Curious what happened here, and what I can/should do about it?

[ma96782]

RE : Stuck bullet in a barrel. Shooting it out?

Well, I wouldn't.

Aloha, Mark

PS......

 

[bpyycpyy]

Water isn't very compressible. Way less compressible than air. Adding water behind the bullet would actually increase the blockage and cause a more sudden shock to blocking bullet. It may help or hurt the effectiveness of your RSO's method in removing blocking bullet and/or avoiding damage to gun or shooter. I think it changes the method fundamentally. I wouldn't want to be the first to try it.

I'd feel uncomfortable even with the unmodified method without water, as this sounds like it was being done with closed breech guns, not revolvers. In a revolver there is a gap between the end of the forcing cone and the cylinder. I worry that shooting a full powder load into a blocked barrel might cause much more than ordinary amounts of burning powder and hot gas to shoot out that gap and maybe crack or damage the forcing cone or cylinder.

If you watch the video, he's not using full powder loads to discharge the bullet. He's using a wax bullet with 1 grain of powder behind it. He also demonstrates clearing a revolver using the same method. Would I recommend this method or attempt it, not likely unless I was unable to remove the bullet using a wooden dowel/brass rod technique.

 

[Edhunds]

I had a 38 special bullet not leave the barrel and now it is stuck in the barrel. This is LAX .38 special ammunition, nickel coated, 158 grain. I've fired over half the can without any issues so the ammo has shown to be generally good? I've put Fiocchi, PMC, and Norma (.357 and .38) through the gun without any problems. As far as I can tell the cylinder timing is fine and it locks up great, and even now I see no visible damage but I'm not an expert; I found some marring and maybe a chip or worn spot on the barrel but that could be because I was looking so closely at the malfunction.

http://www.taloinc.com/ruger-firearms/wiley-clapp-gp100-1752 Here is the gun's product page.

If it matters, it was pretty cold today in the mountains, it was snowing. I clean the gun after every outing -- it was not dirty!

I'm hoping someone can tell me what could have possibly happened here for a bullet to not exit the barrel. If it was simply an undercharged round, the bullet would presumably still leave the barrel and hit low. I tried to ram a cleaning rod in there with no luck, the bullet is lodged tight.

Thanks for any help.

View attachment 1140827 View attachment 1140830 View attachment 1140831

I was a range master for many years for a police department, on the weekends the range was open to the public to use for a fee.
It was not unusual, although it rarely occurred to have a round not exit the barrel and on occasion a pistol would get blown up by firing a another round, fortunately only minor injuries occurred.
The ammo for the most part was name brand ammo, so inferior ammo is produced even by the major manufacturers.
This happen to civilians and police officers.

 

[Toxic6]

I was a range master for many years for a police department, on the weekends the range was open to the public to use for a fee.
It was not unusual, although it rarely occurred to have a round not exit the barrel and on occasion a pistol would get blown up by firing a another round, fortunately only minor injuries occurred.
The ammo for the most part was name brand ammo, so inferior ammo is produced even by the major manufacturers.
This happen to civilians and police officers.

I've personally had it happen with production ammo, but never with home made reloads (yet)….so I always laugh when people are scared to shoot reloads like the major labels never fek up. happens and really the odds are more in favor of it happening with those producing millions of rounds vs the guy who hand loads 100 rounds (assuming said hand loader is sober and competent )

 

[strangedays]

I've personally had it happen with production ammo, but never with home made reloads (yet)….so I always laugh when people are scared to shoot reloads like the major labels never fek up. happens and really the odds are more in favor of it happening with those producing millions of rounds vs the guy who hand loads 100 rounds (assuming said hand loader is sober and competent )

I was shooting a match before and had a squib round. I noticed the sound was off when fired and it didn't go into battery so the second round was not an issue of possibly firing again. With that said it was a factory round also. I have friends whom reload and have had them but my reloads have never been an issue myself.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I've personally had it happen with production ammo, but never with home made reloads (yet)….so I always laugh when people are scared to shoot reloads like the major labels never fek up. happens and really the odds are more in favor of it happening with those producing millions of rounds vs the guy who hand loads 100 rounds (assuming said hand loader is sober and competent )

People "are scared" (and advisedly so) of your or anyone else's reloads.. not their own.

