Stuck bullet extraction

[Welder84]

Hi everyone,
I recently had a squib round stick inside my rifle barrel. I am now weighing my options, based off the rifles value. I called a gunsmith and his response was, we can try (he did not sound positive and the rifle is not valuable).

Make: 17 HMR Handi Rifle
Bullet location: 2-3 inches forward of the chamber

So, has anyone here had this happen before? What would be used to drive the bullet back out of the barrel through the chamber?

Thanks in advance!

 

[outrider58]

Do not use a wooden dowel to push the bullet. It will likely split and wedge the bullet even more. Shoot some Kroil down the bore and let it soak in. Then, I would take a brass jag, remove the point from it, and try to push the bullet back through the chamber. Use a carbon or aluminum bore rod and be careful not to mung up the crown.

 

[Sundazes]

Just keep shooting until t clears.

No dont do that..

 

[ToolAA]

Do not use a wooden dowel to push the bullet. It will likely split and wedge the bullet even more. Shoot some Kroil down the bore and let it soak in. Then, I would take a brass jag, remove the point from it, and try to push the bullet back through the chamber. Use a carbon or aluminum bore rod and be careful not to mung up the crown.

This is good advice and should work. I would be careful not to hammer too hard at first, let the brass jag fall back out of the barrel and check to see of the point of the projectile is deforming the jag. If not, hammer a little harder, and keep checking until you see the jag start to deform. Take it easy from there.

Also suggest taking a wooden stick or some other rod and gauge the depth of the projectile from the chamber end. Mark the depth on the rod with a marker. Then the OP can quickly check to see if the projectile is moving as a result of the hammering effort. Once it starts moving, it should get a little easier to tap out.


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[hillbilly grandpa]

This is good advice and should work. I would be careful not to hammer too hard at first, let the brass jag fall back out of the barrel and check to see of the point of the projectile is deforming the jag. If not, hammer a little harder, and keep checking until you see the jag start to deform. Take it easy from there.

Also suggest taking a wooden stick or some other rod and gauge the depth of the projectile from the chamber end. Mark the depth on the rod with a marker. Then the OP can quickly check to see if the projectile is moving as a result of the hammering effort. Once it starts moving, it should get a little easier to tap out.


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Do not use a wooden dowel to push the bullet. It will likely split and wedge the bullet even more. Shoot some Kroil down the bore and let it soak in. Then, I would take a brass jag, remove the point from it, and try to push the bullet back through the chamber. Use a carbon or aluminum bore rod and be careful not to mung up the crown.

I've taken a plastic straw, split it length-wise, and slipped it over my "extraction rod" to help protect the crown. It seems to have worked. A piece of plastic hose--depending on diameters--would also seem to work.

 

[Melnic]

you can also get brass rod sections on Amazon that will fit.
3/16" is 0.1875

I have brass rod sections of different sizes then a set of 4 longer ones, I use for slugging barrels. Very convenient.

 

[Muleskinner]

Can you even get a rod that small in diameter with enough rigidity? Maybe a long narrow drill bit inserted through the chamber turned by hand with a tap handle. Get the bit to grab the lead and see if you pull it out

 

[Doco Overboard]

17 is pretty small.
Use a close fitting one piece hardened steel rod as close to bore diameter and as short to the muzzle as possible.
Oil the barrel and in this case, I would try to drive it out initially towards the breech.
Especially if it starts to move right off.
If it doesn't, move it towards the muzzle and then rearwards over the oiled bore.

 

[Tungsten]

I've always wondered why you can't put a blank in the chamber and then fire it.

 

[outrider58]

I've always wondered why you can't put a blank in the chamber and then fire it.

Probably because sooner or later, you run into an idiot who doesn't realize there's more than one bullet jammed up in there.

 

[Doco Overboard]

I've always wondered why you can't put a blank in the chamber and then fire it.

Maybe only with a closely fitted 22.
That why you always unload with the muzzle up. In case the bullet gets stuck, just close the case without spilling powder and shoot the bullet out.

 

[lazarus]

17 is pretty small.
Use a close fitting one piece hardened steel rod as close to bore diameter and as short to the muzzle as possible.
Oil the barrel and in this case, I would try to drive it out initially towards the breech.
Especially if it starts to move right off.
If it doesn't, move it towards the muzzle and then rearwards over the oiled bore.

