A bit of luck mixed with tears

[5nmay5]

primers were good, it was a singular round with what felt like bad powder. It was wet and kinda goopy after inspecting the round. maybe 15-20 rounds before the squib, not a single hick up after or before that with this ammo.

 

[partsed]

What brand of ammo was it?? Blazer brass??

 

[5nmay5]

What brand of ammo was it?? Blazer brass??

Yes, bimart has a special 500 for 99.00, came from one of those

 

[41mag]

glad you had success with that wooden dowel.....HOWEVER>......

...from my extensive research into 'what NOT to count on in a pinch'....let me emphasize how easy it is to buy a BRASS range rod (cut to suitable length) at local hardware store....

Usually a 3' length leave change from a $5.00 and you get to make a number of suitable lengths for various barrels during ah....'unexpected ballistic experimentation'.

Long ago in the beginners world of reloading I...er...'a friend'....had ample opportunity to discover just WHY my...er...HIS...friendly gunsmith advised on BRASS range rod vs 'wooden dowel'....seems like when one actually does shatter or break it's even more of a PITA....

or check out a local purveyor of used steel push rods from an old clunker V8.....

 

[ZigZagZeke]

Disassemble so you are working with just the barrel. Pad the jaws of a large vice and use a piece of wooden dowel to push the bullet out with the vice. I used that technique on my 1903 .32 Colt.

 

[Alexx1401]

Yes, bimart has a special 500 for 99.00, came from one of those

Not sure what they would or will do but it could not hurt to let the store and the maker know what happened. If you still have the box the bad one came from give them the lot #. I would also not use any of the ammo left from that lot. This happened to me a while back with some of that Win. USA Forged ammo. No squibs but a couple hang fires that felt like shooting a flint lock, and a couple duds. Sadly I had dumped the ammo into a container and tossed the box. So I had not idea the lot. I ended up tossing the rest of that ammo along with a box or two I still had at home since I was afraid to use it.

 

[41mag]

ended up tossing the rest of that ammo along with a box or two I still had at home since I was afraid to use it.

....wonder just the details such description entails when the members here generally do when "tossing the rest"....

Until the last few years I typically carefully broke such down for exam and perhaps component reuse. More recently have started using the 'duds/empties/' barrel at the range.

 

[Alexx1401]

....wonder just the details such description entails when the members here generally do when "tossing the rest"....

Until the last few years I typically carefully broke such down for exam and perhaps component reuse. More recently have started using the 'duds/empties/' barrel at the range.

That Win USA stuff I had with me at the range I tossed in the bucket for duds. When I got home and found I had more new, but no way to know what Lot the bad stuff came from I just sent it off to the landfill. If it was brass cased stuff I would have tried to find a local who wanted it to pull apart. Since the only puller I have is made for doing a round at a time and is VERY slow I was not about to sit there and try just to save the slugs, too much work. When I told the story here at least one person did want the ammo for that but they were not local and the cost to ship it as loaded ammo to them would have been more that they could just go buy the bullets for. Since that would be the only part salvageable. It's steel cased ammo made to be just left behind. That was what liked about that brand until this happened. I don't roll my own 9mm any more and this stuff is US made, saved about a buck a box, and I could just leave the empties. That experience made me leery to buy any more. I would have really been pissed if I had a case of the stuff. If I had I would have of course contacted both Win. and the place I bought it from to see if either one of them would do anything.

 

[MrRob96]

The only thing I can add to this conversation is that the wood the dowel is made of matters.

Get a hard wood dowel like oak. Avoid soft woods. No one likes a soft wood.

First, and only luckily, time I had a squib, I tried knocking it out with a pine dowel. Bad idea, it shattered and I had to extract the dowel.

Second dowel was an oak one and it performed well.

I don't know about a brass road as most are suggesting here. I'd still be nervous hammering that through my barrels.

 

[Caveman Jim]

What, you didn't grease the barrel.

 

[Who The F R U]

Had squib's in a DSHK before.
About 1 foot down the barrel .
You can't really beat on a HEI round unless your looking for a Darwin award.

Took a round apart, got rid of 1/4 of the powder.
Stuffed Paper in the front of the case and put that in the chamber.
Viola.... it came right out the proper end.

I've also done this with other MG's.
Scary but it work's.
And no I'm not recommending anyone else try it.

 

[P7M13]

OP, glad you got the round out. Looks like it was barely in the barrel, prehaps a "primer only" squib?
Lots of good ideas already presented. I'd like to add my observations from experience.

• Wood is OK if a simple tap is all that is needed. Long ago I learned to not waste my time on that.
• Aluminum is the next step. Inexpensive, easy to find, but it only takes low to medium force or distorts readily.
  
• Brass is ideal unless that sucker is really jammed.
• Tool steel or hinge pin steel (much higher shear modulus), encased in plastic, work best for the most difficult obstructions.

Other Notes:

• If you're not sure of what you're doing, bring the firearm to a gunsmith.
  
• Whatever you're using, I find it best to put an empty case from the gun you are working on over the end of the rod and pound on that. It minimizes or eliminates deformation of the rod end.
• The end of the rod that's inside the barrel doing the work, ideally, will be finished and square (i.e. the surface is 90° to the rod axis), or you're going to force the rod into the side of the barrel bore with every hit.
• Avoid using all-thread.
• If you're going to use steel and it doesn't have a plastic jacket, for your gun's sake, wrap the rod in electrical tape it's entire length.
  
• If it's a long gun, remove the bolt, and support the receiver. Strongly recommend against standing the gun on the ground, unless it's just a light tap needed.