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Joined: 03 Feb 2014 Posts: 325 Location: West Texas

I have an Ithaca M 37 that has a rough chamber the S# is less than 855,000. It has had an intermittent issue with hulls sticking in the chamber, like 1 out of 10. I've tried steel wool wrapped around a brush and although it shines a little better I can still see tool marks and there is one spot that is discolored slightly. I think the former owner left a shell in the chamber for a long period and the steel headed hull corroded in the chamber. I haven't tried it since I ran the steel wool but it just doesn't look smooth enough to me or as if the steel wool improved things much. I can't feel the spot or tool marks but I can see them with a bright light. I was thinking running a cylinder hone to smooth it up but haven't found one I think is the right size. So I decided to ask you experts what you would suggest.

Member Joined: 09 Jan 2013 Posts: 2168 Location: Florida

Brownells sells a chamber hone call the flex hone , there is a medium and a Fine I use it on all my newly acquired guns . Brake hone might work also .

http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/shotgun-tools/barrel-hones-accessories/shotgun-barrel-polishing-flex-hone--prod647.aspx

Joined: 28 Oct 2015 Posts: 166 Location: SWMO

I had the exact same issue on same gun. Fire a round and couldn't get the slide to move back. I believe it was the guys at shotgunworld suggested taking a dowel rod, cutting a notch in it, and wrapping with fine sandpaper. Chuck it in a drill motor and lube it well and polish.

It worked for me. No more sticky chamber.

Joined: 19 Jun 2004 Posts: 1480 Location: Mpls, MN.

Don't do anything else until you try it. There is absolutely no point in removing more material to satisfy your eye, if the gun is working properly after the steel wool polish. And, you haven't done the work to discover that fact just yet.
Do make sure you have a thin film of oil in the chamber before your next outing.

Best,
Ted

1000 grit wet dry paper wrapped around the brush . Add enough steel wool to the brush so it fits snugly in the chamber wrap the paper over that and start it into the breech before turning it as to avoid the rim cut. may take a second piece of paper as the fine grit fills pretty fast. Be sure to clean the barrel before you shoot the gun.

Please be advised. It is a good idea to keep a thin film of oil or grease on the interior surfaces of the chamber and barrel when storing the gun. It is not advisable leave any oil or grease on the chamber walls when the gun will be fired.

The metal rim on a shotshell is designed to expand slightly and cling to the chamber walls for a micro-second before releasing. This helps minimize the rearward thrust of the shell base against the bolt or breach face. Any oil or grease left in the chamber will prevent the rim from clinging to the chamber walls like it should. The bolt or breach face will be hit by the full force of the rearward thrust when the gun is fired. Repeatedly doing this can very well lead to excessive bolt headspace or an off face barrel on any break open. Best not do it. (This rule of thumb also applies to rifles and handguns.)

My best advice is to remove any oil or grease from the chambers before firing the gun. Then clean and oil them again after firing the gun. I believe any knowledgeable gun owner and any gun manufacturer would agree with me here.

PS wellshooter, any very minor manufacturing tool marks were left in place for a reason. Manufacturers never polish the chamber walls completely smooth and shiny on any gun. The very fine tool marks are left there to allow the shell rims to briefly cling to the chamber walls. So don't mistakenly try to remove them.

If the rust stains and pitting are not severe or very deep, I suggest you simply polish the chamber walls just enough to dull the sharp edges of the existing shallow pits and also just enough to remove any light staining (because rust never sleeps). I would advise you to not try to remove any severe rusting and deep pitting. Doing so might lead to an excessively oversized chamber. I'd have a professional inspect the gun in this case. He should be able to advise you whether the chamber can be reamed clean or if it will need a chamber sleeve or insert to restore it.

Joined: 03 Feb 2014 Posts: 325 Location: West Texas

I contacted Ithaca about this issue and the issue of the 'brass' heads expanding into the extractor cuts. They had this to say:

"The problem you are experiencing is something we have developed a fix for by welding the extractor notches shut and re-cutting the notches to establish a better seal of the chamber wall on the entire brass side wall. The problem only seems to have presented itself in the last 10-15 years with the use of cheaper and at times thinner materials being used for the shell brass. Cost to repair the extractor notch issue on the existing barrel is $150 and the entire gun would be necessary to ensure proper function after repairs. "

So I took pictures of the extractor notches and sent the gun in for repair. I will post before and after pictures and report on function when I get it back.

It always pays to ask the REAL experts. Nice going.

