Your stapler isn't broken. It’s just a jam.

Most jammed staplers are fixed by opening the top, pulling out the stray staple, and never forcing the slide—the problem is almost never the mechanism.

The classic jam happens when one staple gets wedged sideways in the track or the exit slot. To see it, open the stapler all the way. On most models, the top metal part swings back and the staple track lifts out or slides forward. That’s it. No tools needed. Look inside: usually you’ll see a bent staple sitting at an angle where it should come out.

Grab it with tweezers or a small flathead screwdriver. Pull gently in the direction it was trying to go—forward, toward the opening. If it’s stuck in the exit chute (the little slot where staples come out), push a thin pin or paper clip through from the outside to nudge it