Stuck bullet in barrel

Major Tom · 07-25-2017, 08:17 PM

I was shooting some reloads in my 9mm luger today. Loaded 5.0 gr. Bullseye. All shots fired and cycled the action just fine until...nothing! I opened the action to find an empty case. Looking down the barrel revealed a bullet stuck in the bore. I had a wood dowel and hammer with me but it wouldn't budge the bullet. So, what would be the best way to remove said bullet? A metal rod?
Thanks for your help,
Major Tom

ithacaartist · 07-25-2017, 08:26 PM

I think you'll do OK with the wood once you get the upper into a padded vise. A dowel OD as close as possible to the bore would be the most businesslike in delivering the taps to the bullet.

DonVoigt · 07-25-2017, 08:51 PM

Two answers- direct opposites-
don't use wood, use metal of near bore diameter; wood will deform around the projectile and then you will have wood and a bullet in the bore.

I'd either pull the rest down, if any are left; or if someone else's reloads just throw them away.

Major Tom · 07-25-2017, 09:03 PM

Thanks for the replies! The reloads were mine @ 5gr. Bullseye under the 90gr. .309 Hornady bullet. The wood dowel did start to split so I quit using it. It was definitely a squib load probably only primer fired as the bullet is stuck just ahead of the chamber. Being a 4 inch barrel I will use a drill bit (reversed) to get it out. In 55+ years of reloading I have never had a squib load but $hit happens. I had only loaded 8 rounds and they all fired OK except that last one. BTW, those 7 rounds were very accurate @ 25 yards.

DavidJayUden · 07-25-2017, 11:44 PM

I had to get not one, but 3 bullets out of a now-bulged artillery Luger. I did muzzle down on a lightly padded anvil and a heavy hammer. I don't recall the material of the rod. Generally it helps to drill thru the bullet to relieve pressure. If you can reach it.
Jacketed or cast bullet?
dju

Sonofeugene · 07-26-2017, 03:11 AM

Do NOT just stick a drill bit down there and start drilling. You must use a tube or something to keep the bit away from the bore.

Major Tom · 07-26-2017, 08:08 AM

It is a jacketed bullet HP. No, I will not "drill" with the drill bit. Just will select a close fitting bit, reverse the bit (shank end in first) and tap it out.

DonVoigt · 07-26-2017, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom

It is a jacketed bullet HP. No, I will not "drill" with the drill bit. Just will select a close fitting bit, reverse the bit (shank end in first) and tap it out.

I would expect a drill bit to crack/break, they are quite hard.
Depending on where/how it breaks, you may not be able to get it out.

unitedcs · 07-26-2017, 09:36 AM

The right size hard wood dowel rod, a liberal shot of break free and a big hammer works for me

Norme · 07-26-2017, 09:45 AM

I would use a Phillips screwdriver and tap it out from the muzzle end.
Norm

Curly1 · 07-26-2017, 11:50 AM

Put some Kroil oil down there to help it along.

rhuff · 07-26-2017, 02:58 PM

I am a bit confused about your information. In you OP you state that you are firing your 9MM Luger with some of your reloads. Then later in this thread, you state that your 9mm reloads are loaded with 90gr .309in. Hornady HP bullets behind 5.0gr of Bulleye powder.

Hornaday 90gr .309 bullets are designed for 30 Luger brass, and would be too small in diameter for 9mm brass. They would just drop into a 9mm brass case.

So were you firing 9mm, or 30 Luger handguns, and what was your load.

Chickenthief · 07-26-2017, 04:14 PM

If it was me i would insert a primed 9mm case containing 5gr of bullseye into the chamber with the muzzle pointing up. When the case is fully seated you can point the muzzle anyway you want, now the powder wont spill.
Then push the button and let it "clean" itself.

I have done it several times and it is borderline boring and just like firing a normal cartridge.

Norme · 07-26-2017, 04:45 PM

Give it an enema, it may not help but it can't hurt.
Norm

DonVoigt · 07-26-2017, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norme

I would use a Phillips screwdriver and tap it out from the muzzle end.
Norm

Norm,
normally I would not contradict you, but to use a phillips or any screw driver or any pointed object, will only serve to expand the bullet more firmly into the rifling.

A flat rod is the way to go.

One might get buy with it if the bullet is only "slightly" stuck, but this one has already been beat on with a stick. The OP may have to resort to a pilot drill before he is done.

Rich,
don't even say that in jest, someone will think you are serious.

Chickenthief,
If one is absolutely positive there is only one bullet in the barrel, maybe- but once you make a recommendation you "own" the result.

lugerholsterrepair · 07-26-2017, 05:14 PM

I would use a Phillips screwdriver and tap it out from the muzzle end.

