Mosin barrel slugging gone horribly wrong

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The aluminum rid idea might work. A masonry bit won't chew up the barrel?
There's probably 4 pieces of dowel in the barrel. I did try to hammer the lead back up the barrel so I bet most of the dowel is crammed.
Bunch of termites eh? A process needin patience for sure.
Gunsmith would be the best route I suppose.
 
Marty,
My idea with the masonry bit was to drill just the center of the sinker, where you say you've already started a hole.

It sure could scratch or gouge the rifling, as it's steel on steel. But "I" would do it with a masonry bit rather than a sharp, HSS bit, because they're dull by design and less likely to scratch the rifling if you "slip".

But, IF you can get a long enough, small (1/8") bit started in the center of it, and work it slowly, I think it would work.

Lead is very soft. No need to go fast- just chuck it into a cordless drill, and spin it very slowly- just letting it chew on the lead. Shouldn't take very much. Then move to a slightly larger bit, removing the lead from the center, outwards.

Just like drilling out a snapped off tap in a receiver (OUCH)...

The reason the lead is stuck is it's being compressed, if you drill out the center, the soft lead will have a void and collapse inwards and be easily compressed and driven out.

Anyway, that's what I would do. Done correctly, it's safe, and won't risk any damage. Worst case, it doesn't work and you drop back and punt...
 
Just drill it out, unless you have a rare/valuable mosin the worst that can happen is you buy another $100 rifle and have some spare parts for it.
 
How much do you have into this Mosin? And how much time and money are you willing to spend to rectify this problem?

As a gunsmith, I can recommend ideas to remove the obstruction and maybe not damage the bore... but they require equipment and skill. If you're really attached to this rifle, you might not want to take the chance of damaging the bore, seeing as how this is your first time doing this.

If you're not attached to this rifle and it's just another Mosin, I think buying another Mosin is about the cheapest sure-fire method to deal with this problem. Assuming a smith in your area is charging $65/hour or more, I'm almost certain that another Mosin will be cheaper than what he'll charge you.
 
Go to a welding supply store and get a brass brazing rod as close to bore diameter as possible. Put it in through the breech end and pound the junk out of there. The brass will be harder than the wood, but won't harm the rifling. Gong from the muzzle might work too, but as identified above may exacerbate the jamming of the dowels. I've used this successfully w/ squibs stuck in the bore, never had the dowel problem.
 
I am a proud father: My 16 year old daughter was reading this thread over my shoulder and exclaimed "OH NO!" When I asked her why, she replied that the propane torch/melt it out idea might ruin the heat treat of the steel... (Sniffle, sniffle,:D)
 
lead 327 deg heat treat between 550 and 850

The melting point of lead is 327 degrees, steel is heat treated and anealed at temps betwee 550 and 850 degrees. Tell me how melting the lead will damage the heat treat? if you heat the steel from the outside, you will dis-color the blueing. An alternate way to heat the lead would be from the inside with an iron. If you don't have an iron long enough, get a piece of 1/4" steel rod, grind the end to a rounded point. using an acetelene torch, heat the rod till it glows bright red, about 700 degrees, apply the rod to the lead, a little will melt out, repeat the process untill all the lead is removed.
 
That might work...

Granted, the melting point of lead is lower than what would damage the temper.
But, that's not the issue, it's the fact that owner is not a gunsmith, and his ability to control the heat is the problem.

I'm sure he doesn't know what heat-control paste is...and even so in this application would be difficult to use.
 
ead 327 deg heat treat between 550 and 850
Click to expand...

To be honest, I was (half) joking when I suggested the lead and dowels be burned out (everyone was suggesting everything, it was kinda funny), but I suppose it could actually work. Lead melts ~350, wood burns around 450. If heated carefully (and ideally, locally, as with a soldering iron or wood burner) the plug could at least adjust its shape enough to reduce the force on the barrel. The wood would char, rather than burn (no O2), keeping temperatures safe. If proper caution is used, the torch/rod trick would probably be safer for the gun than drilling, pulling, and especially hammering.

TCB
 
Wooden dowel in barrel removal thread

This is my first thread contribution so I figured I would start here. I am finding this thread to be very useful as I just did this because I watched a YouTube Pro and decided to try my luck before visiting the forums. No I am paying the price.

I am trying the aluminum dowel idea and also a long acrylic dowel that is 1/4 thick for a 7.62mm barrel. The thinking is that both aluminum and acrylic are much harder than wood and that if I fashion a rough front on either one I should be able to use it as a drill bit of sorts. I should be able to scrape/destroy the wood that is in the barrel a little bit at a time and then slowly work my way to the lead slug. I am going to try alternately filling the barrel with distilled water or WD40 to make it soft and then slowly work at the wood.

I got mine stuck in a 308 savage barrel. If it works I will post some photos. Thanks.
 
If that happened to me, i would just torch the gun until the lead melted. 700 degrees shouldnt be hot enough to damage the temper. Not saying its right, its just what i would do
 
I don't think the aluminum bit idea is a great one. THe aluminum may not "cut" steel, but it isn't oing to have 0 effect on it. For an MN 91/30 the damage may not be significant compared to the irregularities already present.
 
"Next" Time.... (it's always "next" time isn't it?) ;), clean/oil the barrel w/ something like BreakFree, and slather the slugging ball* w/ RCBS case lube.

I'll admit I've used wooden dowels to push things through ;), but... using pure lead balls from my C&B pistols, smacking them into the muzzle with a rawhide hammer, and then pushing through, I've never expereinced anything but hand-smooth passage -- even in tight spots.
 
If it were my Mosin (ya, fat chance), I would haul it to a secluded out-building along with a hundred ft of string and a pulled-bullet load...

If successful, render it unoperative for a wall hanger.
 
I'd try to rig up a car jack. come-along, gear puller, or anything that will PULL, and try to get the dowel out that way

I suspect the slug is will require drilling from the breech if you can't get all the dowel out

Drill out the center only, and screw in a piece of threaded rod so you can also try to pull it out

Beating on it with anything will just obturate it further
 
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