Nail Gun Jammed | Both Cordless and Pneumatic Addressed

Generally, nailers, whether pneumatic or battery operated, drive fasteners with considerable force. Yet, sometimes nails get caught in the gun when you use the wrong pins or work in a dirty job site. If this happens, the nailer refuses to fire.

In consequence, there is no other option except unjamming. If you are interested to learn more about unjamming, I will provide you with some tips and tricks to help unjam your nailer.

Why Is Your Nail Gun Jamming

There are several reasons for jamming. Sometimes incorrect or broken fasteners cause jamming. Or it may be a worn or damaged part, which causes a nail gun jammed. Furthermore, sometimes a loose magazine or loose screw is the reason for a nailer to get jammed. If you want to unjam your nail gun, find out the problem first. 

How to Unjam Your Nail Gun

Clearing your nail gun must be annoying while you are in the middle of a tedious project. But when the nails get stuck, there is no other option except to clear the jam to keep things running. This unjamming process is pretty time-consuming as well.

Incorrect Nails or Broken Fasteners

If your nail gun is not working for incompatible nails or fasteners, here are some steps to unjam it.

Safety Maintain

Your main priority while cleaning nail guns should be safety. If jammed nail gun misfires, it can cause deadly injuries. So, before starting the unjamming process, try to meet the following requirements.

• Wear safety goggles that protect your eyes from flying nails. 
• Wear heavy-duty gloves that will provide you with a protective barrier against injury.

Lastly, make sure that your nail gun does not face a person’s face or any other body part.

Disconnect the Power Source

Whether your nail gun is a pneumatic model that operates with compressed air or a battery-powered nailer, you must disconnect the nailer from its power source before starting to clean your nailer. Otherwise, it increases the risk of potential injuries. Disconnecting from the power source means disconnecting the air hose, unplugging the power string, or separating the battery.

Disconnect the Power Source

Open the Barrel

Nail guns usually ship with a release lever. This lever allows them to release nail jams spontaneously. Generally, the lever resides in the barrel of the nail gun. For the unjamming process, open the barrel of the nail gun and the release lever. Always bear in mind to point the nail gun away from you. 

On the contrary, not every model comes equipped with a release lever. If there is no lever, expose the magazine on the nailer. If you wonder how you will disclose the magazine, I would suggest you use a flip-style mechanism. It is a feature that almost every gun has on the nose. Plus, it allows the magazine to slide open. If the flip-style mechanism is somehow stuck, use a claw hammer or a pair of pliers to pry it and expose it, then slide the magazine. 

Sometimes, if there is no lever, then backward or misaligned nails may be the reason for jamming.

Open the Barrel

Remove the Jammed Nail

This step is for those nail guns that do not comprise lever release mechanisms. After identifying the jammed nail, it is obvious to remove it. Use the tip of a fastener, a pair of needle pliers, or the claw portion of a hammer. These needle pliers are small and thin enough to pry the stuck nail out and remove them. This intricate process might take quite some time. 

Even if all the other nails are organized correctly, remove them after prying out the jammed fasteners. Observe the nose, whether there is any damage or not. If you find any visible damage on the gun, take help from a professional instead of repairing this yourself.

Remove Remaining Nails

Reload and Check the Gun

Once all the jammed nails are unjammed with all remaining fasteners removed, refill the magazine with new ones. This time, make sure you do it in an organized way. All of them should be facing in the same direction. Close the barrel and lock the magazine after that. 

Finally, put the power source back. That means reconnecting the air hose, plugging in the electric cord, or reinserting the battery. After reconnecting, ensure that no jams or other damages occur. If there are still some problems with jamming, repeat the steps above.

Loose Magazine or Loose screw

Your nail gun may jam due to a loose magazine or loose screw. If this happens, tighten the screws and magazine. If the nailer remains clogged after reinforcing those, contact the nearest servicing center. 

Worn or Damaged Nailer part

Sometimes worn or damaged nailer parts cause jamming. If this happens, find out which part has worn out. After that, repair the damaged part or replace it if necessary. 

Frequently Asked Question

Why is Paslode nail gun jamming?

The probable cause might be that the nail jam is stopping the nails from moving forward. Moreover, there are some other reasons, such as empty gas fuel cells, dilapidated fuel cells. If it is used daily, clean the nail gun regularly.

Why does my Dewalt nail gun keep jamming?

If your Dewalt nail gun keeps jamming, firstly remove the battery and the magazine. Furthermore, ensure that there are no fasteners that cause jam in the mechanism. While you find a jamming fastener, remove it and push the driver blade back up. Therefore, reinsert the battery and magazine.

Conclusion

Jamming may be annoying when you are about to finish a project. Though unjamming becomes a piece of cake over time with experience, it can still be time-consuming and repellent. Furthermore, make sure that you disconnect your nailer from the power source. Otherwise, it causes a severe issue.