Lodged projectile removal charge

A process for removing a projectile jammed in a gun tube of a cannon having a breechblock and a chamber, comprising:

• opening the breechblock and cleaning the chamber after determining that the projectile is jammed in the gun tube and enough time has elapsed for the gun tube to cool and noxious gases have dissipated;
• setting up a projectile catching structure, which employs sandbags;
• confirming a first position of the projectile from the chamber visually;
• completing the assembly of a lodged projectile removal charge (LPRC) apparatus, wherein the apparatus is comprised of a pair of opposing perforated spacer discs, wherein each perforated spacer disc includes a center axial hole, a set of peripheral holes, and diameter, wherein the apparatus includes a set of support rods that attach to the spacer disc through the set of peripheral holes, wherein the apparatus includes at least one sectional length of dry charge tube having opposing ends that are mounted through the center axial hole of each perforated spacer disc, wherein the apparatus includes a quantity of energetic material that comprises a charge, and wherein the charge is contained in the at least one dry sectional length charge tube, a blasting cap and an actuating structure with a supporting line;
• sliding the LPRC apparatus down the gun tube to an offset position and tying the supporting line off, where the offset position is an optimum distance between a forward end of the projectile and a rearward end of the energetic material, wherein the energetic material is centrally aligned with the axis of the bore of the gun tube;
• filling a void between the projectile and a rim of the gun tube with water;
• detonating the energetic material producing a shock wave that disintegrates the LPRC apparatus and pressurizes the water, wherein the pressurized water produces a radial hydraulic force against an interior wall of the gun tube, an axial hydraulic force against the projectile pushing the projectile toward the chamber, and produces an opposing expansion of explosive gases that blasts out most of the water in the gun tube;
• and
• inspecting the catching structure to confirm that the projectile is one of dislodged and the projectile is still jammed in the gun tube, and therefore that another nudge using the LPRC apparatus having a potentially higher charge load is required wherein the apparatus is modular, and increasable in length incrementally by adding sectional lengths of support rods and at least one sectional length of the dry charge tube at several diameters.