Bore Snake stuck in barrel - any experience getting one out

[JDHasty]

This morning I had a guy ask me if I knew a way to get a bore snake out of a barrel when the string has broken off. 

Heck, I don't have a clue.  I got a couple in a gift basket a few years ago and  have never used either one - that is one of the concerns I had regarding the thing and the other is that with me patches are like toilet paper, one pass and no more.   

This Bore Snake is 100% within the bore of the gun (204 Ruger) and there is no string to grab w/Vise Grip either.  So far there has been no resort to drill rod and mallet, which is what I was concerned about when first approached.   

[Henrydog]

I assume it is a bolt.  Remove the bolt and put .22 cleaning rod down the bore?

[NW-GSP]

My guess is that the wrong size bore snake was used.

[pianoman9701]

I assume it is a bolt.  Remove the bolt and put .22 cleaning rod down the bore?

Just make sure it's going in the same direction the bore snake is going.

[JDHasty]

I assume it is a bolt.  Remove the bolt and put .22 cleaning rod down the bore?

Just make sure it's going in the same direction the bore snake is going.

That was my inclination, just wasn't sure pushing on it, instead of pulling on it, wouldn't cause it to get tighter.  He says he has been using them for a while, so I assume it is the correct size. 

[bobcat]

A 22 caliber cleaning rod is too big for a 204 caliber rifle.

[Henrydog]

A 22 caliber cleaning rod is too big for a 204 caliber rifle.

You are correct.  I don't own anything smaller than .22, but they have to make cleaning rods for the .17's

[syoungs]

compressed air, with lubricant down the barrel, to blow it out?

[C-Money]

Wonder if a tool like a muzzleloader patch remover jag made small enough would work...to pierce it and yank it out...

[syoungs]

I would think that would be a hard part to source though. im not into airguns, but they might have something designed to pull stuck objects/pellets that's simmiliar?

[JDHasty]

I was thinking soaking it w/Sweets 7.62 to dissolve the brass bristles and that might make it easier to move, but if it remained stuck then that Sweets would eat it's way half way through the barrel.  Compressed air sounds reasonable, but then again it is being pushed from behind and that may make it want to expand in dia and wedge even tighter.   

[M_ray]

might have to bite the bullet so to speak and pull it back out the wrong way  Will this really damage it too bad if it is a one time deal? 

[C-Money]

Straighten out a heavy duty fish hook with a good barb and stab that thing, and pull it out?

[JDHasty]

might have to bite the bullet so to speak and pull it back out the wrong way  Will this really damage it too bad if it is a one time deal? 

Nothing to get hold of on either end is what I hear. 

[Blacktail Sniper]

How about a brass welding rod fairly tight to bore diameter, lots of wd-40 or other spray lube down the barrel on the both ends to help, then tap through with a hammer?

Brass being soft shouldn't hurt the bore, just not sure if it would be stiff enough unless you used short sections, each one getting longer so you aren't trying to drive a long, full-length, flexible rod, if that makes sense.

[winshooter88]

Get the largest wooden dowel that will fit in the bore and then use a mallet to tap it in the same direction it was being pulled, I have seen this done to remove bullets that were stuck in the bore so I think it would work on a bore snake.

[JDHasty]

How about a brass welding rod fairly tight to bore diameter, lots of wd-40 or other spray lube down the barrel on the both ends to help, then tap through with a hammer?

Brass being soft shouldn't hurt the bore, just not sure if it would be stiff enough unless you used short sections, each one getting longer so you aren't trying to drive a long, full-length, flexible rod, if that makes sense.

Eeeegads, that is what I was thinking or how about trying to dissolve the nylon - so I did an internet search (dissolves nylon) and.... the first thing that came up was this:

I have a problem and I need some help. I have a very expensive rifle barrel that is chrome lined. I have a piece of braided nylon rope firmly stuck in the barrel. The rope is a cleaning tool known as a bore snake, and there is about 12" of it stuck about 6" inside the middle of the barrel.