 

[Toxic6]

People "are scared" (and advisedly so) of your or anyone else's reloads.. not their own.

Just saying, the odds of a bad round are a lot higher with mass produced runs vs someone loading 100 rounds by hand….not saying people don't try crazy hot loads, use the wrong powder, have a bad scale, double charge, drink while reloading, or any of the other multitude of things that can happen with reloads- just out of the many years I've been shooting the only gun that blew apart in my hands was due to commercial Ammo. I don't currently reload but I've never had any issue shooting others reloads but maybe I'm lucky who knows. It's up to the individual to make their own choices I'm just stating an opinion.

 

[Toxic6]

I was shooting a match before and had a squib round. I noticed the sound was off when fired and it didn't go into battery so the second round was not an issue of possibly firing again. With that said it was a factory round also. I have friends whom reload and have had them but my reloads have never been an issue myself.

I wasn't so lucky (perceptive?), I did notice the sound was off but I was dumping it and next couple of rounds separated the receiver and blew the mag apart at my feet. Hand was numb but no damage other then my ego and the loss of a keltec carbine. If it was a steel frame or I didn't have that hogue slip on acting like a rubber band keeping it together id probably have scars from it minimum it was a lot of energy coming my way

 

[gmerkt]

If you watch the video, he's not using full powder loads to discharge the bullet. He's using a wax bullet with 1 grain of powder behind it. He also demonstrates clearing a revolver using the same method. Would I recommend this method or attempt it, not likely unless I was unable to remove the bullet using a wooden dowel/brass rod technique.

I noted that his propellant charges were small. Maybe the idea of the water is to act as a substitute for a rod, and the light powder charge is the equivalent of a hammer tap? A form of hydraulics?

which is how 'hydraulics' got invented in the first place.

Maybe another form of hydraulics might be using an oil of some kind, and a dowel of bore diameter to press it out. As some prople use water to force out Berdan primers. Just an idea. And perhaps a messy one at that. The friction of a stuck bullet might be too much for this to be effective trying to do it at home.

I've been fortunate over the years. I've only had one stuck bullet, a cast 9mm that was easily removed with a wooden dowel. But I've seen a nice lady stack six bullets in the bore of a .38 special; she was wondering why not hits showed on target at seven yards. I don't know the outcome, but I've wondered if there was a remedy for removal of multiple jacketed bullets or did the barrel need replacement. That much more difficult to deal with on a revolver than a semi-auto.

 

[crstrode]

Just saying, the odds of a bad round are a lot higher with mass produced runs vs someone loading 100 rounds by hand…

In the good old days elementary school math class would have prevented this sort of screwy logic.

 

[gmerkt]

Water isn't very compressible. Way less compressible than air. Adding water behind the bullet would actually increase the blockage and cause a more sudden shock to blocking bullet. It may help or hurt the effectiveness of your RSO's method in removing blocking bullet and/or avoiding damage to gun or shooter. I think it changes the method fundamentally. I wouldn't want to be the first to try it.

I'm still wondering why the geezer in the video uses water for his method. I was leery of bulging a barrel by shooting it out "dry" with a full charge. However, now I'm thinking that maybe the idea of the water is that it equalizes pressure in the full length of the bore behind the bullet. Whereas, with bulging ("ringing"), it's obvious that there is pressure concentrated at that point immediately behind the bullet. I'm not a physicist, still wondering.

 

[ma96782]

For those that like to wonder, "What if.....?" or maybe are into a bit of experimentation.

BUT, But, but....that's not my firearm. Right. And conditions will also vary. So for liability sake.....NO ONE is approving or recommending this sort of gun shooting/handling practice. Damage to property, Injury and/or even Death could result.

Aloha, Mark

 

[titsonritz]

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/lax

 

[WillaminaOR]

I've stuck bullets in revolvers before and "shot them out". Following a squib with a live bullet rings the bore because you're smacking two pieces of malleable metal together. The cylinder and bore are both designed to contain enough gas pressure to drive a bullet down the bore. The gas is nice and springy. It actually takes more powder to unstick a bullet, not because it's stuck but because the powder has way more "case volume" with no bullet containing it in the case.

