I didn't do it!! A SSgt I work with has a Dan Wesson .357 and when he got it, it had a bullet stuck 1 inch from the muzzle of the 12" barrel. These are the removable barrels and are just a straight tube threaded on both ends. He tried to get it out with a wood dowel but no luck, it looks like the previous owner upset the nose as it is dented and compressed. It appears to be a metal cased round nose with lead base exposed. I had first thought about placing it in a collet in my lathe and hand drilling in about 3/4 of the length with progressively larger drill bits to weaken the center and allow the slug to collapse to the center when I tried to drive it out with a slip fit (to the bore) brass drift. Only thing that worries me would be driving the lead core out and leaving the jacket in. However, before I start this, I figured I would ask the AR community if they had a "better idea" or knew of something else to try. Thanks in advance for any ideas, opinions and .02

Thaine,
I would try a 14" long piece of bore diameter yellow brass rod, without the drilling, first. One good sharp smack with a non-rebounding hammer usually works a lot better than small taps. If that doesn't work, then I'd chuck it in my lathe and do the progressive drill routine, starting with a centre drill, of course!

Not to be a smart-ass or nothin' but if the barrel is 12" long then the obvious answer is to cut and crown it to 4" or 6" and re-thread it.

If that is out of the question then stand it muzzle-up and heat the bullet area with a propane torch and drive it out the way it came in.

"Not to be a smart-ass or nithin' but if the barrel is 12" long then the obvious answer is to cut and crown it to 4" or 6" and re-thread it."

A logical approach to a regular barrel. However, these are a tube that is tensioned inside a barrel shroud (screw into frame, slip shroud on, screw nut onto muzzle end) and that would mean buying a new shroud. I can turn and thread a new bbl with forcing cone cheaper than that.
The heat idea crossed my mind but only to melt the lead core. Wouldn't it be easier to go the inch to the muzzle than 10 inches in reverse?

put the barrel vertically and FIRMLY in a vise, but leave the muzzle clear (don't support under it)

fill the barrel 2/3 or 3/4 the way with just about any kind of oil.. vegtable, motor, silicon oil, even mineral oil...

intoduce a brass rod (1/4" or so) wrapped in duct tape. the tape should make a taper 1/2" or so in from of the front of the rod... like a "jesters' cap"... and be wrapped enough to be about .375 or so...

when introduced, you should be all but having the rod into the chamber, but heavily wrapped and padded with duct tape.


with a LIGHT hammer (think 16oz, not 6#) smack the holy heck out of the unwrapped end of the rod, driving it into the barrel, agaisnt the oil, using hydrolic pressure to push it the rest of the way out..

a bucket under the barrel is a good idea...


you could do this a slightly different way... drive a SOFT lead slug through the shortest barrel and use that, rather than the duct tape, as your driving piston.

jeffe

quote:

Originally posted by Thaine:
"Not to be a smart-ass or nithin' but if the barrel is 12" long then the obvious answer is to cut and crown it to 4" or 6" and re-thread it."

A logical approach to a regular barrel. However, these are a tube that is tensioned inside a barrel shroud (screw into frame, slip shroud on, screw nut onto muzzle end) and that would mean buying a new shroud. I can turn and thread a new bbl with forcing cone cheaper than that.
The heat idea crossed my mind but only to melt the lead core. Wouldn't it be easier to go the inch to the muzzle than 10 inches in reverse?

I think I read once upon a time that Dan Wessons had tapered bores (part of what makes them such good shooters). So backwards is easier than the rest of the way out. Either way, once it starts to move it ought to come out. Sounds like it has frozen in place with time, probably due to micro-corrosion. If you can break that bond it will come; that's why the heat. It won't take as much heat as it takes to melt lead.

Jeffe's technique is good too, as long as you have a way to hold the barrel without distorting it. It's real easy to ovalize (is that a real word?) a Wesson barrel in a vise. Mabe a sacrificial nut nut can screw on the barrel and grab that with the vise.

I think a plan is forming. Drill hole in a wood block, slice block in half. Use block to clamp barrel in vice. Hang bucket off of vice with bbl. in bucket. Heat area of barrel where bullet is. Take brass rod, thread part of end (to give duct tape some bite) wrap it and place oil in bbl., rod behind it, nylon washer on rod to protect end of bbl. and smack it.

quote:

Originally posted by Thaine:
I think a plan is forming. Drill hole in a wood block, slice block in half. Use block to clamp barrel in vice. Hang bucket off of vice with bbl. in bucket. Heat area of barrel where bullet is. Take brass rod, thread part of end (to give duct tape some bite) wrap it and place oil in bbl., rod behind it, nylon washer on rod to protect end of bbl. and smack it.

