[Barr]

I made three dummy 9mm rounds for a friend recently to use as snap caps (colored the cases with black marker for safety etc). Has bullet but no powder and a dead primer etc. He placed one of them in his gun and it is now stuck in the chamber of an XD. At this point the slide will not cycle. I am thinking of using a penetrating oil on/in the barrel and some kind of brass punch and a hammer in conjuction with a vise and wrapping everything to the best of my ability with some kind of leather cloth. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to remove the case?

I have been racking my brain trying to figure out how this might have happened and the only thing I can think of is I might have forgotten to resize due to not decapping. I doubt this though because I would hope I remembered to resize.

[Walkalong]

You can use a cheap wooden dowel and slide it in the barrel and into the case and just tap it back out. If you have a long brass rod the right size, it of course, will work also.:)

[Empyrean]

I bought case gauges in every caliber I reload. It is a nice way for me to spot check my reloaded cartridges. I found it especially nice when workng on the taper crimpe for 9MM and 45ACP. They are pretty inexpensive and could have helped to prevent something like this from happening. You might want to check them out.

--AJ

[FieroCDSP]

I've made a few dummy rounds like that. I made sure to use a Lee FCD so they'd chamber. Wooden dowel and a hammer will get it out of there.

[Shoney]

Barr: To make snap caps, may I suggest:

full length resize case such that it is deprimed

fill the primer pocket with ShoeGoo (can be purchased at most shoe departments, got mine a WalMart). After the initial application using a tooth ick, let it dry a day or so as it will shrink a bit. A second application will do, they after drying, fire away. The hard rubber cushions the firing pin strike, and they last a long time.

[Grump]

#1 question is whether the locking lug(s) is/are still engaged! If yes, hammering on the dummy's bullet might not be a good idea. Do you plan to be stronger than the chamber pressure of a 9mm?

If still locked, see if you can gently mallet the barrel's chamber area down to "unlocked" through the ejection port, while pulling backwards on the slide. This will reduce the stress on your unlocking cam surfaces, including the link pin if it's one of those designs (sorry, can't remember if XDs are more SIG/Glock lockers, or Browning/CZ/Colt lockers).

Once your barrel is unlocked, then whack away at the case/bullet unit.

Myself, I prefer to whammer at the slide with a nice piece of hardwood taking the direct impact.

[Barr]

Good call Grump. I was thinking about that just the other morning. Have not worked on or seen the gun yet, but plan to fool with it Sunday afternoon. Will post results.

[ReloaderFred]

All my XD's have short leades, so if the bearing surface of the bullet is seated out very far, then that's what's holding the dummy round in the chamber. I've got them in 9mm, 357 Sig and .45 acp, and they all have very short leades.

I would have your buddy hold the gun and pull back on the slide while you use a 5/16" wooden dowel down the barrel and tap on it lightly with a small hammer. This would approximate in slow motion what occurs when the round goes off and should pop that stuck case right out. Just be sure he's depressing the grip safety when he grips the gun.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[scrat]

what shoney said is correct. you need to full length resize the cases first. especially if they were fired from a different gun. otherwise thats how they get stuck as your trying to size the cartridge when your chambering it.

[Barr]

The more I think about it, I think I did resize the cases. I do remember having to bell the cases quite a bit to get the 9mm bullets to seat without crunching the walls of the case. I made these cartridges over 4 months ago, that is why it is hard to remember lol. The loaded dummy rounds were within SAAMI spec for length. I did seat them to the longer end of the spectrum though.

[Shoney]

I prefer not to seat a bullet in my snap caps, unless they are for teaching people who flich (They cannot tell by sight which are dummy rounds, and therefore tend to flinch in their normal bad habit manner.)

I remove the bullets from the "teaching snap caps" as soon as the teaching sessions have been completed. This is done to prevent mixing of snap caps with loaded ammo.

[Eagle103]

Ignore please. Wrong thread.

[lee n. field]

XD -- you do know that you won't be able to rack the slide without the grip safety depressed, right?

[franksremote]

Get a GOOD grip with your weak hand on the slide. Take your strong hand and smack forward contacting with the web of your hand below the beavertail where your grip would normally place your hand. If it made it in, this'll get it out, usually no more than one or two whacks. ;)

[ninja45]

+1

This is one of the most efficient way of clearing a stuck round (live or dummy). The key is a firm grasp on the slide (a square strip of bicycle inner tube is what I use to aid in this purpose) and an authoritative wack on the grip area with your other hand. Works everytime ;-)

Ninja45