How to remove a stuck case from an XD.
Warning: often stuck cases are live rounds use extreme caution
Click on photos for larger sizes.
There are many reasons for a stuck case and it can happen at any time including before a round is fired.
You will find your self shooting and all of a suden nothing happens. There are two basic types of stuck
cases, one where the slide is forward and the extractor still has a hold of the rim of the case. And the
the other where the slide no longer has a hold of the case and it is purely stuck in the chamber. Take a
look at your slide and see what your working with.
Right: Extractor still has a hold of the case. Left: Case stuck in the chamber.
Please remember to use caution with a live round in the chamber. If you slide will not move you will have to
use force to get the round out of the chamber. Take the pistol to a safe area and set the rear sight on a ledge.
You can use a cloth to cover the slide so it wont be scratched. If you have aftermarket sights use your own
judgement and ask you self how bad do you want the stuck case out. The stock sights though are made out of
the same steel as the slide so it wont go anywhere unless you hammer and bang them all around. So find a
sturdy edge like a range table or wood a softer material being better for the finish. Hook the rear sight on
the edge. Put you hand on the back of the pistols grip, making sure you are depressing the grip safety (red arrow)
Now push down on the frame with a swift but forceful push, you slide should now be unstuck. Slowly release
the tension on the slide. If everything went well then the round should now be out of the chamber and you
should be good to go. But like all things the case can be stubborn and the slide is not stuck but the round
still is so we have to get that out still. Warning: Only do this with a non live
round. If you still have a live round skip this step and go on to the live round section below. You will need a
hammer and wooden dowel (I used a pencil just becuase it was bright for show). The wooden dowel wont scratch your
barrel so thats a good thing. Lock the slide to the rear and and have someone hold the pistol. Run your dowel down
the barrel and put it against the inside of the stuck case, take your hammer and with firm taps push the stuck case
out. If you have tried all of this and the case still will not come out or the base ripped off then take it to a
professional.
For a stuck live round: Do not hammer a dowel in from the front. One this is a live
round that can go off and send a dowel and bullet into your hands etc. If the extractor has ripped off the rim of the
case once it will most likely do it again so there is no reason to ruin your extractor to get a round out. Take a flat
head screwdriver and grab the rim of the case and either use a twisting motion or pry out the round from the chamber.
Really you dont want too much metal to metal contact between the scredriver and slide/barrel, so a tip is to use some
masking tape and cover the head of the screwdriver this will help keep the scratches down. Pull the round out and you
should now be good to go. Throw out that round and do not use it again. If you shot a lot of rounds before the stuck case
you may want to clean your barrel out. Another common reason stuck cases happen are with reloads that were not sized
properly. You may want to check out Lee Precision`s Carbide Factory Crimp Die. the Carbide Factory Crimp Die post sizes
your case assuring you that any round that passes through the die will chamber properly in your gun. Check out Lee`s website
at www.leeprecision.com Scroll down and read about the pistol crimp.
By James Nicholas
www.xd-hs2000.com
April, 27 2005
XD-HS2000.com your resource for information and products XD.
Have new products for the XD e-mail me at
Birmingham, AL