As for driving a bullet backwards and out of a revolver with a dowel. I'd recommend removing the crane and cylinder. I've tweaked a crane because the weight of the cylinder must have bent it slightly, hanging out there while I was whacking the dowel.

 

[NWF McKeon]

I took it to a gunsmith to remove the bullet. I could have done it with a dowel, but I wanted a professional opinion on any barrel damage or timing problems. Also they would have been able to send it back to Ruger on the spot if it needed to be warrantied.

LAX got back to me with a form that asks 20 questions about the incident. I filled out their questionnaire -- it seems there's a good chance they will send some ammo in recompense. The gunsmith cost me $35, I figure that's worth 50 rounds of .38spl.

 

[greydog111]

I had a 38 special bullet not leave the barrel and now it is stuck in the barrel. This is LAX .38 special ammunition, nickel coated, 158 grain. I've fired over half the can without any issues so the ammo has shown to be generally good? I've put Fiocchi, PMC, and Norma (.357 and .38) through the gun without any problems. As far as I can tell the cylinder timing is fine and it locks up great, and even now I see no visible damage but I'm not an expert; I found some marring and maybe a chip or worn spot on the barrel but that could be because I was looking so closely at the malfunction.

http://www.taloinc.com/ruger-firearms/wiley-clapp-gp100-1752 Here is the gun's product page.

If it matters, it was pretty cold today in the mountains, it was snowing. I clean the gun after every outing -- it was not dirty!

I'm hoping someone can tell me what could have possibly happened here for a bullet to not exit the barrel. If it was simply an undercharged round, the bullet would presumably still leave the barrel and hit low. I tried to ram a cleaning rod in there with no luck, the bullet is lodged tight.

Thanks for any help.

View attachment 1140827 View attachment 1140830 View attachment 1140831

Brass rod, brass small mallet, tap slowly from barrel end with Ballistol lubricant. Most likely a low to no powder charge!

 

[Edhunds]

When I worked as a Range Master (retired now) for a police department, a round not exiting the barrel was not that unusual when the public used the range on the weekends. 99.9% of the time rounds that were lodged in the barrel were due to not enough propellant or powder. If was an obstruction in the barrel it would have blown up the barrel, we also had a few of those also due to lack of properly cleaning the barrel, especially if lead bullets were used.
As stated a brass rod with a rubber or wood mallet will do the trick. I usually sprayed some WD40 first. They all came out fairly easy.

 

[Mike86]

I had this very same thing happened last week with my own reloaded 38 specials.

I fired a cartridge with no powder and just the primer fired and a158 grain berry's fmj got stuck in the barrel about 3 inches into the barrel entrance.

Here's what worked for me: go to Lowes or Home Depot and get a 5/16 inch wooden dowel. This will fit in your 357/38 barrel. Get as couple as they are cheap.

Take the Cylinder off as an extra measure to avoid damaging that or the crane.

Place the dowel into the the exit end of barrel and measure a piece that will stick out of the barrel about 3 to 4 inches and cut that off. Use a soft mallet and hold the revolver between your knees and pound out the bullet. I went though about 6 cut pieces of dowel (they will split/break) before the Bullet came out. I also squirted some CLP in each end of the barrel, making sure to coat the Stuck bullet. I also placed my revolver (S&W 686) into a padded vice and pounded and broke a few dowel pieces in that as well. The bullet just happened to break loose when I had the gun between my knees.

Be patient and slow so as not to damage your front site/ baerrel or otherwise hit your gun with the Soft mallet. Don't use A regular steel headed hammer—just asking to mess up your revolver.

If that does not work, as others have said, time to take to a gunsmith.

Good luck,

Mike

 

[WillaminaOR]

Hey guys, reply #35 above is the original poster saying he took it to a gunsmith.

 

[OldBroad44]

Hey guys, reply #35 above is the original poster saying he took it to a gunsmith.

Right. OP's immediate problem is solved. But I'm continuing to read thread to see what others have done in case I ever have this problem. Post 38 is one of the best, and the one I think would be most useful for me. The thread isn't just for OP.