How would you remove this squib?

[DivideByZero]

I was shooting with a friend today and we were sending a few rounds downrange with his 3 inch GP100. I was shooting at the time and, upon pulling of the trigger, we heard a quiet pop and I felt some heat against my left hand and left cheek.

We discovered that the bullet had traveled 95% of the way down the barrel and was lodged near the muzzle. Any suggestions on how to remove this squib? If the bullet was closer to the other end, I would say just to drive it out through the muzzle but it's location so close to the muzzle makes us want to at least try to get it out that way but we can't think of how to drive it out.

 

[rcmodel]

Squirt some oil in the barrel behind it.

Then use a brass rod to drive it back out the same way in came in.

rc

 

[Schwing]

You need to drive it out from the muzzle. There is no good way to do it otherwise. If you use a brass dowel and a rubber or wood mallet you will minimize risk of barrel damage. you will also want to make sure that the cylinder is open and that you are not actually putting pressure on the cylinder or you will bend something out of whack.

 

[illinoisburt]

Remove the cylinder, tap it back through the barrel with a brass rod and mallet. It won't take too much force to move. Just because it's close to the end instead of in the middle doesn't change how to fix it.

 

[ku4hx]

The process is exactly that of slugging your bore. Put a little light oil in the bore and drive it out from the muzzle. I use multiple hardwood dowels when slugging longer barrels, but with this short a distance that isn't practical. I have a fiberglass rod just for this purpose.

Then you need to think about the ammunition. If it's your reloads you need to adjust your loading protocols. If it's some other guys then that brings on more talk. If it was factory, I'd be making a phone call.

 

[DivideByZero]

Thanks for the input. We are going to try the oil and brass rod through the muzzle method and report back. These were his handloads. They were all very light -- in the mouse fart region -- at around 3 grains of Titegroup. Maybe his powder dispenser (Hornady drum) didn't pick up the small charge? He said he watches the powder cop and didn't see anything out of whack during that reloading session.

 

[WestKentucky]

Only 2 ways to push through the front. To push through you would have to have a few chunks of brass rod shorter than the gap from barrel to breech face, drop those in and use a lever through the cylinder opening to push the bullet through...a lot of work, and a fair amount of stress on the frame. The way to pull the bullet is to drill is partially through, screw in an eye bolt and pull. Likely the lead will not hold and you will pull the threads before you pull the bullet. If you drill all the way through you risk damaging your rifling. So, there are way to make it go out the front, but none are as simple or cheap as tapping it back to where it came from.

 

[25-5]

Wood dowels. As mentioned. Easy to get in different sizes. Tap, tap. It comes right out. Also a good time to measure barrel diameter.

 

[joem1945]

Just had one myself although it was about half way in or out depending how you look at it. Koil in both ends. Removed the cylinder and first a good wack to get it started and then tapped it out. I have several machined steel rods just made for that job.

 

[ku4hx]

He said he watches the powder cop and didn't see anything out of whack during that reloading session.

Like most hand loaders will tell you, shoot others at your own risk. If he was watching, he missed something and now it's your gun that's down. But, it could have been worse and now you have a decision to make.

 

[RealGun]

I had one recently right at the muzzle. The gunsmith drilled and tapped the bullet for his inertial puller out the muzzle. It works on the same principle as a gear puller.

 

[Walkalong]

Don't use a wooden dowel, get a brass rod. The wood can splinter and jam up making it very hard to get it out.

A little oil and tap tap tap it on out.

 

[Skinnedknuckles]

Don't use a wooden dowel, get a brass rod. The wood can splinter and jam up making it very hard to get it out.

A little oil and tap tap tap it on out.

What he said!!! Get a brass rod and keep it in your range bag. If you have to use wood dowels, change dowels at the first hint that it is starting to split. Otherwise you will be driving out the bullet and a piece of dowel.

 

[Schwing]

Don't use a wooden dowel, get a brass rod. The wood can splinter and jam up making it very hard to get it out.

A little oil and tap tap tap it on out.

Another vehement vote for NOT using a wood dowel. You might get away with it (I did for a long time) but eventually you will have one split in the barrel and you got a mess. They wedge in there are are dang near impossible to get out. It seems like almost every shooter has a bad wood dowel experience at one point or another... skip yours.

 

[WestKentucky]

Another vehement vote for NOT using a wood dowel. You might get away with it (I did for a long time) but eventually you will have one split in the barrel and you got a mess. They wedge in there are are dang near impossible to get out. It seems like almost every shooter has a bad wood dowel experience at one point or another... skip yours.

I nearly did the same with a brass cleaning rod. I called a local welding/steel supply shop and ended up with a few pieces of aluminum. The 32" piece of 1/4 inch I bought a month ago saved my butt once and that one time paid for the whole lot.

 

[DivideByZero]

Update:

My buddy said he got it out with a brass cleaning rod and a few light taps with a hammer. Apparently it wasn't difficult to move the bullet from the muzzle all the way back out the way it came.

Hopefully lesson learned.

 

[otisrush]

Don't use a wooden dowel, get a brass rod. The wood can splinter and jam up making it very hard to get it out.

A little oil and tap tap tap it on out.

I'm glad to get this input. I've never had to pound out a squib but I always figured the best way to do it was with wood. It's good to know not to go that route.

