Please Help. Bullet stuck in my LCP.

rEVOLVED · March 11, 2012, 10:52 AM

Hey, all. As the thread title states, I have a bullet stuck in the barrel of my Ruger LCP. Pretty devastating event for me, since that is my EDC gun. I was shooting some regular Magtech target ammo at the gun club a few months back. I ran out of ammo, and decided to go ahead and shoot through the clip of hollow points that I had. What bothers me is that it was Hornady Critical Defense, which I have always thought to be the best self defense ammo available. I got three rounds through my clip, and the fourth one just went "pfffft." Must have been a powderless round. Now the bullet is stuck in my barrel.

Any advice on how to get it out? My plan is to wrap the barrel in a towel, place it in a bench vice, and hammer the thing out with a wooden dowel or possibly brass rod if I can find one somewhere.

Thank you for reading, and please feel free to leave feedback. Don't want to risk messing up my barrel, but I would love to get it fixed without shipping it off somewhere.

SwampYankee · March 11, 2012, 10:56 AM

It's pretty easy to do, if you have the tools.

Remove the barrel, but it in a vise (pad the vise so not to bang up the barrel) and knock the bullet out with a brass rod. Neither the bullet or the rod will damage the barrel. You could use wood in a short barrel like that but if it splinters, it may jam the bullet in harder. I always carry a brass rod and a ball peen hammer in my shooting bag.

seastrike · March 11, 2012, 10:57 AM

The hammer probably. Just the dowell.

rEVOLVED · March 11, 2012, 11:07 AM

Thanks for the quick replies. Really appreciate the help. Any idea if I could get a brass rod at somewhere like Lowe's or Home Depot?

**Mal H** · March 11, 2012, 11:23 AM

Some tips:

Don't use a towel in the vise. Use something solid like leather (maybe an old belt?) or you might scratch the barrel when you put it in the vise. If you are using a wood vise (no checkering on the jaw faces), then you can use the towel.

You can use the wooden dowel if it is a large diameter that will still fit in the barrel and only if it is a hardwood like rock maple or oak (most are). However, you should only hammer the bullet from the base if you use the wooden dowel. Like SwampYankee said, if you hammer from the tip end, odds are it will splinter and may jam between the bullet and the bore making it even harder to get out. Pushing from the base seems counter intuitive since you have to push the bullet a lot farther, but the primer has already done most of the work in pushing the bullet into the grooves. You might be surprised how little hammering it really takes to move the bullet along in the barrel.

If you can find a brass rod, that's obviously better. I don't recall seeing them at Lowe's or HD, but they may have a brass punch. If it's long enough and large enough in diameter, that will work. An alternative to brass is to use a steel rod with a large diameter soda straw used as a protective sleeve.

BillM · March 11, 2012, 11:28 AM

How far into the barrel is it? Usually a no-powder squib it just started
into the rifling---it doesn't take much to knock it out.

Brass rod is best. Hardwood dowel will work. The housing from a
cheap "bic" style pen will probably do it. In a pinch, I've used a steel bolt
with a wrap of electrical tape to protect the rifling.

gyvel · March 11, 2012, 01:37 PM

Aluminum rod is better than brass. Brass can work harden enough to actually damage the steel. Aluminum won't work harden to that point and won't cause any damage to steel other than some silver colored stains that wipe away with solvent.

Take a pencil and find out which end of the bore the bullet is closest to. Obviously, you want to push the bullet in the direction of the closest exit point.

In the past, when his has happened to me, I have found that I can hold the gun in my hand firmly enough to hit the bullet out of the bore without using a vise or clamp, thus obviating the chances for scarring the metal.

At any rate, it's not a huge disaster and you're not the only one that has had this problem.

AndyWest · March 11, 2012, 02:49 PM

Personally, I would take it to my smith. If you don't have one, now's a good time to make a new friend. It should be super-cheap. And you could have it inspected, maybe polished, any other minor work you'd like done to make you feel safer.

Dragline45 · March 11, 2012, 02:58 PM

chances are if you have a cleaning rod it is either brass or aluminum, maybe try a wooden cooking spoon.

ScottRiqui · March 11, 2012, 05:40 PM

Two data points don't make a trend, but I had a Magtech .380 squib load stick in the barrel of my Beretta 84 about two weeks ago. Tapped it out with a brass rod as described upthread - came out with no problems.

I would say that I'll never buy Magtech .380 again, but it's a moot point since I was only shooting factory ammo until I had accumulated enough brass to start reloading. From now on, any ammo problems with the gun will be strictly my fault!

Don H · March 11, 2012, 06:13 PM

It wasn't a Magtech round that caused the problem.

ScottRiqui · March 11, 2012, 06:18 PM

Thanks for the clarification - I didn't read the OP closely enough and missed the switch from Magtech to CD.

