stuck live round in chamber

[tom barthel]

Hi
 
I did it this time.  I put a lightly corroded round in the chamber and tried to close the action.  I seemed to have jammed the round in the chamber.  It wouldn't quite lock up to shoot it loose.  I dropped a cleaning rod down the barrel to knock it loose.  The cleaning rod stuck to the cartridge and wouldn't come out.  I got a brass rod and tried to knock it out with a little force.  No luck.  I filled the barrel with oil and let it set overnight.  Still no luck knocking it loose.  I've decided to leave the barrel filled with oil all weekend and try again.  Can anyone give me any good tips on how to correct this goof?  I'm thinking of a getting a large hammer and beating it out.  Will the brass rod damage the bore?  Has anyone else messed up this bad?  HELP!!!
 
Tom

[Varminter]

The brass won't damage the bore. Brass is a softer metal thant the bore is made of. I don't know what to tell you to be honest. You should be extremely careful if you have to knock it out of the chamber, but there should be a better solution. Let some others chime in. :?

[jerkface11]

Try the biggest dowel rod that will fit down the bore and knock it out with that should work better than a cleaning rod.

[Wlscott]

What kind of oil are you soaking it in?  Kroil is about the best penetrating oil out there.  It'll loosen things up better than regular gun oil, or motor oil.

[Fred M]

Try to remove the cleaning rod with a small pipe wrench, pulling and turning at the same time. Find a brass rod that fits the barrel well and rig up a car jack to put force against the rod and push the cartridge out.

Do not hammer on the rod the impact could explode the powder.

A stuck case, it is best to tap it in with a wood dowel with the end hollowed out so you don't tap on the primer. Then close the rifle and fire the round.

[stimpylu32]

If the cleaning rod is still stuck i assume that you have drove the bullet into the case. so don't try to shoot it out now.

Stand the barrel muzzle up in a vice , fill it all the way up with oil

 then take a wood dowel just a tho. or to smaller than the bore , use a cleaning patch to make up the diff.

 then lightly tap the dowel into the muzzle . it will work like a hydraulic jack to push it out with no inpact on the case full of powder

[tom barthel]

Thanks guys.  I hadn't thought of the hydraulic method.  I'll try the other methods also.  I know it can be done.  Just takes some thinking.  I'm going to jury rig a device with a jack and try that next.  Good thing I have two other barrels for this receiver.  Still don't feel as smart as I did.  Should have tossed the round instead of trying to shoot it.  Lesson learned.  Thanks again for all the helpful suggestions.  
 
Take care and God bless  
 
Tom

[tom barthel]

Hi

I finally freed the stuck round.  I used a modified hydraulic method.  I refilled the barrel with oil and used the brass rod again.  I held a rag tight against the muzzle and whacked the rod with a big hammer.  Pressure caused the round to back up about a quarter inch.  This allowed me to use the channel locks to pull the cartridge out.  My bore has never been cleaner.

Thanks to all for the great suggestions.  I was getting frustrated.  I don't know how to delete this post.  Could someone in the know delete it for me?

Mission accomplished.

Take care and God bless.

Tom

[JPH45]

Do not hammer on the rod the impact could explode the powder.

Won't happen, can't happen. Smokeless powder will not ignite from a "blow". Smokeless powder, unlike black powder, is a flammable solid, it is not in any way explosive. That a material is explosive has to do with the rate of speed a shock wave travels through it. Smokeless powder burns, plain and simple. While it can burn very fast and can even mimick an explosion (witness the common pipe bomb and burst barrels)  it is not a true explosive and will not ignite from being hit.

The primer on the other hand is a true explosive and all caution should be taken to insure that the primer is not struck or hit, nor comes into a heavy, sharp contact with anything.

An explosive is used in the primer as a true explosive will ignite from a striking blow such as that provided from the firing pin. On exploding, the component of the primer creates/erupts a flame which ignites the powder. the primer creates as much as 5000 psi of energy, and it is because of this that primers should not be substituted willy nilly nce a load has been developed.

I would suggest that your first remove the barrel from the frame, hold it over but not against several folded towels, and strike the cleaning rod smartly with a mallet untill the case is dislodged. Do this outdoors and keep your head clear of the bore. If you wish, place the towels in the bottom of a 5 gallon metal (NOT PLASTIC) bucket as you perform this task, being sure to keep the breech lowered into the bucket but not in contact with the towels.

