Shot Capusle Stuck...

[BCB]

I was shooting some shot loads in my Security-Six yesterday and I had one the just went “pop”. Well, of course, the shot capsule is stuck in the barrel. So, I got a ramrod and pushed it through—the shot and base plug came out but the plastic capsule is now a plastic cylinder in the barrel!!
I tried using a wooden dowel, but it pushed through the plastic cylinder—now another mess! A wooden dowel stuck in the plastic cylinder in the barrel!!! I finally got the dowel pulled from the barrel—plastic cylinder remains. I then sized a gas check and put it on the wooden dowel. It pushed through the plastic cylinder and swaged the check to the dowel—plastic cylinder remains stuck.
Can the plastic capsule be dissolved some how or should I get a machinist to turn a brass rod to the exact size of the bore and see if it can be pushed through and push the plastic capsule out? Any thoughts??? Thanks…BCB

[Four Fingers of Death]

The only thing I can think of is to push a lubed bullet down and upset it with the dowel. It should pick it up when it comes up against it becasue it is filling the Bbl right out.

If I ever get a bullet stuck in the bore, I make sure I clean completely with a bronze bristle brush in case there is any material from the obstruction left. It would seem plausible to me that this could act as an obstruction and buldge your bbl. I don't know if this is the case with your problem, but why take a chance?
Mick.

[BCB]

4fingermick,
Yep, I will clean it thoroughly if I get the shot capsule out. I thought about pushing a lead bullet through the bore, but I’m a bit afraid I might get it stuck also—then it is a double whammy…BCB

[omgb]

Remove the grips from the gun, get some acetone, go outside and using a bronze brush, douch the heck out of that pup with the acetone. It should melt like icecream in Vegas. If not, try some Mek. One or the other will do it.

[Shepherd2]

The first thing I thought of was acetone. Be sure to take the grips off as omgb suggested. It sould make short work of the plastic.

[lar45]

I think I would try loading a gas check into an empty case with a mag primer and fire it. I think the power of the primer might be enough to dislodge it??

I wonder if you could use some 223 brass and run the body part way into an 8mm die to let it fit the chamber, then cut to length and use that instead of a shot capsule?? Load with a few grains of fast powder, then a gascheck or fiber wad, shot, then another wad on top?

I cut one down to load into a 38 super for a similar idea. It fit and chambered fine from the magazine. I never did load it though. Not that I thought it would be dangerous, just never got to it.

[BCB]

I dropped a capsule in a small beaker of acetone and it did dissolve it in about 35 minutes. I am wondering if I could plug the muzzle and fill the barrel with acetone just enough to cover the capsule and let it set for about an hour? That way the capsule would be completely dissolved and it might be a bit easier to remove. Does anyone think the acetone will hurt the stainless barrel on the Security-Six? Thanks for the info...BCB

[StarMetal]

Neither acetone or MEK will hurt that barrel. Go ahead and fill her up with acetone and you might want to cork it afterwards because the stuff evaporates awful doggone fast.

After you get it out let us know if there was a rough spot or something there that caused it to stick, or was it just a squib load?

Joe

[BCB]

The wife works in a lab so I was able to get acetone. I placed another shot capsule in a small beaker of it and waited about an hour. The blue capsule had not completely dissolved, but it was mushy and the acetone had turned a blue color from the shot capsule. So, I removed the Pac grips just for safety sake, and I tapped a 358429 into the muzzle end of the Ruger and placed the handgun in a vice with the muzzled pointed downward. I filled the barrel with acetone, place another 358429 in the forcing cone to help prevent evaporation, and let it stew for a bit over an hour. I removed the bullet from the muzzle and the acetone come out blue colored. I quickly pulled a large oversized patch through the barrel. It had blue pieces of plastic strings on it. I looked in the barrel with a bore light and no plastic capsule. I then completely cleaned the barrel with Sweet’s, J&B, and a stainless brush (yea, I have used them for years with no problems on any gun). Clean as a whistle…

There is no rough spot anywhere in the barrel. I had shot quite a few of these shot loads a week or so before with no problems. They were loaded a good many years ago using 5.5 grains of Unique. So, I took several of the ones that had performed as they were supposed to do and rubbed a clean Q-tip inside of them. The Q-tip came out almost as clean as it was before using it inside the cases. The case from the one that caused the problem was also cleaned on the inside. The Q-tip was filthy when it was removed from the culprit case. Maybe a bad primer? Maybe no powder? (That would be the first case I ever loaded in my entire reloading career that didn’t have a powder charge!). I should have been more careful when I ran the ramrod down the barrel at my shooting range to see if un-burnt powder was noted. Oh well, better living through chemistry!!! A couple of 358429’s down that barrel ought to have it in good shape as if nothing happened…BCB

[Junior1942]

A cheap and easy source of acetone is plain ol' hardware store PVC pipe cleaner.

[Shepherd2]

I recently bought a 16 oz. can in the hardware store paint department for $3.29.

[versifier]

I take some of my wife's nail polish remover whenever I need acetone. A bit more expensive, but there was always some handy. With three daughters, they go through a lot of it. I use it for cleaning the wad residue from shotgun barrels.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Glad you got a good outcome. Mick.

[Swagerman]

This is an excellent thread with very good advice.

Glad the posters barrel came out OK. :)

Jim :coffee:

[Bret4207]

I believe brake cleaner also works on plastic residue, or so a trap shooter type tells me.