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Removing stuck bullets from revolver

5K views 21 replies 17 participants last post by  Kweeksdraw 
#1 ·
A good friend brought me a Ruger Speed Six Revolver yesterday with bullets stuck in barrel. It belonged to another friend of his and he had owned it over 30 years and someone gave him some ammo and apparently one had a squib load or a polluted primer and there was a bullet stuck about 1/2" below muzzle and the last one was flush with back of barrel.


My friend had tried to get them out with brass rod that did not work so he called me and I thought about it while he was inbound and came up with another idea.


I took a piece of round stock, chucked it up in lathe and turned it down about 2 1/2 inches long to where it could be inserted into the muzzle. I left a little shoulder on it so it would stop when the shoulder contacted the muzzle. The idea was to make a drill guide that would keep the drill center of the bore as I drilled a hole in the bullets.


I cut it off leaving enough for the shoulder, faced it and inserted it in 3 jaw chuck and drilled a pilot hole and eventually drilled a hole with a # 7 drill all the way through it.


I placed the drill guide in the muzzle and the #7 drill in a battery powered drill and drilled through the first bullet.


Next I tapped the hole 1/4X20 tpi and put Ed's Red in bore.


Next I inserted 1 1/2" long 1/4X20 socket head screw into the hole and the head of the socket head in a vise and started pulling on it and it finally let go with a pop and came out.


Drilled the next bullet down and repeated the above and it came out.


Drilled the third bullet down and it was much tighter so we clamped barrel in vise padded with a thick piece of leather and tapped on the front of the revolver frame under the barrel with a plastic hammer and it came out.


By this time my #7 drill quit had reached the limit of its travel and the 1/4X20 Tap had as well.


I took the guide back to the lathe and opened the No 7 hole to 1/4" with a long drill I had just purchased at the flea market that morning with a broke off nose. I reground the point and it worked like a champ. That was a good stop, this lady was selling off stuff and she let me have six drill bits, (two extra long ones) and two Craftsman steel drill gages for $5.00. One of my better flea market finds.


Went back, clamped the barrel in the padded vise jaws and inserted guide in barrel and drilled through till the drill came out the cylinder end of the barrel. Then inserted a brass rod in barrel and tapped out the last THREE bullets. They were all jacketed HPs and all came out with jackets.


Finally I ran a patch down the barrel and it was perfect as it was protected by the drill guide I had turned for the job.


My buddy took all six bullets with him and the guide to show his friend what he had and how we did it.


If I had owned a extra long 1/4X20 tap and a extra long #7 drill bit and a piece of 1/4X20 all thread or screw five inches long I would have opted for that but fortunately the drill guide saved the day and his barrel. I have never seen a long 1/4X20 tap so I assume that is not to be.


I had seen revolvers with stuck bullets all my life but it was first one I was ever asked for help with.


In looking at the wall thickness of the drill guide with the 1/4" hole drilled through it that did not leave much wall thickness and I would not have wanted to open it further.


Total time to make guide and remove all six bullets was 90 minutes
 
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#5 ·
Good work Humpy, well done. I believe someone should be grateful to a barrel/cylinder gap, a strong ol' Ruger and a guardian angel. Seems to me that same someone needs another someone watching while he shoots if he isn't astute enough to know a bullet exited the barrel.
 
#8 ·
There are extended length 1/4-20 taps, up to 6 inches in my experience. The shaft is slightly larger diameter, can't recall exactly, but it was far under .357.

How does someone lodge 6 bullets in a barrel? What length tube was it?
 
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#9 ·
Good work, Humpy, in getting that cleared up.

I agree. Six squibs and he never noticed?

From ammo someone gave him...All the more reason to never trust someone else's home loads.

He had the gun more than 30 years. I wonder if he shot it much? He should have noticed the difference in recoil; should have been watching for bullet splash/holes in paper.

He's fortunate to still have a gun and hand and anyone around was fortunate to not to be hit by shrapnel.
 
#11 ·
We once had a NYS FIREARMS INSTRUCTOR(!!!) bring in a Ruger Security Six with pretty much the same problem. His reloads were the cause. He'd used the absolute minimum charge of Bullseye for a .38spl 148gr soft lead wadcutter, and proceeded to load 158gr jacketed soft points. I seem to recall he stopped at five rounds because the fifth projectile was stuck midway between the chamber mouth and the barrel's forcing cone. We were lucky on that one, and after a bit of tapping with a brass dowel the fifth bullet was clear of the forcing cone and the cylinder could be opened. At that point it was then a matter of tapping out a "totem pole" of 158gr jacketed soft points. Surprisingly there was no evidence of a bulged/ringed bore, or any other signs of stress. Kept that totem pole around the shop for years until one day it was dropped and broke apart.
 
#22 ·
Man when I see these posts it give me the willys. I was shooting my 1888 38S&W Hammerless with my first hand loads for it. It shot well but was stinging my hand (didn't use that term back then) I loaded it with factory rounds and no sting. I concluded my load was too hot and reduced it about a half grain. I had started .2gr above starting load. That put me below recommended starting load. The gun went bang and had recoil similar to the factory rounds, and most hit the target. I noticed one did not penetrate the 3/8 inch plywood board. Then I noticed a bullet sticking half way out of the muzzle. I proceeded to drive it out but it was not moving. So I got the pliers and pulled it out. Looked down the barrel and it was still dark. I began to feel very sick. And lucky. I went back to work with the brass rod and two more bullets came out. I could not detect any bulge inside or out. The thing is, I had a hit or two in the last shots fired, so although rounds were stuck in the barrel, they were also exiting. This gun is an old top break, and a light one at that. It is not a Ruger or a tank. I am truly amazed that it did not blow up, and I still have eyes and fingers. I still shoot it and it shoots well with its 6" barrel. It belonged to my grandfather. He said he carried it when he played poker. It has been proofed.
 
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