw, after re-testing my selection of pellets, the 14.3gr Crosman Premiers I have had for at least 20 years, perform every bit as well as the JSB's I have been using, and they fit in the magazine easier(I have to push the JSB's into the mag, but the Crosman's fall right in).

 

[3Crows]

Does not that bulge the barrel, it being a thin sleeve with little support?

 

[Will74]

Melted?
Well that's a first...

How about just removing the barrel so that magazine isn't giving You any trouble.
After that it should be easy as 1 2 3.
A proper size rod usually does the trick and like with everything mechanical, static force is usually not the way to do it. Some light tapping helps.
I wouldn't worry about damaging the sleeve. They are not that expensive.

I hope You get it sorted

 

[ctshooter]

My story - I double loaded my .25 Mora wtih 66gr slugs - then proceeded to take 2 shots to really pack them in. Long story short - I got the slugs out eventually but did manage to screw up the barrel. A few hundred bucks later and a new barrel from Tony and it's shooting a treat again.

My point - aren't the FX liner like $100 each? If the slugs are stuck that bad maybe just get a new liner.

 

[Chukar60]

I have had to melt slugs out once for myself and a couple times for friends. Less chance of damaging a liner than with tapping which ofter turns into beating the slugs out.
The liner does not have to be heated to red hot for the lead to melt.

 

[Jay308]

I’d just buy a new one, then to use some bulged/torched thin straw.

You might want to check the diameter of the slugs you are using also.

 

[ChickenDumpling]

I purposely look for the anti-double feed feature. That lesson(s) was learned with an RTI P2, double feed and not running hot enough to push tighter/heavier slugs. Still have those wooden dowels. Didn't even consider melting them out of the barrel as an option.

 

[johnwoitalla]

Melted?
Well that's a first...

How about just removing the barrel so that magazine isn't giving You any trouble.
After that it should be easy as 1 2 3.
A proper size rod usually does the trick and like with everything mechanical, static force is usually not the way to do it. Some light tapping helps.
I wouldn't worry about damaging the sleeve. They are not that expensive.

I hope You get it sorted

I’m not sure I understand your response.

 

[johnwoitalla]

I purposely look for the anti-double feed feature. That lesson(s) was learned with an RTI P2, double feed and not running hot enough to push tighter/heavier slugs. Still have those wooden dowels. Didn't even consider melting them out of the barrel as an option.

I thought that the slug had been shot, but at very low power. It was stuck at the end of the barrel. So, no anti double feed mechanism would have helped the situation.

 

[ChickenDumpling]

I thought that the slug had been shot, but at very low power. It was stuck at the end of the barrel. So, no anti double feed mechanism would have helped the situation.

Running the right fps would have been ... or maybe blowing out an o-ring. I was just speaking of two situations where I had someting stuck in the barrel. My apologies...

 

[Will74]

I’m not sure I understand your response.

Well I tried.

 

[MongooseV8]

I’m not sure I understand your response.

I think he is suggesting you remove the barrel from the action to make removing the slug easier and safer on parts. On the older FX models this was much more simple to do, but the air shroud versions like the King DRS Panthera etc are more complicated to remove the barrel.

Personally if this was my rifle I would take the barrel out of the action and knock the slugs out with some wood dowels. If you cut several 4" sections and sand bevel the edges they are much stronger and can handle some tapping better. The wood will not damage the liner either. You might as well start learning how to work on your pcp unfortunately.

 

[ctshooter]

I thought that the slug had been shot, but at very low power. It was stuck at the end of the barrel. So, no anti double feed mechanism would have helped the situation.

That is what I understood as well from your original posting. In the PB world that's called a squib (ie: a barrel blockage) and is a very dangerous situation as PB pressure levels - your barrel (and possibly receiver) could explode on the next shot if it didn't push the squib out. Luckily at airgun pressure that is not likely - but I agree with some of the other posts about a possible bulging of the thinner FX liner. If you have a slide rule caliper or micrometer I'd measure the barrel before, at and after the blockage to see if there is bulging.

 

[Redtailhawk]

I would take out the barrel and knock out with a carbon fibre rod less chance of damaging the rifling.

 

[rangur1]

I’m not sure I understand your response.

He’s referring to putting a 1/4” diameter wood dowel on the now separated barrel and tapping the dowel until the slugs come out. I’ve never had issues with slug double feeds not clearing out of a barrel this way. Just annoying to do when you want to shoot. If 1/4” diameter dowel is too big, Home Depot carries 3/16 “ for 22 cal. I don’t have one for 177 as I don’t use that caliber.

 

[Redtailhawk]

Same as above but with 6mm carbon fibre rod instead of wood dowel as the carbon fibre will be a lot stronger.

 

[johnwoitalla]

Does not that bulge the barrel, it being a thin sleeve with little support?

Turns out it did bulge the sleeve, I have to replace it.