pistolpete10
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A bullet can be stuck tight, wooden dowel sometimes isn't strong enough. I had a squib with a plated wadcutter, powder didn't burn, it was very hard to knock out.
How do YOU Clear a Squib? Bullet stuck in barrel.
- Thread starter TheHobbyist
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BLACKHAWKNJ
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For muzzle loaders a screw that bites into the lead bullet is widely used. A clamp around the rod for a good grip. In RevWar reenacting removing a stuck cleaning patch or other implement is a two man job. One holds the musket, the others the rod and they pull in opposite directions. Seems to me something similar would work on jacketed bullets.
My one squib was one of my reloads in my S&W M-57, wedged in the forcing cone.
I like the rounded handles, for a very stubborn squib placing the handle of the rod on a level flat surface then pressing down with body weight should do the job.
Recently I have been shooting my Browning High Power and Colt Mark IV with Ciener conversion units, they are pretty ammunition sensitive, for failures to extract I made a "range" rod, 12" brass rod sunk 2" in a large wooden dowel grip, 5", painted yellow, resides in my 22 box. Will make one for my center fire semi autos,
My one squib was one of my reloads in my S&W M-57, wedged in the forcing cone.
I like the rounded handles, for a very stubborn squib placing the handle of the rod on a level flat surface then pressing down with body weight should do the job.
Recently I have been shooting my Browning High Power and Colt Mark IV with Ciener conversion units, they are pretty ammunition sensitive, for failures to extract I made a "range" rod, 12" brass rod sunk 2" in a large wooden dowel grip, 5", painted yellow, resides in my 22 box. Will make one for my center fire semi autos,
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As Pistolpete mentions plated bullets can be a real problem. I was talking with an old gunsmith buddy last year and he told me about stuck plated bullets. They aren’t truly jacketed just thin copper plating and they upset or obturate to a degree in the barrel. He told me they were sometimes impossible to drive out. So when he runs into one like that he plugs the barrel and pours some copper cleaner like Sweets with lots of ammonia in the bore. After a long soak the ammonia eats up the jacket and out comes the slug. Thought I’d mention it
Rick
Rick
AJ
US Veteran
Good to know......
Got mine from ACE too. You can get just about any diameter you need.
A brass rod that closely fits the bore, and a strong wack with a hammer will do the trick without damaging the bore...
Welding Supply shops usually have big selection of brass brazing rods. I haven’t got any small enough but Stainless Steel would also make good squib rods. My dad use to carry a piece of 1/2” brass round stock in his vest pocket. It was only about 3” long. He used it to slide down shotgun barrel to knock out stuck cases in shotgun while using handloads. It occurred enough shooting trap or he wouldn’t have carried it in his pocket.
Wooden dowels from the Home Depot stores aren't the same cut as a muzzle loader ram-rod.
Those DIY dowels have grain run-out in them. It's just the way they are manufactured. A slender rip sawed piece of wood run through a plug cutter type of set up. The grain can be anything from lengthwise to crosswise.
Ramrods are split down to the small square size needed before either hand shaping or machine cutting to round. The grain has to run lengthwise or you can't split them w/o them 'running out' and ending up with short pieces.
What this all means is that grain run-out and the possibility of the Handi-Store dowel cracking and splintering into a couple pieces or more is likely to happen while its' down in the bore and you are hammering on it to move the stuck bullet.
If that happens, and even if the dowel is near bore size, the cracked/split dowel can separate and wedge one or even both pieces in the bore as the long cracks do act as over riding wedges.
You then drive the wedges together to further tighten the dowel in the bore.
Now you've got a real interesting problem.
Don't get me wrong,,a dowel can very often work to remove a stuck bullet in a bore.
But, if the bullet resists just a bit more than you may expect and you decide that maybe a couple extra wacks of maybe a little extra effort will do the trick,,you might very well end up with the whole package wedged down in there. There'll be no warning that it might happen. It just will.
Better to use a brass rod or aluminum IMO.
Even then careful use is needed. I've seen brass rods put a mark in the bore of a bbl if they make a glancing blow off the tip of a bullet.
A customer had a pristine .310Martini Cadet one time and decided he needed to shoot it with correct ammo.
First thing to do he figured was to slug the bore. He got his lead slug about half way down the bore and stuck. He pounded it out w/a brass rod.
He got his measurement OK,,but left a nice dent in the bore where he went after the stuck slug a bit too heavy handed.
No matter what rod you use, you have to decide when to stop if the bullet isn't moving and rethink things.
You can just rivet/expand the bullet tighter into the bore than it already is by hammering the rod into the bullet and not have it move at all.
Pointed bullets,usually in rifles, can present a problem as they can deflect a rod if the face is too small and drive it along side the bullet.