A good friend gave me instructions on how to tap the snake out, but I managed to screw that up and instead, I've compacted the rope up so bad it will not budge either direction.

At this point, I am convinced my only option is to try and dissolve the nylon while it is still in the barrel. Let me repeat, this is an expensive steel barrel, and I need to accomplish this without damaging this barrel.

Are there any steel safe chemicals that I can pour in the barrel, that will dissolve the nylon without harming the steel. It is important that you be aware the snake is completely soaked with WD-40. I sprayed it into the barrel over a period of days until it soaked through to the other side.

Help? The guy who made this barrel doesn't make them anymore, and I really can't replace it!

Thanks!

-SS
**************

I will not post a link because the thread was laced with profanity, but it looks like I was correct and any attempt to push it out is just going to wedge it even tighter. 

[Blacktail Sniper]

What about adding a little heat to the mix with maybe a hairdryer or something not hot enough the mess up the finish, but maybe soften the brush up enough to tap through...

Or heat a very small, but stiff welding rod and try pushing it through, causing the center to melt/sofen from the inside out???

Or maybe that might backfire and have a Boresnake and a steel rod stuck....

Maybe its just time for a new barrel....too bad it is apparently a special one on it now!

[pd]

JD, given that the Bore Snake (nylon rope) is now compacted on both ends, and given that the ID is so narrow, this is what I would do (there must be a smarter way, but I am not that smart).  Find a stiff coat hanger, make sure it is very straight.  Clip the end with tin shears (I know you don't want to score the barrel, so be careful).  Inset the coat hangers to the nylon rope,  and sink it into the WD-40 laced rope with a drill.  Remove the coat hanger with Vise grips.

That is the best I can do.  Good luck.

[Fl0und3rz]

I would think that would be a hard part to source though. im not into airguns, but they might have something designed to pull stuck objects/pellets that's simmiliar?

I have one for my .177 airguns.  They are pretty stiff, but you'd probably get enough deflection to get steel on rifling contact.  Maybe you could wrap it with some scotch tape first.  PM me if you want to borrow it.

[JDHasty]

Like I said, I was given a couple Bore Snakes a few years ago and was very nervous about using them primarily because of this very issue.  I think I tried one, one time and had to wrap it around a stick in order to pull it through w/o cutting into my hand.  I don't even know where they ended up. 

I am glad this isn't my problem. 

[lewy]

Shoot it out  Joking don't do that

[JDHasty]

Weld a screw to a long metal rod and put it in a drill....screw it into the compressed nylon and pull? worth a try, find a screw with very aggressive threads

I am thinking the same thing, and maybe wrap a little electrical tape around the drill rod to keep it all centered.

[tjthebest]

...
Or heat a very small, but stiff welding rod and try pushing it through, causing the center to melt/sofen from the inside out???

Or maybe that might backfire and have a Boresnake and a steel rod stuck....
...

Do this with the stiff welding rod but just heat up the end red hot and stick it a few inches into the boresnake and let it cool. At this point it should be welded/bonded to the nylon and you can try and pull it out.

[2labs]

Maybe give Hoppes a call? This has happend before I would imagine.

[Reidus]

Load up a case with no bullet and a slow burning powder

[h20hunter]

Terrible ideas, all of them. Get a flute, a bamboo mat, and a bit of 8ncense. Charm that sucker outta there.

[2labs]

Terrible ideas, all of them. Get a flute, a bamboo mat, and a bit of 8ncense. Charm that sucker outta there.

  winner chicken diner

[Curly]

Plug the end. Point barrel down toward plugged end.  Pour gasoline down the other end.  Light a match and wait for the snake to burn up. 

 

[REHJWA]

Tag

[timberghost72]

I'd use a wood dowel as to not mess up the barrel

[whacker1]

How far in the barrel is the bottom side?  Could a gunsmith remove the barrel from the action and get access or closer access just inside the lands?

[JDHasty]

How far in the barrel is the bottom side?  Could a gunsmith remove the barrel from the action and get access or closer access just inside the lands?