My question though: Is it hard to keep the brass rod on the nose of the bullet? I presume not since this is the recommended method. But what concerned me and made me figure a wood dowel was best was having the brass rod slip off the nose of the bullet and inadvertently pounding a brass rod in between the bullet and the barrel.

OR

P.S.: Maybe it's best to get a pretty fat brass rod? When I hear "brass rod" I think "cleaning rod".

 

[rcmodel]

You need a metal rod (brass, aluminum, or polished steel) near enough to be a slip fit in the bore.
(Think hardware store metal rack.)

But, if you have a .38 / .357 bore, and only can find 5/16" (.3125") rod?
Or a .45 and can only find 3/8" (.375")

Wrap tape strips around the rod until it is a slip fit and centered in the bore.

The problem with cleaning rods is they are always too small, and never center on a pointed bullet nose.

And the threaded joints expand and seize into the barrel when you apply a hammer too them!


The problem with wood dowels is they always have lengthwise grain pattern.
When they split, they become two wedges, driven side by side and wedged tighter then heck.
(Or, the end grain split wedged beside the stuck bullet.)

And there is no good way to get them out that won't ruin the barrel.



This is a 3/8" wood dowel rod pounded on a little, the hit once against a pointed bullet.

Get that wedged in a barrel beside a stuck bullet tip and you will have The Mother of All Bore Obstructions to try and get out!!



Of course, the ultimate Squib removal is, don't have one in the first place.
If you are shooting a centerfire caliber and want .22 RF recoil?

You should be shooting a .22 RF!!

rc

 

[Swampman]

Lots of good advice here, particularly regarding the use of a brass rod rather than a wooden dowel.

I will add that it can be helpful to machine a recess into the end of the rod that matches the ogive of the stuck bullet as closely as possible. This spreads out the force and decreases the likelihood that you'll upset and expand the bullet making it even harder to drive out.

It's also a good idea to use as large a rod as possible and to wrap electrical tape around it in a couple of places to keep it centered in the bore as rc suggested.

As for lubrication, I like to put a few drops of Kroil into both ends of the barrel and let it work overnight, then give the barrel a light coat of moly grease before attempting to drive the bullet out.

I've found that a lead hammer works best for driving out stuck bullets since it hits a dead blow with no bouncing. You can make one easily by drilling or punching a hole in the midpoint of an aluminum can (the small Red Bull cans work great), then sticking a threaded brass or aluminum rod into the.hole for a handle before pouring the can full of lead. Once the lead has cooled down, just tear the can off, wrap some tape around the handle, and your hammer is good to go.

Lastly, even when using a brass rod and lead hammer, ALWAYS use something to protect the crown of your barrel!

I wish I wasn't so familiar with removing stuck bullets, but back when I started loading subsonic .308's there wasn't any published data or even information on how to develop SS loads.
I just flat wasn't aware that subsonics should be worked DOWN rather than up (ie: start high and go to lower charges gradually until you lose the crack).

Originally posted by rcmodel
Of course, the ultimate Squib removal is, don't have one in the first place.
If you are shooting a centerfire caliber and want .22 RF recoil?

You should be shooting a .22 RF!!

Unfortunately, nobody loads .22 rimfire with 240 grain bullets.
In fact, judging from my local suppliers, I'm not sure that ANYONE makes .22 rimfire these days aside from Lapua and Eley.

Seriously though, I'd bet more people that stick bullets these days are looking for reduced noise rather than less recoil.

 

[joneb]

With the bullet so close to the end I would stack dowels and lever off the breech as mentioned. if that felt unsure I would take rc's approach.

 

[Blue68f100]

If you don't want to use a rod. Load up the brass with only a std powder charge. Since you have so much volume to fill you will not have to worry about over pressure. Use tissue paper or polyester to hold the powder against the primer and fire it. Your so close it should just fly on out. Make sure your pointed down range when you do this.

 

[RealGun]

If you don't want to use a rod. Load up the brass with only a std powder charge. Since you have so much volume to fill you will not have to worry about over pressure. Use tissue paper or polyester to hold the powder against the primer and fire it. Your so close it should just fly on out. Make sure your pointed down range when you do this.

My gunsmith cautioned against this, actually the idea of firing just a primer, saying it could "ring the barrel".

 

[boom boom]

Recommend brass or aluminum rod of nearly bore size as others do above along with Kroil or some other penetrating oil. Used to use wooden dowels for slugging bores but reading horror stories on postings have cured me from it especially the epic attempts recounted in one THR thread by one poor guy trying to remove parts of a boresnake from his barrel.

 

[Sunray]

The only way you can move that is from the muzzle. You will not be able to get anything to it from the back. NO hardwood dowels. And use a plastic mallet, not a steel hammer.
"...Load up the brass with only a std powder charge..." That will bulge the barrel, requiring its replacement.

 

[MEHavey]

"...Load up the brass with only a std powder charge..."
That will bulge the barrel, requiring its replacement.

Oh...? Think about it.

We routinely put low charges of fast-burning powders like AA5744 and RedDot in Biiiiig
45-70 cases behind some really heavy bullets -- lot'sa empty volume. Where is the
dramatic difference here ? (especially with a cylinder gap/pressure relief mechanism)

(although I'd not put a standard charge -- rather only minimal; and nothing over the
powder other than to tip the gun up to get the powder back against the primer before firing)




ALL things the same though -- lubricate and tap it out from the muzzle as suggested.
`Done it many times while working up minimal loads.