Worst stuck bullet ever

[jag22]

Finally beat that B. Even to the bitter end, about 1/2 was sticking out the end of the barrel and still wouldn't give. Put on a board that had a hole drilled thru it for the bullet to fall thru. The key was using a regular hammer.
Whole thing started with a bad primer, it went pffft meaning the primer made a spark but not enough to set off the powder. Lots of unburnt powder to clean up. I use several different primers (you know how it is, you buy what you can find) but I suspect it was a Ginex but I've had it happen with other brands. Barrel looks fine, just glad it's over.

 

[DWalt]

Finally beat that B. Even to the bitter end, about 1/2 was sticking out the end of the barrel and still wouldn't give. Put on a board that had a hole drilled thru it for the bullet to fall thru. The key was using a regular hammer.
Whole thing started with a bad primer, it went pffft meaning the primer made a spark but not enough to set off the powder. Lots of unburnt powder to clean up. I use several different primers (you know how it is, you buy what you can find) but I suspect it was a Ginex but I've had it happen with other brands. Barrel looks fine, just glad it's over.

That is a first for me. Never before have I experienced, or ever heard of, a primer going pffft and not igniting the powder. I have experienced dud primers, but they do nothing.

In my range tool bag, I usually keep a 6” long 5/16 hex head bolt wrapped with tape, also a length of aluminum .22 cleaning rod, both for driving out any bullets stuck in the bore of a handgun. I have needed to use them several times. Other tools include a small hammer, a small Crescent wrench, small and large screwdriver sets, pliers, and a set of Allen head wrenches. That is usually enough to handle anything.

 

[jag22]

I’ve had few over the years. First clue, no recoil. Next, even with my ears on I can hear the pffft then get some smoke and lots of burnt (maybe unburnt, just looks burnt) powder. Always assumed the powder just barely lit but didn’t fully take off.

 

[diyj98]

Do Not try and shoot it out with another bullet

Shooting it out was going to be my suggestion.......

I once had a guy show me a Colt Police Positive that had what looked like three bullets stuck in the (badly swollen) barrel. Evidently the owner had actually tried to shoot out a stuck bullet.

 

[DWalt]

At one time over 15 years ago I did a study on in-bore collisions using the Beretta M9 and military M882 9mm ammunition, done at the USAF gunsmith shop tunnel range at Lackland AFB. Old high-mileage training M9s pulled from service were used. Three main test conditions. First was a bullet placed in the bore just beyond the chamber, enough to allow seating of a full cartridge. Second had the bullet midway in the bore. Last, the bullet nose was just inside the muzzle. We videotaped the tests with the guns in a Ransom Rest and inside a steel plate confinement. Results were no damage to the M9, no barrel ruptures. Also did the same using 9mm frangible ammunition, same results. A testament to the strength of the M9.

I would not recommend that anyone try to repeat such a test. I probably still have my test report somewhere, if I ever find it, I will provide more details.

 

[chief38]

Could you put the barrel in a hydraulic press with a brass rod to press it out?

Yes, that would work if you have one or have access to one.

 

[growr]

My brother is a tool and die maker, and recently had a friend with this problem as well.....brother chucked it up in his drill press and drilled a .30 caliber hole through the stuck bullet.

Then driving it out with a brass rod was very easy......not for everyone, but he has the tooling and knowledge to do so.

Randy

 

[Chuck24]

I’ll be odd man out. I’ve always driven the bullet from muzzle to breach. Always worked for me. It seems most barrels taper a bit toward the muzzle end.

 

[chief38]

I'd NEVER try and shoot it out - not worth the risk IMO.

 

[glowe]

Find someone with a 6"+ vise. Take a 1/2" Piece of oak and drill a hole the size of your bore and place it against the rear jaw of the vise. Cut a brass rod a 1/2" longer than the barrel, insert it and place in the center of the vise jaw. Oil the muzzle of the barrel, not the breech. Close the vise and it will force the bullet 1/2" forward. It should free it enough to then remove the bullet. If not, cut a longer brass rod and push it another 1/2" until out of the barrel.

 

[WR Moore]

I kinda like the barrel in a freezer idea. Even better if you can find some dry ice.

 

[DWalt]

Cooling of the plugged barrel makes perfect sense. Lead has a coefficient of thermal expansion which is about triple that of steel. Therefore when cooled, a lead bullet will shrink much more than the steel in the barrel surrounding it, thereby loosening it. And the colder the better.

 

[mtgianni]

Large hammer 4-5 lbs and use force lightly, just past what it would drop at.

 

[s&wchad]

I'm happy to hear that you got it out!

I've been fortunate and never had to remove a stuck bullet from a barrel. I did have occasion to remove struck pellets from an air rifle... 17 of them!

A club member had this Benjamin 397PA on his table at a swap meet, priced at $25.

When I picked it up, he told me his idiot son tried loading multiple pellets at one time and lodged them in the barrel. His attempts to shoot them out only compounded the problem.

I bought it intending to replace the barrel, but figured I'd try to get them out first. All the pellets were near the muzzle. I didn't want to take the gun apart and they wouldn't budge when pushed back with a .17 caliber rod. I finally chucked a long 9/64" drill but into a tap handle, used a punch to put a dimple into the nose of the front pellet and slowly turned it by hand. I was able to pull all but the last few out the front of the barrel. The remaining 3 were easily driven back into the loading port. No damage to the barrel and it shoots like a champ!

 

[DWalt]

My first experience with a stuck bullet was over 50 years ago, but it was not my gun. A friend had an old single shot .22 boys rifle with something stuck about midway down the barrel. I could not budge it using a steel rod and hammer, and I guessed that it was likely to be more than a single lead bullet. It occurred to me that since lead has a fairly low melting point maybe the obstruction could be melted out. I got out my propane torch and proceeded to heat the barrel from the obstruction to the muzzle while the barrel was held in a vertical position. Sure enough, some molten lead dripped out. Problem solved.

 

[Racer X]

I kinda like the barrel in a freezer idea. Even better if you can find some dry ice.

most barrel steel gets brittle below -40F. Freezer is ok, dry ice is not. 416 stainless is not ok, 416R is, for example.

 

[cgt4570]

FYI: mercury from an old thermostat or oral (or rectal ) thermometer will dissolve lead. Don't touch it. Don't drink it. Dispose of the waste per EPA and all that.

 

[DWalt]

If the Mercury could get to the lead, it would work, but would probably take awhile. For years I have kept about 4 (fluid) ounces for de-leading bores, it works great for that. It is really not particularly hazardous if you are very careful to not spill it and always work outside. Chemical compounds containing Mercury are far more hazardous than metallic Mercury. They are soluble and can get into your bodily systems, while metallic Mercury is not.

I had a job once where I literally waded in pools of Mercury, and worked around it eight hours a day. none the worse for it.