Just be sure to get a tight piston seal or you'll spatter the roof and yourself with high velocity oil. Possibly very very hot oil.

Mod to plan. Besides raincoat and safety glasses, tight fitting inverted funnel over rod I had planned on the cooling part!
Thanks all, I bet we can getter dun now

I suggest squirting some Kano Kroil or perhaps PB Blaster into the barrel to penetrate between the stuck bullet and the barrel. Give it some time to work, then follow the above instructions that don't require heat. Kinda like buttering your finger to get a stuck ring off. The lubricant will make the job much easier.

oil + flame ....

hmmm, not my idea!!! but a heat gun, that will go 1100 with a "forcing cone" should more os less slip in the barrel

and, if you don't have any kroil, brake fluid works darn good.

hey, use RED deisel!!! that way the walls will look "interesting"

jeffe

Sounds like you gotta solid plan there, Thaine. Be sure to wear a white tee shirt with the red oil. I just love gun art!

I don't suppose you could use some copper solvent to try and dissolve the jacket could you? Also, since you own a lathe, do you have any spare stock handy? Why not make yourself a barrel vise to hold the barrel in and lessen the risk of distorting it?

I'd use a brass rod and a hydraulic press, with a softwood block under the barrel. I suspect after the round gets pushed back a couple inches it will slide pretty easily.

Hell, this isn't complicated, .....just oil the barrel and have at it with bore size brass rod and hammer, .....it'll move! .......I've done maybe a hundred like this over the years. ~Arctic~

WHAAAAAAA? chit happens. Ahhdeoskies, not worth the time it takes to fix it. sell it to Jack First for parts.
Timan

Hey Thaine where you working at? Are you a 2161?

Get a steel cap made. One that fits the barrel threads. Thread this onto the end of the barrel so that it seals that end closed. In the other end install a grease fitting, or better yet thread a hole in the non barrel threaded end for direct attachment to a grease gun (usually 1/8 npt but your access to tools may vary) then just pump it out with grease.
I have unloaded muzzle loaders with a 1600psi water pressure washer before that had stuck hollow points in them, and that didn't generate as much as a hydraulic lever pump or grease gun.

quote:

Hey Thaine where you working at? Are you a 2161?

No, I work at Cannon AFB (Clovis, NM). I am a electronics tech (civil service) maintaining the weather and airfield radar systems. Prior to that I was in test and engingeering for flight simulators (22 yrs active Navy and 10 years civil service with the AF).

"oil + flame ....hmmm, not my idea!!!"

Not mine either! I left a few time lags out of the plan. Red deisel, now that sounds interesting since my shop has white walls and a 7' ceiling.

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

CLOVIS??? Wow, I went to a Smallbore prone match there from Ft. Bliss in 1961, and was walking down the street at 10 PM or so, and this carload of beauties drove by, honking, and waving. Great, I thought, gonna get lucky, when I saw them u-turn at the end of the main drag. Came by again, honking and waving. Then I realized there were cars filled with guys, driving up and down the main drag, and cars with chicks, and all they did on Sat night was honk and wave at each other. Thank god I found the Legion Post to have a beer. PS The match was a disaster, too. The winds musta been 40 mph, and all these locals were used to it.

XS

Some things never change. The kids still cruise main St. and the damn wind still blows. I've been here 12 yrs and keep hoping it will quit! Course if it does, I'll probably bitch about how hot it is!

What would happen if you loaded a case with 5 grains of Red Dot, and fired it?

"What would happen if you loaded a case with 5 grains of Red Dot, and fired it?"

Usually, when you try to blow a stuck bullet, you ring the barrel where the base of the bullet was resting.

quote:

Originally posted by Masterifleman:
"What would happen if you loaded a case with 5 grains of Red Dot, and fired it?"

Usually, when you try to blow a stuck bullet, you ring the barrel where the base of the bullet was resting.

No, that usually happens when a bullet is fired into a bullet already lodged in the barrel. The air between the two is compressed and rings the barrel.

Get a steel or brass rod 5/16 or 11/32.
Wrap with electrical tape at bottom and at top to protect bore. This will also act as hydraulic seal. Put about 3 shot of heavy grease or toliet bowel wax into barrel. Stick rod in muzzzle end and cut off all but about 3-4 inch that protrudes from barrel. (Tape is so you get a good seal). Protect barrel and put it in heavy vise. Wrap rags around top of barrel to protect you from spray. Using small hammer (12oz) hit the rod hard with hammer. This will create a hydraulic shock that should free bullet with out swelling bullet anymore. Sounds messy but I have done this before and it worked well. But you have to really rap that rod with the hammer to create the shock or pressure.
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" I just saw where you said it was 1 inch from muzzle. I would go ahead and force it out the muzzle. Good luck.