brass brush broke off in the bore....

I was cleaning my Henry Goldenboy .17 HMR and was using a J. Dewley rod and bore brush. I inserted it and it bent and snapped right at the top of the barrel. There is not enough left to grab, just a few millimeters and there is a 2 inch wire brush in the barrel. How can I get it out, there is not enough to grab with pliers. If I try to force it through, the brush is longer than the chamber and I would have to rip it out with needle nose pliers. I don't want to damage the gun, it is a nice rifle.....

What should I do?

Try to push it on through in the same direction it was going when it broke.

You won't be able to pull it back out, because the brush bristles are already bent over the wrong direction.

Get it out of the ejection port however you need to do it.
It's brass, it won't hurt anything.

rc

Rip it out, or push it through. The brass bristles will not hurt a steel barrel.

I assume you can only clean from the Muzzle? I think I'd try and find a pull thru cleaning rig for next time.

Here is what I'd do if it were me, YMMV. I'd pull the bullet from a round, dump the powder and let the gas from the primer only push it out (pointing in a safe direction, or at the ground or 5 Gal bucket half filled with sand).

If you can protect the muzzle, plan B would be to drive the brush into the chamber and then bend the brush with needle nose pliers and drive it in stages until its free.


I had a similar situation with a black powder muzzle loader, I took off the nipple trickled in a bit of powder, replaced the nipple and set it off with a propane torch. Jag went into the ground, never to be found again.

Try to push it on through in the same direction it was going when it broke.

You won't be able to pull it back out, because the brush bristles are already bent over the wrong direction.

Get it out of the ejection port however you need to do it.
It's brass, it won't hurt anything.


rc
FIXED! I pushed it through by tapping the end of the rod with a mallet, and banged it all the way through the barrel and out the chamber, then grabbed the end with pliers.

I think this is one of the few happy endibngs to a bore obstruction I have read on this forum.

I think I'd try and find a pull thru cleaning rig for next time.

For a 17 cal? You are just begging for trouble.

+1

Break a pull-through string off in a .17 and then you have a real bore obstruction!!

Use the rod & brush.
Just be more careful next time.

rc

in a larger bore, use a dowel near the size of the bore to push it out. If you use a cleaning rod to do it, the rod can get stuck between the bore and the bush, and that can get quite ugly.

It can get even uglier if a wood dowel breaks and leaves two matching wedge shaped ends.

Once you drive those wood wedge dowel ends in behind a bore obstruction, you Really got a bore obstruction!!

If you don't want to use a cleaning rod, get a brass rod from the hardware store.

rc

Well, I haven't experienced that yet...the stuck bore brushes i've had were simply unscrewed from the rod, and the dowel pushed them right out.

Right.

Its when people start pounding on a dowel rod when things can go south fast.

I try to never recommend a wood dowel rod for anything bore obstruction related, as I have repaired the disasterous results for others way too many times over the years.

rc

Well, I haven't experienced that yet...

When it finally happens, then you'll understand.
And you'll be doing this-- :cuss::cuss::cuss:

17hmrs are hard to clean because the bore is so small and it requires special cleaning rods, brushes, mops, etc.

...try to clean this from the chamber to the breach next time, if possible. ..and do not use equipment meant to clean a 22lr.

You might be able to shoot it out, but a primer alone won't do it. Remove the bullet from a round and use a light piece of tissue to keep the powder in. A brush might not offer enough resistance to be blown out, but it is worth a try. But again, NO BULLET!!!

Jim

I can't believe how complicated some have tried to make this.
It's a brush broke off in a barrel open from muzzle to breech.
Just push it out! :banghead:
And using a .22 cleaning rod on a .17??
I got lots of 22 cleaning rods, non will even begin to enter a 17 barrel.

I agree with pushing it out in the same direction.

Why are you guys still arguing/yelling?

FIXED! I pushed it through by tapping the end of the rod with a mallet, and banged it all the way through the barrel and out the chamber, then grabbed the end with pliers.