The round nose bullet would let the sharp nose of the screwdriver slip to the side and scrape the chamber and or the lands & grooves. Kinda bad advice IMO.

gunbugs · 07-26-2017, 05:23 PM

Over the years I've removed many a stuck bullet from the bores of rifles and pistols. (About 30 years as a full time gunsmith.)DO NOT use wood. Use aluminum, brass or steel, ONE PIECE rods that are near bore diameter, and do not protrude from the bore more than about 6" from the end you are going to tap on. Spray some of your favorite oil in the bore from the end the bullet will travel through, usually the chamber end, if it was a squib. Clamp the barrel firmly in a padded vise. Now insert the rod and bring it up against the projectile, hold it firmly, and give it a good strike with you favorite brass mallet. 1 or 2 hits will usually do the job.
Wood is a VERY bad idea, as it will typically break up and lodge pieces around the nose of the bullet, making any further attempts much more difficult. DO NOT use wood, of any type.

DavidJayUden · 07-26-2017, 05:52 PM

I'm always surprised just how tight a bullet is in the bore in these situations. Makes me wonder if they don't elongate just a bit at the moment of firing.

Major Tom · 07-26-2017, 06:07 PM

It is a 9mm. I was also shootinG a 30 luger too and got old age mixed upitis. I did get the bullet out easily with the drill bit. Not tightly stuck at all.

cirelaw · 07-26-2017, 06:12 PM

How can this happen and how can it be prevented in the future?

07-25-2017, 08:17 PM	#1
Major Tom User Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: S.E. Iowa Posts: 481 Thanks: 531 Thanked 226 Times in 123 Posts	Stuck bullet in barrel I was shooting some reloads in my 9mm luger today. Loaded 5.0 gr. Bullseye. All shots fired and cycled the action just fine until...nothing! I opened the action to find an empty case. Looking down the barrel revealed a bullet stuck in the bore. I had a wood dowel and hammer with me but it wouldn't budge the bullet. So, what would be the best way to remove said bullet? A metal rod? Thanks for your help, Major Tom __________________ I Build Custom Pistol Boxes

07-25-2017, 08:26 PM	#2
ithacaartist Twice a Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Atop the highest hill in Schuyler County NY Posts: 3,282 Thanks: 7,007 Thanked 2,476 Times in 1,319 Posts	I think you'll do OK with the wood once you get the upper into a padded vise. A dowel OD as close as possible to the bore would be the most businesslike in delivering the taps to the bullet. __________________ "... Liberty is the seed and soil, the air and light, the dew and rain of progress, love and joy."-- Robert Greene Ingersoll 1894

07-25-2017, 08:51 PM	#3
DonVoigt User Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: near Charlotte NC Posts: 4,677 Thanks: 1,439 Thanked 4,347 Times in 2,038 Posts	Two answers- direct opposites- don't use wood, use metal of near bore diameter; wood will deform around the projectile and then you will have wood and a bullet in the bore. I'd either pull the rest down, if any are left; or if someone else's reloads just throw them away. __________________ 03man(Don Voigt); Luger student and collector. Looking for DWM side plate: 69 ; Dreyse 1907 pistol K.S. Gendarmerie

07-25-2017, 09:03 PM	#4
Major Tom User Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: S.E. Iowa Posts: 481 Thanks: 531 Thanked 226 Times in 123 Posts	Thanks for the replies! The reloads were mine @ 5gr. Bullseye under the 90gr. .309 Hornady bullet. The wood dowel did start to split so I quit using it. It was definitely a squib load probably only primer fired as the bullet is stuck just ahead of the chamber. Being a 4 inch barrel I will use a drill bit (reversed) to get it out. In 55+ years of reloading I have never had a squib load but $hit happens. I had only loaded 8 rounds and they all fired OK except that last one. BTW, those 7 rounds were very accurate @ 25 yards. __________________ I Build Custom Pistol Boxes

07-26-2017, 08:08 AM	#7
Major Tom User Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: S.E. Iowa Posts: 481 Thanks: 531 Thanked 226 Times in 123 Posts	It is a jacketed bullet HP. No, I will not "drill" with the drill bit. Just will select a close fitting bit, reverse the bit (shank end in first) and tap it out. __________________ I Build Custom Pistol Boxes

07-25-2017, 11:44 PM	#5
DavidJayUden Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,047 Thanks: 578 Thanked 1,414 Times in 887 Posts	I had to get not one, but 3 bullets out of a now-bulged artillery Luger. I did muzzle down on a lightly padded anvil and a heavy hammer. I don't recall the material of the rod. Generally it helps to drill thru the bullet to relieve pressure. If you can reach it. Jacketed or cast bullet? dju

07-26-2017, 03:11 AM	#6
Sonofeugene User Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 157 Thanks: 1 Thanked 118 Times in 64 Posts	Do NOT just stick a drill bit down there and start drilling. You must use a tube or something to keep the bit away from the bore.

