I'm an idiot.

Jamie

Jamie

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O.K., I screwed up. Sunday I took a few firearms to the club to practice a little. Shot the AR, shot the Walther P-22, shot the Ruger .357, shot the S&W .460. No problems. Grabbed the S&W .40 M&P, loaded up with some fresh reloads from the night before, and "pfffffft". No powder, just the primer went off. Now I have a plated bullet lodged in the barrel. Anyone have any suggestions for removing it? I was thinking a brass drift should do it without damaging the barrel. What direction do I tap it out, towards the muzzle or towards the breech? I just want to do this safely and without damage to the gun. Thanks for any suggestions.


BTW, I pulled down all 99 remaining rounds that I had made and all were fine. Somehow one slipped through the Lee Pro 1000 without any powder. I just checked the press and everything seems to be fine. Not really sure how it happened.[thinking]
 
I concur on the use of a wooden dowel; not a cleaning rod or brass drift.

The slug should preferably be drifted back toward the chamber, unless it is hollow point likely to be deformed by the pounding. Remove the barrel and be sure that it is well supported on a well padded surface.

If you have access to a wide enough vise (or perhaps a vertical press), with amply padded jaws, you might find that preferable to pounding with a hammer on a dowel.
 
Not an expert here but wouldn't you want to push it out the shorter distance? Whichever that might be.

and yes, wood dowel, the biggest one you can fit in the barrel without binding
 
icyclefar said:
Not an expert here but wouldn't you want to push it out the shorter distance? Whichever that might be.

and yes, wood dowel, the biggest one you can fit in the barrel without binding
Click to expand...

In theory, you might be right. However, if we assume that the effective bore diameter is not perfectly consistent throughout the length of the bore, the slug has already passed through the smallest portion beween its lodged position and the chamber. In addition, the effect of the force imparted by the dowel on the slug will be to tend to upset the slug where the dowel contacts it. If you push on the base, which is full diameter, you add to the composite slug-to-bore friction, while if you press on the nose, it has a long way to go before you start to do the same thing. The notion that you push a stuck slug back in the direction it came has been a rule of thumb for a long time.
 
isnt this an infamous "squib load"... my friends a gun smith, if you want I can ask him what he would do?... (tomorrow)
 
Simple, just tap it out using a wooden dowel as large as will fit in the barrel and a ball peen hammer. Key word is TAP. I wouldn't even bother taking it apart.

Done it many a time for pards at a match that had squibs. Brownells sells brass squib rods in different calibers if you really want to get fancy.

Hope that helps,
 
Take solace in the fact, that although you are an idiot (welcome to the club), you are a lucky idiot! Which of course is the preferred kind of idoit to be. :)

A wood dowl or brass rod works well, many shooters often carry them in range bags


Respectfully,

jkelly
 
I think most reloaders encounter a squib load at least once and the advice given is right on the money. Use a wooden dowel and tap towards the breech. At least you had the presence of mind not to pull the trigger again (assuming the case ejected). That might have been disastrous.
 
It helps to oil the barrel. I've used a Q-tip and sizzing wax, gun oil, and WD40. They all help. Use a dowel rod that fits. If it's to small, it will not work as well.
 
Ninemil said:
I think most reloaders encounter a squib load at least once and the advice given is right on the money. Use a wooden dowel and tap towards the breech. At least you had the presence of mind not to pull the trigger again (assuming the case ejected). That might have been disastrous.
Click to expand...

I had a squib with factory Remington 9mm FMJ in my Uzi a couple of years ago. I used the wooden dowel method and loaded the barrel with penetrating oil overnight, after I tried to pop it out dry and it seemed to take too much effort. I woke up the next morning, stuck the dowel in the barrel and popped it twice with the hammer and it fell out through the chamber onto the floor. Even though squibs happen to every manufacturer I would imagine, I never bought another box of Remington and shoot WWB exclusively, (until a squib happens).... [wink]
 
HardJeepGuy said:
BTW, I pulled down all 99 remaining rounds that I had made and all were fine. Somehow one slipped through the Lee Pro 1000 without any powder. I just checked the press and everything seems to be fine. Not really sure how it happened.[thinking]
Click to expand...

Couldn't you have used a scale to weigh the remaining rounds to check for the lack of powder? Just a thought.

Kurt
 
I keep a brass hammer and 2 brass rods of different diameter for such occasions in my range box. Never had much luck with a wooden dowel they always seemed to mush over. The hammer is an 8oz by the way.
 
What a coincidence. Iwas at the range Sunday with my Sig 229. Pulled the trigger heard a pffft and a little smoke. Pulled the mag, drew the slide back and locked it. Guess what? copper plated round about 1/3 up the barrel. Seeing how it was the only gun I brought with me and a little depressed because I let round with no powder get by me while reloading, I went home. Took a oak dowel placed the barrel on a piece of wood at the chamber end couple of smacks and good as new. I WILL carry a dowel and a small hammer with me in the range bag from now on!
 
I had a squib that was powerful enough to eject the brass and chamber a round. I was smart enough to check and had the bullet jammed 3" down the barrel. I brought it to a gunsmith as I was a newbie and he used a wooden dowl to tap it out. I now carry a 6" rod that I keep in my bag to give a quick barrel check. I'm not looking down the barrel!
 
Thank you all for the advice. It took a lot to even post my stupidity, but I figured hearing how others had dealt with this would keep me from mucking up a perfectly good gun and may be of use to others down the road. I tried the oak dowel this afternoon and it worked like a charm! It is now the new addition to my range box.

Mods: I apologize for posting in the wrong place, thanks for moving this thread.
 
You are not the first to have that happen to you and you will NOT be the last. Anyone that shoots a lot has has it happen. It's a bad way to slug a barrel but gives you the information.
 

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