Billy Shears · March 11, 2012, 06:57 PM

I have experienced similar troubles with .380 Critical Defense in my LCP. The stuff is literally "hit or miss" and seems to have more than its fair share of problems. Good luck with the barrel.

**JohnKSa** · March 11, 2012, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Aluminum rod is better than brass.

Aluminum oxide forms on any aluminum surface that's not protected with a painted finish. Aluminum oxide is extremely hard--much harder than steel--and is abrasive.

Quote:

What bothers me is that it was Hornady Critical Defense, which I have always thought to be the best self defense ammo available. I got three rounds through my clip, and the fourth one just went "pfffft." Must have been a powderless round.

Could the unfired rounds have been exposed to oil or solvents?

SwampYankee · March 12, 2012, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Brass can work harden enough to actually damage the steel.

I've done a lot of work with brass, making custom hand planes. While it does work harden very easily, my experience has been that it usually starts chipping immediately when that happens. I would not expect you to get much damage from that and the side most likely to harden is the one you are hitting, which is not in con act with the barrel.

Quote:

Personally, I would take it to my smith. If you don't have one, now's a good time to make a new friend. It should be super-cheap. And you could have it inspected, maybe polished, any other minor work you'd like done to make you feel safer.

It's at least $30 unless he feels like being very generous and doing it for free. In this economy, I would not be willing to throw away $30 to make a new friend.

Quote:

What bothers me is that it was Hornady Critical Defense

The only thing I have ever been truly satisfied with that Hornady makes is their brass. I have a progressive Hornady LNL and while it does work (now) it was poorly manufactured. A number of the holes were drilled in the wrong locations (making it impossible to function without modification) and the quality of the machine is generally cheap- but so was the cost. Their reloading manual is all over the place too. Their CS is great, their QC is poor.

Stooge · March 12, 2012, 07:58 AM

To me, brass or aluminum doesn't make any difference. You're only doing it once. And you'll be driving it from the breach, so you'll never contact the bore. If this was a $2000 competition pistol I'd have an entirely different opinion. But it's a flipping LCP.

As to Hornady ammo, I bought a Kahr T9 a while back, which has Kahr's match grade barrel. A box of Hornady Critical Defense would not chamber in the gun. I don't mean it wouldn't fead. It wouldn't go into the chamber. It was the only brand of ammo that had this problem. I got out my calipers and did some measuring. While there was always some variation between brands, a thousandth of an inch here, a couple there, the Hornady bullets consistently measured 15-20 thousandths of a inch larger than any other ammo I had. I don't know if this is a consistent problem with Hornady, of if I just got a bad batch. But I haven't bought any since.

CombustibleLemon · March 12, 2012, 11:16 AM

Ah just shoot another bullet through it the old one will come out. Just kidding, listen to these guys ^^^

March 11, 2012, 10:52 AM	#1
rEVOLVED Member Join Date: July 14, 2010 Posts: 22	Please Help. Bullet stuck in my LCP. Hey, all. As the thread title states, I have a bullet stuck in the barrel of my Ruger LCP. Pretty devastating event for me, since that is my EDC gun. I was shooting some regular Magtech target ammo at the gun club a few months back. I ran out of ammo, and decided to go ahead and shoot through the clip of hollow points that I had. What bothers me is that it was Hornady Critical Defense, which I have always thought to be the best self defense ammo available. I got three rounds through my clip, and the fourth one just went "pfffft." Must have been a powderless round. Now the bullet is stuck in my barrel. Any advice on how to get it out? My plan is to wrap the barrel in a towel, place it in a bench vice, and hammer the thing out with a wooden dowel or possibly brass rod if I can find one somewhere. Thank you for reading, and please feel free to leave feedback. Don't want to risk messing up my barrel, but I would love to get it fixed without shipping it off somewhere.

March 11, 2012, 10:57 AM	#3
seastrike Junior Member Join Date: January 16, 2012 Posts: 8	wont need The hammer probably. Just the dowell.

March 11, 2012, 02:49 PM	#8
AndyWest Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2011 Posts: 627	Personally, I would take it to my smith. If you don't have one, now's a good time to make a new friend. It should be super-cheap. And you could have it inspected, maybe polished, any other minor work you'd like done to make you feel safer. __________________ Shoot smart. Shoot S-Mart.

March 11, 2012, 06:13 PM	#11
Don H Senior Member Join Date: May 8, 2000 Location: SLC,Utah Posts: 2,704	It wasn't a Magtech round that caused the problem. __________________ Don http://www.utahconcealedcarry.com/forum/

March 11, 2012, 10:56 AM	#2
SwampYankee Registration in progress Join Date: November 1, 2008 Location: I can be found on a number of other forums. Posts: 1,333	It's pretty easy to do, if you have the tools. Remove the barrel, but it in a vise (pad the vise so not to bang up the barrel) and knock the bullet out with a brass rod. Neither the bullet or the rod will damage the barrel. You could use wood in a short barrel like that but if it splinters, it may jam the bullet in harder. I always carry a brass rod and a ball peen hammer in my shooting bag.

