Accidentally loading a pellet backwards

[Sparks]

Hi folks, hypothetical question for you. You've just accidentally put a pellet in backwards to your new FWB P40, and it's too far in to tease out with a knifepoint or by tapping the barrel. Which will do more damage; firing the pistol or poking the pellet out with a length of stiff wire (of a much smaller diameter than the barrel)?

[TomF]

Shoot it!

I have put them in backward on purpose.

Aim it at the regular 10m target and you will be surpised!

I have never had one fail to hit the black.

Or, poke it out with a rod.

[ColinC]

In club matches, I just shoot them but for open shoots I have a 4mm plastic knitting needle to poke them out. Most shooters eventually have a knitting needle in their kit.
Don't use wire, it will damage your barrel.

[cdf]

You will likley get a nine or ten .

Chris

[TomF]

I dont get many nines or tens with it in frontways. LOL!

Actually, that is not entirely true.

[David M]

If shot, it will go 1-2 pellets low and within a 1 pellet radius of aim point (from machine rest testing).
A good rod to use is a knitting needle or a brass (brazing) rod.
The only time I would fire it is if time is critical. end of match or in a final with limited load time.

[Kieth]

Thanks David for your input.

Its good to have some fact based information on these left field subjects!!

[warpmaster]

Trust me on this - I am a National level shooter in my country, and i know quite a bit on gun care.

In case you have not noticed the rear end of any wadcutter AP round is designed to expand under force and engage the rifling of the barrel, the front end or cutter end of the pellet has a marginal bevel to reduce the amount it engages into the rifling - this allowsa smoother front end (more ayrodynamic while the rear still spins enough for stability in flight.

The bottom line is that when reversed and fired sometimes the flat SHARPER and thinner leaded portion of the pellet will over-expand into the rifling and SCRAPE your barrel - shooters on my State team and even rivals have exchanged stories of pellets wedged so tight that they were nearly impossible to remove. This doesnt happen each time - but one bad or slightly damaged pellet is enough.

I would suggest a plastic probe or cleaning rod to remove it - worst case scenario ie you have to fire it - put some teflon paste in the area ahead of the stuck pellet before you attempt to reverse fire a stuck pellet.

PS: Read your ISSF RULE BOOK, in a match situation - just raise your right hand call you range officer, and report the malfunction - you will be given extra time (not more than 15 min) to repair the malfunction (in this case remove the pellet) - The same goes for loading double pellets into a barrel - CLAIM YOUR MALFUNCTION.

[RobStubbs]

The bottom line is that when reversed and fired sometimes the flat SHARPER and thinner leaded portion of the pellet will over-expand into the rifling and SCRAPE your barrel - shooters on my State team and even rivals have exchanged stories of pellets wedged so tight that they were nearly impossible to remove. This doesnt happen each time - but one bad or slightly damaged pellet is enough.

I would suggest a plastic probe or cleaning rod to remove it - worst case scenario ie you have to fire it - put some teflon paste in the area ahead of the stuck pellet before you attempt to reverse fire a stuck pellet.

PS: Read your ISSF RULE BOOK, in a match situation - just raise your right hand call you range officer, and report the malfunction - you will be given extra time (not more than 15 min) to repair the malfunction (in this case remove the pellet) - The same goes for loading double pellets into a barrel - CLAIM YOUR MALFUNCTION.

Pellets are soft lead and will not scrape the barrel. If they did you would damage them shooting pellets normally thousands of times. I do however agree that you should (legally and safely) remove the pellet(s) rather than just shoot them regardless if at all possible.

Rob.

[David Levene]

PS: Read your ISSF RULE BOOK,................you will be given extra time (not more than 15 min) to repair the malfunction (in this case remove the pellet) - The same goes for loading double pellets into a barrel.............

Can I respectfully suggest that you should also read your rule book, specifically 8.4.3.1.1.1 part of which says "No extra time will be allowed, but the shooter may continue in the normal way;"

You might also like to look at 8.8.4.3.2.8 "the malfunction is due to any cause that could reasonably have been corrected by the shooter." Loading a pellet backwards is not a malfunction, certainly not an allowable one.

The 15 minute allowance in 8.8.2.1 is to "to repair or replace a pistol".

I can see no justification for granting extra time to allow for this shooter error which does not result in a broken gun. Request permission for a supervised unloading with a rod by all means but don't expect any extra time.

[Neil Foster]

If you shot a Steyr, this would not happen :-)
Neil
PS: I am sure that Scott P can find you a Steyr.........

[PaulT]

Walther used to do a cleaning rod in a plastic material that is ideal for such loading fumbles. Worth hunting something like this down as I don’t like the idea of inserting a metallic object into the business end of the Morini. One shooter has a plastic covered knitting needle, just the job!

[ted]

I bought a wood dowel at a hobby store about 10 years ago for 25 cents. I am sure they are still less than a dollar. I have had to use this twice in 10 years to remove a pellet I loaded backwards in a match (and had to loan it once to someone else that did this during a match and knew I had the solution! ). Just my 2 err, 25 cents worth!

[Terry]

Pick up a pack of Bamboo Skewers used at barb-b-ques and shish-kebabs. You can get a pack of 100 for a dollar or two, their about 10" long. Give a few to each member of your club.

Terry

[sparky]

Lead is softer than your barrel material...it won't harm it to just shoot it. Unless it was during a match where some penalties might apply, I'd just shoot it.

[bijon11]

15 replies ... and my gut feeling says given the situation...being guys...having a loaded pistol.... we would all fire the damn thing and be over with it


Cheers
Bijon

PS i have purposefully done this to see it blasts a 2 cm hole or makes a neat cut as it would if shot normally..... You won't know the difference

[Sacco1928]

It will be just fine... just fire and there should be absolutley no problem... if it fails to come out use some string from a weedwacker to push it out... good luck!