Joined: 19 Jun 2004 Posts: 1480 Location: Mpls, MN.

Joined: 03 Feb 2014 Posts: 325 Location: West Texas

No I never fired it after running steel wool over a bronze brush attached to a drill in the chamber. Maybe I should have, but with the decision made to send the gun in for the extractor notch issue I never got a roundtuit.

Lows at night have been 78 and highs in the day are 103 ish so roundtuits are hard to come by.

Wink

AMEN Brother, been HOT!!
Mike

As tuits go the round ones are ok, I myself prefer to put a squaretuit as I get a better cut.

"In a gun that is correctly headspaced, shotgun, rifle, or pistol, the firing pin making contact with the primer holds the round forward for more time than it takes to expand the round into the chamber... a thin film of oil might keep the brass from flowing into the surface imperfections of the chamber, allowing it to release from the chamber wall after the shot..."

Sure. Listen to Ted here and always leave some oil in your chambers to prevent rust from developing immediately upon firing our guns. He'll help us fix the headspace problem when it happens (and it will sooner or later). Sure he will. Laughing

"I don't know anybody who uses grease on the bore of anything."

Ever hear of cosmoline Ted? It's a wax based type of rust inhibiting grease or greaselike substance. I believe lots of folks still use it to coat the bores and store their guns between seasons (or longer). Some others use rust inhibiting gun or bearing grease for the same purpose. Works good too. But then, what do I know. Laughing

Joined: 19 Jun 2004 Posts: 1480 Location: Mpls, MN.

If I had to store M1s in a jungle, I might look into cosmoline. But, for guns stored in a safe, in the house, between seasons, there are BETTER products to use. I like Breakfree CLP. There are others. The world has come a long way since the mid 1930s, when cosmoline was all we had. No, I repeat, I don't know ANYBODY who uses grease, or cosmoline, in the bore of a gun, anymore.

I can picture you smearing cosmoline all over things, however. Likely while you wear your garlic necklace and chant things to ward off all those evil headspace demons.

Now, everyone who has multiple headspace issues with their shotguns, raise your hand.

Not many. Not many people who post here have enough time to develop an honest headspace issue with a shotgun in the years they have left. It isn't a common problem.

Nobody will have to fix anything because there is a thin film of oil left in their chamber from the last cleaning. If that were the case, we would see more bad guns than we do. All the drama you predict will simply not come to pass.

Sorry.

Hey, if you are so worried about headspace issues, why don't you look into a Darne? The guns with obturator discs actually compress the rim of the cartridge when the action is closed, fixing that cartridge at the same angle that is built into the barrel to make the pattern converge at 40 yards. Headspace, schemedspace, no worries, mate.

Better than garlic, chants and cosmoline.

Best,
Ted

Ted, only a fool might smear gobs of the stuff all over a gun. But leave it to you to go from the sensible to the ridiculous. Most of us who know you expected it. That's why I donned a string of garlic around my neck just before replying. I did some chanting too just in case. Can't be too careful whenever you're involved. Laughing

Many of us folks who live on or near a coastal area or where it gets hot and humid in the summer run patch w/ a bit of cosmoline, bearing grease, or gun grease up the bore after the gun has been cleaned and before it's stored away until next fall. Using the same patch to lightly wipe the exterior steel down works just fine as well. Doesn't hurt a thing. No need to gob it on like you seem to think we might, but that's just normal for you I guess.

A snug fitting patch lightly dipped in WD-40 or other light petroleum based solvent followed by a couple of dry ones cleans the bore out fine. Then a quick wipe down w/ a cloth and a squirt of WD40, etc. cleans the exterior just fine before taking the gun out to the field or range the next fall. Won't hurt a thing. No need for garlic and chants either.

As for headspace issues, I suspect you might be a prime candidate. Now where's my string of garlic?? I put it down here somewhere. And a Doo Waah Diddy Diddy Doo to you too Boo Boo. Can't be too careful you know. Laughing

Darnes?? They look like some kinda fancy fangled nutcracker to me. Not much of a fan. I like my twice barrels to break open so I can can drape them over my shoulder w/ the barrels to the front, pointing down or in hand tucked under my arm w/ the barrels pointing front and down. Makes for safe, easy carry in and out of the field or between stations on the target range. Looks kinda spiffy too don'tcha know. Very Happy

Each to his own.

Anyway, thanks for the update wellshooter, and good luck w/ your Model 37. They are a great repeater if taken care of. Mine has served me very well. Hope your's does too.