March 11, 2012, 11:07 AM	#4
rEVOLVED Member Join Date: July 14, 2010 Posts: 22	Thanks for the quick replies. Really appreciate the help. Any idea if I could get a brass rod at somewhere like Lowe's or Home Depot?

March 11, 2012, 11:23 AM	#5
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,955	Some tips: Don't use a towel in the vise. Use something solid like leather (maybe an old belt?) or you might scratch the barrel when you put it in the vise. If you are using a wood vise (no checkering on the jaw faces), then you can use the towel. You can use the wooden dowel if it is a large diameter that will still fit in the barrel and only if it is a hardwood like rock maple or oak (most are). However, you should only hammer the bullet from the base if you use the wooden dowel. Like SwampYankee said, if you hammer from the tip end, odds are it will splinter and may jam between the bullet and the bore making it even harder to get out. Pushing from the base seems counter intuitive since you have to push the bullet a lot farther, but the primer has already done most of the work in pushing the bullet into the grooves. You might be surprised how little hammering it really takes to move the bullet along in the barrel. If you can find a brass rod, that's obviously better. I don't recall seeing them at Lowe's or HD, but they may have a brass punch. If it's long enough and large enough in diameter, that will work. An alternative to brass is to use a steel rod with a large diameter soda straw used as a protective sleeve.

March 11, 2012, 11:28 AM	#6
BillM Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2009 Location: Amity Oregon Posts: 791	How far into the barrel is it? Usually a no-powder squib it just started into the rifling---it doesn't take much to knock it out. Brass rod is best. Hardwood dowel will work. The housing from a cheap "bic" style pen will probably do it. In a pinch, I've used a steel bolt with a wrap of electrical tape to protect the rifling.

March 11, 2012, 01:37 PM	#7
gyvel Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2009 Location: Northern AZ Posts: 7,172	Aluminum rod is better than brass. Brass can work harden enough to actually damage the steel. Aluminum won't work harden to that point and won't cause any damage to steel other than some silver colored stains that wipe away with solvent. Take a pencil and find out which end of the bore the bullet is closest to. Obviously, you want to push the bullet in the direction of the closest exit point. In the past, when his has happened to me, I have found that I can hold the gun in my hand firmly enough to hit the bullet out of the bore without using a vise or clamp, thus obviating the chances for scarring the metal. At any rate, it's not a huge disaster and you're not the only one that has had this problem.

March 11, 2012, 02:58 PM	#9
Dragline45 Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2010 Posts: 3,513	chances are if you have a cleaning rod it is either brass or aluminum, maybe try a wooden cooking spoon.

March 11, 2012, 05:40 PM	#10
ScottRiqui Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2010 Location: Norfolk, VA Posts: 2,905	Two data points don't make a trend, but I had a Magtech .380 squib load stick in the barrel of my Beretta 84 about two weeks ago. Tapped it out with a brass rod as described upthread - came out with no problems. I would say that I'll never buy Magtech .380 again, but it's a moot point since I was only shooting factory ammo until I had accumulated enough brass to start reloading. From now on, any ammo problems with the gun will be strictly my fault!

March 11, 2012, 06:18 PM	#12
ScottRiqui Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2010 Location: Norfolk, VA Posts: 2,905	Thanks for the clarification - I didn't read the OP closely enough and missed the switch from Magtech to CD.

March 11, 2012, 06:57 PM	#13
Billy Shears Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2011 Posts: 606	I have experienced similar troubles with .380 Critical Defense in my LCP. The stuff is literally "hit or miss" and seems to have more than its fair share of problems. Good luck with the barrel.

March 12, 2012, 07:58 AM	#16
Stooge Member Join Date: March 10, 2012 Location: Missouri Posts: 51	To me, brass or aluminum doesn't make any difference. You're only doing it once. And you'll be driving it from the breach, so you'll never contact the bore. If this was a $2000 competition pistol I'd have an entirely different opinion. But it's a flipping LCP. As to Hornady ammo, I bought a Kahr T9 a while back, which has Kahr's match grade barrel. A box of Hornady Critical Defense would not chamber in the gun. I don't mean it wouldn't fead. It wouldn't go into the chamber. It was the only brand of ammo that had this problem. I got out my calipers and did some measuring. While there was always some variation between brands, a thousandth of an inch here, a couple there, the Hornady bullets consistently measured 15-20 thousandths of a inch larger than any other ammo I had. I don't know if this is a consistent problem with Hornady, of if I just got a bad batch. But I haven't bought any since.

March 12, 2012, 11:16 AM	#17
CombustibleLemon Member Join Date: December 17, 2011 Posts: 61	Ah just shoot another bullet through it the old one will come out. Just kidding, listen to these guys ^^^