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“Sounded like a cap pistol when it went off. Old ‘R-P’ (Remington) nickel cased, factory ball round. I immediately recalled the Range Command speaker crackling from some forty years ago with the ‘Pop and no kick’ warning [and so I didn’t fire another round].”
A member on the Snub Noir FB group gave this recounting of his experience of a squib round that only sent the bullet part way down the barrel. This is a problem. I had something similar happen years ago and came up with a solution.
The most important aspect of having a squib is to not fire again. Although doing so is not guaranteed to blow the gun up, the possibility of damaging it beyond repair is high. If the bullet is lodged in the barrel but the gun is not damaged, there is a way of getting the bullet out. Fortunately, in a snub revolver the bullet will probably be near the muzzle although not all the time.
To avoid damaging the snub, it’s best to get the bullet out from the muzzle end rather than trying to force it all the way back through the bore. Unlike an autoloader, there is very little access to the rear of the barrel, which complicates matters. One solution is to feed short pieces of brass rod into the barrel from the forcing cone end and push them forward. This will eject the bullet from the muzzle.
You will need:
- A brass rod that fits the bore of your snub snugly. For a .38, this will be 5/16, for a .32 it will be 1/4, and for a .45 it will be 7/16.
- A C Clamp with a throat one inch larger than the length of the barrel.
- A hacksaw to cut the brass rod.
- A vise is handy to hold the brass rod while cutting it.
- A small piece of wood with a hole drilled in it slightly larger than the bore of your revolver.
- A paper clip.
Remove the cylinder and yoke/crane by unscrewing the forward sideplate screw. Be cautious with Taurus revolvers because this screw may consist of three parts; a screw, a tiny spring, and a tiny plunger. If you lose any of them, the revolver will be out of service until they are replaced. The S&W part is an integrated assembly so it’s harder to lose. The yoke of a Taurus may also contain a small spring and plunger. Be careful to retain those, also.
Measure the distance from the rear of the bullet to the forcing cone by unfolding the paper clip and inserting it down the bore from the forcing cone end. Cut a piece of brass rod ¼ inch longer than this distance but no longer than the cylinder opening in the frame.
Insert the cut rod into the bore from the forcing cone end. Because it’s shorter than the opening in the frame, it should go in easily. Next, place the piece of wood over the muzzle with the hole aligned with the bore. If the bullet is sticking out of the muzzle, Bonus!, it will align the hole. Open the C Clamp and place the handle end on the piece of wood and the other end through the frame hole and behind the brass rod. Now tighten the C Clamp so it exerts pressure on the brass rod. Keep tightening it until it almost reaches the forcing cone. At some point, the bullet may pop out of the muzzle. If so, you’re done. If not, the process must continue.
Back the C Clamp off and remove the rod from the bore. Cut another piece of brass rod ¼ inch long. Place it in the bore from the forcing cone end and then put the original piece of rod behind it. Reapply the C Clamp as before and tighten it again. If the bullet pops out, you’re done. If not, continue putting short pieces of rod in front of the original until the bullet ejects from the muzzle.
Although troublesome, a bullet stuck in the bore is not necessarily a disaster. If you’re aware while shooting, recognize the ‘pop with no kick,’ most likely the gun won’t be damaged. You can probably fix it with tools and know-how.