That's the direction I'd go. .17 is very small diameter and I'd worry a brass or aluminum rod of smaller diameter (you'd need 1/8" or 5/32" if you could) and something long enough (>16") is not going to be very ridgid, even if it can press against the bore.

I would not normally use a steel rod, but if it is cut only slightly longer than the bore and you do careful taps with a lighter hammer it'll likely work it out fine without damaging the bore. Using a piece of plastic as spacer at the crown would help a lot. Steel isn't likely to fold on you doing this. Brass or aluminum might here.

 

[Melnic]

you can also get brass rod sections on Amazon that will fit.
3/16" is 0.1875

I have brass rod sections of different sizes then a set of 4 longer ones, I use for slugging barrels. Very convenient.

My bad for some reason I was thinking 22
3/16 won’t fit a .17
Duh


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[My Toy]

I never tried this but it occurs to me that if you remove the barreled action from the stock and use a heat gun on low setting to heat the area with the bullet stuck back to the chamber I wonder if this will loosen the barrel's grip on the projectile to make it easier to pushout.

 

[Welder84]

Do not use a wooden dowel to push the bullet. It will likely split and wedge the bullet even more. Shoot some Kroil down the bore and let it soak in. Then, I would take a brass jag, remove the point from it, and try to push the bullet back through the chamber. Use a carbon or aluminum bore rod and be careful not to mung up the crown.

I will try that. Thank you

 

[hillbilly grandpa]

My dad used to talk about how he and some of the old mechanics would remove frozen studs in an engine block by heating the stud really hot, then melting paraffin wax down along the base of the stud. They'd go home and allow things to cool off. When they returned in the morning they lock two nuts on the stud, put a wrench on them and back the frozen studs right out. Heat on the barrel would cause its outer and inner diameter to expand slightly. If paraffin were inserted in the breech at expansion it might provide a lubricated interface that may facilitate easier extraction.

 

[Welder84]

My dad used to talk about how he and some of the old mechanics would remove frozen studs in an engine block by heating the stud really hot, then melting paraffin wax down along the base of the stud. They'd go home and allow things to cool off. When they returned in the morning they lock two nuts on the stud, put a wrench on them and back the frozen studs right out. Heat on the barrel would cause its outer and inner diameter to expand slightly. If paraffin were inserted in the breech at expansion it might provide a lubricated interface that may facilitate easier extraction.

Interesting, I will consider this solution, if rodding fails. Thanks

 

[Melnic]

Also as Ron Jeremy says “don’t forget the lube”


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[Doco Overboard]

That's the direction I'd go. .17 is very small diameter and I'd worry a brass or aluminum rod of smaller diameter (you'd need 1/8" or 5/32" if you could) and something long enough (>16") is not going to be very ridgid, even if it can press against the bore.

I would not normally use a steel rod, but if it is cut only slightly longer than the bore and you do careful taps with a lighter hammer it'll likely work it out fine without damaging the bore. Using a piece of plastic as spacer at the crown would help a lot. Steel isn't likely to fold on you doing this. Brass or aluminum might here.

A close fitting rod supported by the entire length of rifling will have less tendency to flex and transmit more energy to the end of the rod. Steel is best because it will resist kinking/mushrooming and becoming a larger diameter unexpectedly.
IE you think the bullet is moving but the rod is actually becoming shorter due to being driven.
A square rod is even better because it touches less of the rifling and is more rigid to resist deformation.
Pistol bullets are easier to push out becuase of less pressure upsetting the base of the bullet. Thats why wood brass or a solid aluminum squib rod works on them easier.
I should also mention a clean polished rod. Not some rusty sucker outside of the bin from home depot or from behind the air compressor or something.
The other thing is securely holding the barreled action in a suitable fixture so it doesn't move for a real bad stuck one. If its moving when a blow is given that means a higher frequency of strikes and more opportunity for error.
I'm also of the camp that a bigger hammer for anything when necessary instead of a small one and a whole bunch of whacks.
Ive done this a few times before but never on a 17. Thats sort of tiny. Hopefully it knocks right out, some times they move easier than expected.

 

[pre64hunter]

Put it in the freezer for a day. I had a .223 case neck sized for another rifle badly stuck in the chamber.
Even with a stiff steel rod, 2 pound hammer and 20 pound lead brick, I couldn't get it to budge.
After leaving it in the chest freezer for a day, it fell right out with only a tap on an aluminum cleaning rod.
You want to push the bullet out, don't hammer on it, it'll only make it tighter.
Be sure to let us know how you make out.