Long story short, I was using a wooden dowel to push a patch through my 397 and about halfway down I accidentally broke it off. It was a clean flat snap so I just used the rest to continue until I managed to do it again. The patch was a little snug but not tight so I used the other piece to continue pushing through until I realized the two ends at one of the breaks were just separating and spreading out inside the barrel, and then it broke again flush with the muzzle.
Is there a way to get the wood out of there? I should have listened to my doubts about using a 0.125" piece of wood but it was the best way at the time to keep the rifling nice. There was a tiny amount of Hoppe's #9 bore cleaner on the patch, thinking I'd be able to send a couple dry ones through and oil right after it so hopefully it's not harming the brass
Ouch!
Brassbarrel on 397 rarely needs to be cleaned.
Also, no need for Hoppes # anything.
Okay how to get the dowel out. You could try to glue the rest of the dowel to the flush piece...
My way would be to use a "16th inch drill" a not very deep pilot hole into the end of the stuck dowel get a matching thin wood screw to pull it back out of the muzzle. You don't want a too large screw or it will expand the dowel and really get it STUCK!
Use a corded patch puller and send it from the breech to the muzzle. With a muzzle protector/guard is best.
BEST wishes on a clean wood dowel recovery.
shootski
I'd get a solid cleaning rod for a .17 rimfire and push it out with that. Choke up on it and keep feeding it in slowly. Once it's out, use some weed trimmer line to make a pull cord to pull patches through. Take a hot knife and make a blob on one end of it and thread the patch down onto it and pull it through.
from 1 to 10 maybe a 15
you well have to work from the breech end and hope for a good outcome
pushing more then like won't work but a slow tapping might
will the barrel be damaged ????? will you get it out ????? will you need a new barrel and tube ???? will you end up with a wall hanger, maybe
Ordinarily I wouldn't clean it but I ran a patch out of curiosity and it came out pretty blue since it's sat for a while neglected. The valve was also replaced a few years ago because it corroded inside and wouldn't hold air. I tried shooting it out a few times and then used a piece of steel rod about the same diameter pushing from the breech end and no luck, seemed like it just expanded that end of the dowel. Guess the glue idea will be next on the to-do list. Thanks for the replies
