Brand New Rifle Jams after first shot!!

[Retired Army Guy]

I did a ton of research on the Henry A/W 30-30 before purchasing. It seemed all the bugs with loading the magazine and jams had been corrected the last few years. So I broke down and purchased a BRAND NEW 2019 with a tag date & initial of April 2019. I loaded and un-loaded it several times before going to the Range and everything worked flawlessly. At the range with several people watching the slick new Henry I fired the first shot ever and when I cycled it the round coming from the magazine tube JAMMED IN THE CHAMBER like nothing I have ever seen! It took two full grown men pulling and hammering and prying for over an hour to get the now mutilated live round out of the chamber. I noticed immediately after it jammed that the magazine tube had popped out-obviously I didn't have it closed all the way or the recoil popped it loose? Is this what caused such a horrific jam or is it something else? It seems to be working fine now with un-fired ammo. Federal Fusion 170 grain. Im scared to go to the Range again, does anyone know what caused this and will it happen again??

[Mags]

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I have the brass .30-30. I haven't experienced what you describe, so sorry not much help. Someone else may come along with something useful. You can always contact Henry Customer service. http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5127

By the way, welcome to the forum from the TV, Oregon.

I did a ton of research on the Henry A/W 30-30 before purchasing. It seemed all the bugs with loading the magazine and jams had been corrected the last few years. So I broke down and purchased a BRAND NEW 2019 with a tag date & initial of April 2019. I loaded and un-loaded it several times before going to the Range and everything worked flawlessly. At the range with several people watching the slick new Henry I fired the first shot ever and when I cycled it the round coming from the magazine tube JAMMED IN THE CHAMBER like nothing I have ever seen! It took two full grown men pulling and hammering and prying for over an hour to get the now mutilated live round out of the chamber. I noticed immediately after it jammed that the magazine tube had popped out-obviously I didn't have it closed all the way or the recoil popped it loose? Is this what caused such a horrific jam or is it something else? It seems to be working fine now with un-fired ammo. Federal Fusion 170 grain. Im scared to go to the Range again, does anyone know what caused this and will it happen again??

[ESquared]

First, Welcome to the Forum! Glad to have you here, but sorry to hear of your first outing experience.

Based on your explanation of what happened and what you wrote about the mag tube being dislodged and partially out, my guess is that it wasn't fully seated and therefore wasn't putting the proper amount of pressure on all the rounds to allow them to chamber properly.

In the process of loading and unloading it a few times, did you also successfully cycle rounds through the chamber and eject them okay before the range visit? If so, that would tend to confirm that it wasn't all put back together completely before that horrible jam.

Others will chime in, I'm sure, but I've never had this happen to me on any of my Henry lever actions, and I've never read of this particular issue here, either. It seems unlikely that recoil could have popped that mag tube out of its closed position, but anything is possible, I guess.

Like a lot of these things, all you can do is "try it again," making sure the mag tube is fully seated with the pin in the notch and go from there. Cycling rounds through the chamber should tell you something, which you don't need to go to the range to do.

Hope that helps, keep us posted and WELCOME again!

[BigAl52]

No reason to be scared to go to the range again. Take it to the range and shoot it again. If it does it again then contact Henry. They will fix it for you no questions asked. Welcome to the forum .

[Mistered]

First, welcome to the forum from Wickiup Junction, Oregon!
Ok - SO the SECOND round is the one that jammed correct?
You mention shooting the first and I am assuming it ejected and the next is the one that jammed.
Can you describe what you mean by JAMMED? I mean did it not chamber completely and jammed partway into the chamber?
Please describe in detail!

[The Wiz]

WELCOME!!!

[Ojaileveraction]

We're you working the lever with athourity, or kind of watching yourself lever the rifle?

[Retired Army Guy]

Thanks Guys for the warm welcome. I have a few lever guns and was a regular on the Marlin site 10 years ago LOL. The Jam was the second in coming round. I think it was the magazine popping out -probably operator error but wanted some opinions. It was wedged tight beyond imagination. Heres a pic.

[ESquared]

Looks to me like it wasn't pushed all the way rearward, which is because the mag tube popped out (for whatever reason).

It got all "cattywhompus", which is never good.

All these guys above are right. Go try it again. If you end up being sure that the recoil is dislodging the mag tube, call Henry. They'll take care of you, to be sure!

[Mags]

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I go along with what E2 said. With no tension from the mag tube, looks like the nose of the cartridge was still in the tube when the lever/lifter shoved the butt of the bullet into the roof of the receiver with the lever/lifter ratcheted tight up against it.

Thanks Guys for the warm welcome. I have a few lever guns and was a regular on the Marlin site 10 years ago LOL. The Jam was the second in coming round. I think it was the magazine popping out -probably operator error but wanted some opinions. It was wedged tight beyond imagination. Heres a pic.

Looks to me like it wasn't pushed all the way rearward, which is because the mag tube popped out (for whatever reason).

It got all "cattywhompus", which is never good.

All these guys above are right. Go try it again. If you end up being sure that the recoil is dislodging the mag tube, call Henry. They'll take care of you, to be sure!