Bullet stcuk in barrel --locked thread comment

RustyNail

If you get a bullet stuck in your barrel, it could be caused by an incomplete ignition (or complete non-ignition)of the powder. I had a problem a couple of years ago and did a little reading. It seems the culprits are usually penetrating oil getting to the primer or powder, or groove lube from the bottom of a bullet getting into the powder, or humidity getting to the powder. When you do get a stuck bullet, try to recover the powder which should be contained in the barrel behind the bullet. Examine the powder which is now probably dark yellow/mustard color. Test a TINY sample of the powder to see if it will ignite with a lighter--this will answer the powder question. Review your loading. Did you clean the inside of your die(s) with WD40? Are you using groove-lubed bullets? Did You have WD40 on your fingers when handling the primer? Was your powder sitting in the hopper of the scale while it rained all weekend? Groove-lube on the bottom of a bullet may be no problem until the bullets sit in your truck on a hot afternoon.
Any of the above causes can result in ignition interference/failure. The good new is that it is not dangerous because it is caused by a lack of pressure. It is the failure to recognize a stuck bullet that could get you killed. If you were to fire a round in a gun with a complete barrel obstruction, the gun could explode.

Another consideration is extreme barrel fowling. If you shoot lead bullets too fast they can liquify at the base depositing impressive ammounts of lead in the barrel--very quickly. This condition is more dangerous because it can occur during (complete powder ignition) with full pressures and could result in an explosion without the warning of a mere stuck bullet.

Laredo Lefty

I have seen many bullets stuck in a barrel over the years and they have all been caused by squib loads- primer only. Iam sure it happends, but I have never seen one caused by contaminated powder.

I recently had a squib in my .50 BMG. The bullet just made it into the barrel and of course did not cycle the action. It was commercial ammo. I removed the barrel and tapped it out with a brass rod.

Squibs are not a big deal in semi-autos as they will not cycle the action, unless you are stupid enough to manually cycle the action and try to shoot again, but they can be very dangerous in revolvers when rapid firing.

RustyNail

Yep--your right. Thats why you need to look for the powder--if there isn't any, it was a primer-only "squibb." (Larger caliber rounds can be pre-screened by weighing/comparing.)

Cooch

I recently had a squib and had powder in it!! No ignition of the powder at all. It was my reload and the rest of the box was fine. No explaination for that one!!

dhenry132

If you put your brass in the tumbler to clean off the sizing lube after sizing the case the polishing media can stop up the primer flash hole and cause a squib load with powder in the case.

sandwarrior

I second Laredo Lefty's comment about it usually being an unpowdered case. I've done this three times now over 30 years of reloading. Fortunately I always recognized that I had a plugged barrel.

However, the first time I did this the primer pushed the bullet halfway up the barrel. I've told this story before, but the gist of it is I took it to a guy who took a rod and peened the bullet into the barrel. That caused a barrel change.

The correct way to remove a stuck bullet from a barrel is to take a 1/4 charge of powder put that in a primed BULLET-LESS case and safely discharge it downrange. I would say that with the .50 cal the bullet may have been stuck right at the lands?

v35

I'd be wary of shooting a lodged bullet out of a barrel. Years back I put a crack near the barrel end on a valuable Tanner Jeager flintlock dislodging a bullet in a too tight patch.

Alleno

I would be very hesitant to "shoot" a lodged bullet from my gun. That sounds very dangerous to me. The local gunsmith here I have heard talk about this, with the rise of cowboy shooters and the squib loads they shoot he is seeing a lot more bullets stuck in barrels. What he does is heats the barrel to soften the lead and push it back the way it came. For me I would just take the gun to a smith if I couldnt easily get it out myself.

perry shooter

Never NEVER NEVER shoot a black powder or other firearm with a bullet stuck in the barrel never shoot black powder muzzel loader with any air space in the bore or black powder cartridge with any air space . with smokeless powder very low amounts of powder in a case can cause problems much less a case and barrel space

v35

Squib loads are often caused by poor ignition of small charges of Unique in big pistol cases. This can be improved by the use of Winchester or Magnum primers for more uniform results.
You might lighten the charge a grain and work up from there.
For light cowboy loads there will not be a pressure issue.

sandwarrior

Perry shooter ,V35

I stand partially corrected. Shooting black powder or smokeless from a revolver will do nothing but put pressure right out the side of the pistol. Since I have not dealt with that end of things it makes sense to me not to do it that way. As you suggested for this process take it to a 'smith who specifically understands lead bullets and revolvers.

In a case with a semi-auto that was a blowback type as about 90+% of them are the load would have to be specifically calculated to do it that way so the slide won't fly back and break something(itself or/then yourself). So, without some method/formula/information for calculating that, I wouldn't recommend it. Again, I stand corrected.

However, I completely stand by my described process for removing a stuck jacketed bullet from a rifle barrel; bolt, auto or other. I got this information from a man who currently owns several 1000 yd. bench records. Sadly, he is deceased but, he was a very qualified gunsmith in his years.

Also, to add to this is if the bullet will not come out it may not be feasible to save that barrel. As in my case years ago(the bullet was peened in the middle of the barrel) when I found out the correct way to do this there may have been technology to drill the bullet out but it was at that time more feasible to simply rebarrel the rifle.