I haven't seen it.  The guy came looking for me this morning and I wasn't of much use, or maybe I was.  He had not got to digging around with a screw driver or anything and I convinced him to just leave it alone until we can come up with a rational game plan. 

[Bob33]

How about a jag on a 17 HMR rod?

[kentrek]

How about a jag on a 17 HMR rod?

 What do you mean by a jag ?
If its what I'm thinking then thats on the lines of what I'm thinking too...thread on something to a carbon rod that you can screw into the bore sneak and pull it on out

[jasnt]

I would try the lube and compressed air.  I would think that the air would get forced past the rope in the rifling grooves to keep it from just pulging tighter. I would try this over any kind of pounding or pushing it out. If you ever use a bore snake again tie a strong string or rope (paracord comes to mind) to the tail end which normally has a loop at the back. This is your safety cord. If the frond cord breaks at the worst time possible like it has here you can still pull it back out.

[C-Money]

If you ever use a bore snake again tie a strong string or rope (paracord comes to mind) to the tail end which normally has a loop at the back.

Great idea!

[KNOPHISH]

wondering where the tail of the snake is? I have a couple & they are longer than the barrel. I can see the pull string breaking but should be some left out the back. I'd pull it backwards but I hear there is nothing to pull. Was it like a half a bore snake he cut in half?

[whacker1]

wondering where the tail of the snake is? I have a couple & they are longer than the barrel. I can see the pull string breaking but should be some left out the back. I'd pull it backwards but I hear there is nothing to pull. Was it like a half a bore snake he cut in half?

seems to me that he probably had it about 2/3 of the way through and broke off in the middle or thereabouts.  I am just guessing that is the case. 

[jackelope]

https://www.google.com/#q=how+to+remove+a+stuck+boresnake

Well now that I think about it, this is probably a great idea if you could fit all of that stuff down a .204 barrel. Nevermind.
 

[whacker1]

https://www.google.com/#q=how+to+remove+a+stuck+boresnake

Well now that I think about it, this is probably a great idea if you could fit all of that stuff down a .204 barrel. Nevermind.
 

just need  a smaller screw.  This is the only idea that I have liked so far.

[raisen2]

The down side to threading a screw into the bore snake is that you are going to push it tighter against the barrel to make room for the threads and screw shank. I would look more toward compressed air. 

[ICEMAN]

Rinse it out with a pressure washer. Pressure. Lubricating affect of the water...

[JDHasty]

Success!!

They bought a piece of drill rod and hooked up with another buddy of mine this evening.  He welded a 1-1/2" long really fine wood screw onto the drill rod and they soaped up the screw with a bar of soap and very carefully, through a bore guide, screwed it into the bore snake and were able to pull it out backwards enough to get hold of the loop in the end of it and then yanked it out. 

They said it took a heck of a pull to get it to move, and once it was coming they kept it coming.   

[M_ray]

  Glad to hear it worked out! Now I'm throwing away any bore snakes that are in my kit!!! 

[jackelope]

Success!!

They bought a piece of drill rod and hooked up with another buddy of mine this evening.  He welded a 1-1/2" long really fine wood screw onto the drill rod and they soaped up the screw with a bar of soap and very carefully, through a bore guide, screwed it into the bore snake and were able to pull it out backwards enough to get hold of the loop in the end of it and then yanked it out. 

They said it took a heck of a pull to get it to move, and once it was coming they kept it coming.

That'll be $2 please.
Glad it worked out.

[C-Money]

Nice! Glad its out of there...

[JDHasty]

Hoppes was contacted a couple days ago through their web portal and still waiting for a response.  This buddy of mine who welded up the extraction tool is a super-ultra cautious and very detail oriented.  He was very concerned about screwing it in and getting it wedged even tighter and I guess he has a hobbyist cabinet maker buddy who had these screws that are extremely strong for their size and have a very aggressive thread pitch on a very fine shank. 

[REHJWA]

Congrats, let us know how it shoots.