I'm sure at this point in time you probably feel a bit foolish, but in future remember that a case that a corroded case can be quite dangerous. It may well be that this experience is safer than a ruptured case on firing. Military ammo is rejected for this reason. There is no qualifier for an acceptable amount of corrosion, any is cause for rejection. They don't do this to spend our tax dollars, they do it because of saftey reasons. Bad enough to have folks shooting at you. Worse to have your own ammunition failing on you at the moment of need. The cost of a bit of brass is never so great as to risk one's saftey

OK, I'm off my soap box now. Be careful, good luck. Hope I said all that well and didn't unnessicarily hurt any feelings.

[quickdtoo]

Hi

  I don't know how to delete this post.  Could someone in the know delete it for me?

No need to delete it, sometime in the future, someone will want the same info and the resource is here for all to learn from your experience... :wink:

Thanks Tom,

Tim

[Fred M]

JPH
Your points are well taken. Still I don't think I would feel comfi pounding on a caseful of powder since there is friction and friction causes heat. Enough heat will start a burn, maybe not in this situation. I will test this theory under a controled and in a safe enviroment.

I will let you know.

[tom barthel]

I am duly chastised.  No more thinking oh well, I'm going to toss the case anyway.  I did push the bullet into the case.  I figured a barrel full of penetrating oil for 48 hours would probably neutralize the powder.  On my last effort hydraulic pressure pushed the round part way out.  This will NOT happen to me again.  I hope others may learn from my mistake.
Thanks for the support and good info.
 
Take care and God bless.
 
Tom

[Deadeye47]

Boy...I've really been missin some posts while on vacation...glad ya got it out Tom but you could  have sold the barrel on E-Bay for a fortune...and you could have thrown in a "PERK" .... "COMES WITH AMMO" !!!  :-D  :-D  :-D  :-D  :-D

[Sourdough]

Been there, Done that.  I used a penatrating oil and left it soaking for a week.  Every morning and night I refilled the barrel with oil, it would take about 6 to 8 hours for the oil to drain through into a bucket.  After a week I drove the round out using a brass rod and a big mallet.  Oil had totally penatrated into the cartridge and soaked the powder.

[JPH45]

I am duly chastised.  No more thinking oh well, I'm going to toss the case anyway.  I did push the bullet into the case.  I figured a barrel full of penetrating oil for 48 hours would probably neutralize the powder.  On my last effort hydraulic pressure pushed the round part way out.  This will NOT happen to me again.  I hope others may learn from my mistake.
Thanks for the support and good info.
 
Take care and God bless.
 
Tom

I'm sorry you feel chastised, you shouldn't. We all make mistakes. I can't say how foolish I felt when I shot a hole in the floor of reloading room years ago. I had been at the range and a fellow I shot with regularly had borrowed my Ruger MK II. He left the pistol in my case, magazine out and empty. I assumed the chamber was empty and pulled the trigger as I was walking to my gun safe to put it up. I was more than surprised to get a BANG when I expected a click. I was very lucky I didn't have the pistol pointed at my foot or leg. I learned that lesson. To this day I don't care who you are.....If John Browning handed me a firearm I would check the chamber and I wouldn't hesitate to do so AFTER I first asked if the arm was empty.

You won't make your mistake again I assure you. Remember this one well... "There are two kinds of reloaders, those who have made mistakes and those who are going to" Chalk this one up in the lessons learned column and go on, but don't feel chastised, I doubt that was anyones intent, it certainly wasn't mine.

The method you used is probably the better method as a soaking in oil will absolutely render the powder and primer inert and you can then do what ever is nessicary to remove the stuck case safely.

[MtJerry]

[quote="JPH45]"There are two kinds of reloaders, those who have made mistakes and those who are going to" [/quote]

That sir, is an absolute fact!

[tom barthel]

Someone once said we are our worst enemy.  That may not be wrong.  I know I am my worst critic.  I probably did miss a chance to sell a custom barrel on E-Bay.  Pre loaded with a bullet topped by 10 inches of brass rod.  The oil may help the bullet slide out.  I could call it a thin bullet lube.    
Reckon someone would want it?  It's a good thing I'm an honest man.  I have  another barrel on the way here anyway.  Needed another barrel to go under my new scope.  I'm getting it from smokinjoe5150.  It should be here by the end of this week.  It's good to have spare barrels in case I stick another live round.  That sure ain't gonna happen again.  
 
Remember, if in doubt, toss it.  
 
Tom

[stimpylu32]

Tom i would have bought it BUT not at e-bay prices :-D  :-D  :-D  :-D

[Fred M]

Found this on another forum.

Posted 03 August 2005 13:23  
At least one person has been killed in Aust. when someone tapped a loaded round out from the muzzel end.
The bolt was out and the case blew out of the action and hit someone in the stomach and killed them.
JL.
  Posts: 532 | Location: Australia | Registered: 14 November 2004