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Thread: Squib removal rod?

  1. #61
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    I use a brass rod and a soft face hammer to remove stuck boolits. The brass rod deeds to be just small enough to go down the bore of whatever caliber you are shooting and at least 1-2 inches longer than the longest barrel you will be using.
    It has worked well when I had such issues.

  2. #62
    Boolit Master


    David2011's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kevin c View Post
    I thought the best bore brushes are made of phosphor bronze, or are there different alloys of different hardness all going by the same name?
    You are correct. The difference is that bore brushes are made of fine wire; not heavy rods. For most of my life I thought brazing rod was brass. I needed some material to machine a “gold” front sight bead so I took a hacksaw to one. The blade just skidded because I wasn’t expecting to have to apply pressure. It was about like cutting tempered steel music wire and much tougher than mild steel. I was surprised to learn that the alloy was in the bronze family.

    It made a nice gold bead.
    Sometimes life taps you on the shoulder and reminds you it's a one way street. Jim Morris

  3. #63
    Boolit Grand Master
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    For all the people proclaiming that a wooden dowel is all you need; they can work, until they don't. It is when the going gets tough that the wood gives up, usually with added problems.

    I much prefer to avoid possible problems if I can. A few dollars for a brass or steel rod isn't going to cause anyone to have to eat ramen noodles for a month.

    Robert

  4. #64
    Boolit Master


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    I keep a 12" long 5/16" dia (about .31 cal) steel rod in my shooting bag.
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  5. #65
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    TNsailorman's Avatar
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    I don't load or shoot squib type loads, so I never had a problem of a stuck bullet. But if I did, I think bedbugbilly gave you a very good solution. james

  6. #66
    Boolit Master


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    I don't think many do, on purpose. It's nice to be able to sort out someone else's stuck bullet, though.
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  7. #67
    Boolit Master
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    The only squibs I personally loaded were deliberate or anticipated.

    The first was when I was starting out in Action Pistol. I wanted to know what a squib round sounded like so I could stop myself or a shooter I was RO’ing if it happened in a match. The second was a deliberate experiment on seeing the effects of heavy case lube contamination of the case interior. Also in the second category was the one time I ran the measure dry and wasn’t sure I’d seen every charge before seating the bullet. That batch of rounds got segregated for single shot use.

    In all cases I fired single rounds into a close target where I could see the new bullet hole. No hole, or weak report or lack of cycling, I used the rod to check the barrel and/ or clear the lodged bullet.

    I haven’t yet cut that three foot length of brass rod. Too long I think could bend. Too short I see folks cussing because they whacked their crowns with the hammer. Maybe three or four inches longer than the maximum barrel length plus chamber anticipated? Maybe widen the hammering end by cutting some threads and then welding on some nuts?
    Last edited by kevin c; 12-02-2021 at 02:52 PM.

  8. #68
    Boolit Bub
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    I use 5/16 inch bronze rod for my 32 win spl and 357 barrels. I think Mcmaster Carr was the source. They measure .313 inches and are true.

  9. #69
    Boolit Master
    CastingFool's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AndyC View Post
    I keep a 12" long 5/16" dia (about .31 cal) steel rod in my shooting bag.
    This is what I use, except my rod is brass. It's actually a valve stem out of a frostfree spicket.

  10. #70
    Boolit Master
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    Many years ago a squib rod was carried when a fellow was loading and testing squib loads for practice shooting.
    A bib was a bullet stuck in the bore of course, but squib loads were purpose built for close range shooting and teaching new shooters and women and children how to shoot.
    Many times loads that worked fine in hot summer were no good in cooler weather so you always carried a squib rod just in case.
    It used to rankle the experienced shooters to hear a noobee call a bib a squib load, but anymore, you know the noobees never learned about the value of actual squib loads being used to teach new shooters.
    Indeed, many of the latest gunwriters have never seen or heard of squib loads and their uses.
    I was fortunate to learn from some oltimers when I was growing up. I was first born and my Dad was over thirty when I was born.
    He was even a bit old for WW2 being 26 when he joined up.
    He said most all the guys were 18 and 19 years old that fought that war, just like every war.
    Squib loads were part of growing up and everyone at the range carried a squib rod with them for rifle or pistol and even the shotgun shooters who were always experimenting too.
    Most old reloaders are old experimenters anyway I think .
    Me, I still have my learners permit.
    Last edited by Alferd Packer; 12-04-2021 at 06:08 PM.

  11. #71
    Boolit Master
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    I use a piece of 1/4 rod with a .25 cal pistol case taped to the end for cal.30 rifles .A 3 foot piece usually.
    A 12 inch piece same way is usually good for all pistol barrels.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check