07-26-2017, 09:36 AM	#9
unitedcs User Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Land O Lakes, Florida Posts: 90 Thanks: 8 Thanked 30 Times in 15 Posts	The right size hard wood dowel rod, a liberal shot of break free and a big hammer works for me

07-26-2017, 09:45 AM	#10
Norme Always A Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,414 Thanks: 224 Thanked 2,591 Times in 930 Posts	I would use a Phillips screwdriver and tap it out from the muzzle end. Norm

07-26-2017, 11:50 AM	#11
Curly1 User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 1,228 Thanks: 111 Thanked 702 Times in 364 Posts	Put some Kroil oil down there to help it along. __________________ Laugh hard and often. Gary

07-26-2017, 02:58 PM	#12
rhuff Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Az. Posts: 2,270 Thanks: 2,686 Thanked 958 Times in 704 Posts	I am a bit confused about your information. In you OP you state that you are firing your 9MM Luger with some of your reloads. Then later in this thread, you state that your 9mm reloads are loaded with 90gr .309in. Hornady HP bullets behind 5.0gr of Bulleye powder. Hornaday 90gr .309 bullets are designed for 30 Luger brass, and would be too small in diameter for 9mm brass. They would just drop into a 9mm brass case. So were you firing 9mm, or 30 Luger handguns, and what was your load.

07-26-2017, 04:14 PM	#13
Chickenthief User Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Denmark Posts: 135 Thanks: 0 Thanked 131 Times in 48 Posts	If it was me i would insert a primed 9mm case containing 5gr of bullseye into the chamber with the muzzle pointing up. When the case is fully seated you can point the muzzle anyway you want, now the powder wont spill. Then push the button and let it "clean" itself. I have done it several times and it is borderline boring and just like firing a normal cartridge.

07-26-2017, 04:45 PM	#14
Norme Always A Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Colorado Posts: 2,414 Thanks: 224 Thanked 2,591 Times in 930 Posts	Give it an enema, it may not help but it can't hurt. Norm

07-26-2017, 05:14 PM	#16
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,760 Thanks: 4,848 Thanked 3,099 Times in 1,426 Posts	I would use a Phillips screwdriver and tap it out from the muzzle end. The round nose bullet would let the sharp nose of the screwdriver slip to the side and scrape the chamber and or the lands & grooves. Kinda bad advice IMO. __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 lugerholsterrepair@earthlink.net 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

07-26-2017, 05:23 PM	#17
gunbugs Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Fairbanks, Alaska. Home of the best moose. Posts: 635 Thanks: 335 Thanked 1,139 Times in 377 Posts	Over the years I've removed many a stuck bullet from the bores of rifles and pistols. (About 30 years as a full time gunsmith.)DO NOT use wood. Use aluminum, brass or steel, ONE PIECE rods that are near bore diameter, and do not protrude from the bore more than about 6" from the end you are going to tap on. Spray some of your favorite oil in the bore from the end the bullet will travel through, usually the chamber end, if it was a squib. Clamp the barrel firmly in a padded vise. Now insert the rod and bring it up against the projectile, hold it firmly, and give it a good strike with you favorite brass mallet. 1 or 2 hits will usually do the job. Wood is a VERY bad idea, as it will typically break up and lodge pieces around the nose of the bullet, making any further attempts much more difficult. DO NOT use wood, of any type.

07-26-2017, 05:52 PM	#18
DavidJayUden Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,047 Thanks: 578 Thanked 1,414 Times in 887 Posts	I'm always surprised just how tight a bullet is in the bore in these situations. Makes me wonder if they don't elongate just a bit at the moment of firing.

07-26-2017, 06:07 PM	#19
Major Tom User Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: S.E. Iowa Posts: 481 Thanks: 531 Thanked 226 Times in 123 Posts	It is a 9mm. I was also shootinG a 30 luger too and got old age mixed upitis. I did get the bullet out easily with the drill bit. Not tightly stuck at all. __________________ I Build Custom Pistol Boxes

07-26-2017, 06:12 PM	#20
cirelaw Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PORT ST LUCIE, FLORIDA Posts: 12,216 Thanks: 6,209 Thanked 4,133 Times in 2,173 Posts	How can this happen and how can it be prevented in the future?