A large face rod can sometimes just push the tip of the bullet down and expand like it's designed to do on game.
Pushing spire tip bullets out are usually a safer bet going at them from the base. No sharp tip to deal with and the metal jacket is thicker generally at the base.
But some gun designs aren't very helpful in allowing it w/o some extra work.
Removing a stuck bullet is one of those little jobs that can go very smoothly and quickly with the simplest of tools
Or it can turn into a very big cluster in a hurry if you're not careful. ...and sometimes even if you are careful!
Those DIY dowels have grain run-out in them. It's just the way they are manufactured. A slender rip sawed piece of wood run through a plug cutter type of set up. The grain can be anything from lengthwise to crosswise.
Ramrods are split down to the small square size needed before either hand shaping or machine cutting to round. The grain has to run lengthwise or you can't split them w/o them 'running out' and ending up with short pieces.
What this all means is that grain run-out and the possibility of the Handi-Store dowel cracking and splintering into a couple pieces or more is likely to happen while its' down in the bore and you are hammering on it to move the stuck bullet.
If that happens, and even if the dowel is near bore size, the cracked/split dowel can separate and wedge one or even both pieces in the bore as the long cracks do act as over riding wedges.
You then drive the wedges together to further tighten the dowel in the bore.
Now you've got a real interesting problem.
Don't get me wrong,,a dowel can very often work to remove a stuck bullet in a bore.
But, if the bullet resists just a bit more than you may expect and you decide that maybe a couple extra wacks of maybe a little extra effort will do the trick,,you might very well end up with the whole package wedged down in there. There'll be no warning that it might happen. It just will.
Better to use a brass rod or aluminum IMO.
Even then careful use is needed. I've seen brass rods put a mark in the bore of a bbl if they make a glancing blow off the tip of a bullet.
A customer had a pristine .310Martini Cadet one time and decided he needed to shoot it with correct ammo.
First thing to do he figured was to slug the bore. He got his lead slug about half way down the bore and stuck. He pounded it out w/a brass rod.
He got his measurement OK,,but left a nice dent in the bore where he went after the stuck slug a bit too heavy handed.
No matter what rod you use, you have to decide when to stop if the bullet isn't moving and rethink things.
You can just rivet/expand the bullet tighter into the bore than it already is by hammering the rod into the bullet and not have it move at all.
Pointed bullets,usually in rifles, can present a problem as they can deflect a rod if the face is too small and drive it along side the bullet.
A large face rod can sometimes just push the tip of the bullet down and expand like it's designed to do on game.
Pushing spire tip bullets out are usually a safer bet going at them from the base. No sharp tip to deal with and the metal jacket is thicker generally at the base.
But some gun designs aren't very helpful in allowing it w/o some extra work.
Removing a stuck bullet is one of those little jobs that can go very smoothly and quickly with the simplest of tools
Or it can turn into a very big cluster in a hurry if you're not careful. ...and sometimes even if you are careful!
hkcavalier
US Veteran
I've had 2, both with the same batch of factory reloads.
This one was exposed enough to remove with pliers:
This one, I used a dowel and a mallet.
This one was exposed enough to remove with pliers:
This one, I used a dowel and a mallet.
I forgot I did buy 8’ of 3/16th” brass rod to make a couple ram rods for TC Cherokees 32cal MLs. I sold my Cherokee but still have the ram rods. I have 12” for 22s but forget Dia. My Dad liked to make stuff out of brass and made ram rods for all our friends. The only downside is the weight. He made me a ball starter of solid brass, just like TC wood one. You had to have a box of Wheaties for breakfast just to tote gun and accessories made of brass.
OLDSTER
Member
In my range bag, I carry hardwood dowels of several different diameters and lengths, and a small brass hammer. Has worked so far.
I got one of these a couple of weeks ago. It is a first class tool and less than $10.00. However, the shipping is steep. I have used it a couple of times as I had a bad batch of 38 reloads.
Squib Rod - stuck bullet removal - Deep River Customs, Inc
Squib Rod - stuck bullet removal - Deep River Customs, Inc
flagman1776
Member
I made a brass rod for my key chain after a (dept supplied) reload squib during training that I paid for out my own pocket.
I use a wood dowel with a spent 30 carbine cartridge on one end. Keeps the wood from splitting. Unfortunately, I know it works.
ContinentalOp
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Quick update:
It arrived! I had my doubts because package tracking took over a week to update. From the packaging it definitely looked like new, old-stock. The plastic wrap looked like it had been in storage somewhere for several years. But it looks pretty good. Checked the length, and it works with all my guns. Added it to my keychain, and surprisingly wasn't obtrusive at all in my pocket. Considering ordering a second one as a back-up. Hopefully I'll never need it.
