jammed gun of some sort

Question
Hi, i have a Remington model 700 .30-06 sprg and my brother placed an empty shell into the gun just to see if it would be loaded and then eject when he pulled back the bolt, but the bolt is forward but not locke din and now it won't budge, so i was wondering if there was anything i could do to open the action again or if i was hooped.

Answer
Hi Joel.

First you need to be absolutely sure that the gun is unloaded, magazine removed, no loaded cartridges or primed cases in or near the gun.

If there is any chance of a live cartridge or a primed case being jammed in the gun then you should take it to a local gunsmith to have it removed. This would be a quick easy job for them and they might do it free or very cheap. If you are 100% sure that it is only an empty non-primed brass casing jammed in the action then the removal process will depend on how it was jammed.

If the empty case was fed into the chamber but the bolt wouldn't close all the way then it could be that the case was the wrong type for your gun, that it was dented or crushed during insertion, or that it went in crooked and is jammed on the chamber wall. In these scenarios you might be able to look down the barrel with a bore scope or a mirror and bright penlight to see if you can spot the empty neck of the case. If so then you could try to insert a cleaning rod and apply gentle pressure on the case to work it back out. If you encounter resistance then do not force it. You don't want to jam a rod in the barrel or damage the action.

If the empty case was fed via a magazine then it might have jammed on the way up into the breech or chamber area. If so then you should be able to remove the magazine or open the breech area to visually spot the cause of the jam. These jams can usually be worked out gently with a soft plastic pick, tweezers, or brass punches but be careful not to damage your action or scratch the gun.

When in doubt I recommend taking it to a gunsmith. It is too easy to damage your action and the cost of a repair would far exceed the cost of simply having a gunsmith remove the jammed round to start with. Also, most people don't have the proper tools or experience to do the job safely so don't take a chance.

Good luck and stay safe!

Bob