Ok, I know this sounds stupid, but I need help!
After shooting my AR-15 today, I started cleaning. I must have run the wrong size patch through after a while, since as I pushed the rod forward, the patch, stuck to the plastic jag, stopped and wouldn't budge.

I tried hitting the rod from behind with a hammer to advance the cleaning jag in the barrel..no success.

I unscrewed the cleaning rod and tried hitting it from the muzzle end...no luck.

I then began hitting the cleaning rod as hard as I could with a mallet from either end, until the rod completely bent like a pretzel, and the cleaning jag is still stuck in the barrel.

Have I ruined my upper? Surely, there has to be a way to get this thing out of there, but I can't figure it out.

Next stop will unfortunately be a gunsmith, unless someone here can help.

I look forward to your replies!

-David.

Get a long wood dowel that is just undersized of the bore and cut the dowel to 22".
Pour oil down the barrel from the chamber to lube the barrel/patch. Then feed the dowel down the longest end from the jig. I'm guessing that you feed the cleaning rod from the chamber, so feed it from the muzzle.  Depending on how far the jig/patch is crammed down the barrel, you should only have a few inches of dowel sticking out of the muzzle.  With the butt stock against the ground and the B/C out of the rifle, drive the wood dowel straight down with clean strikes from a hammer.  If needed, use a spent case on the end of the dowel to keep the end from splitting when struck by the hammer.

Take your time, and make sure that you strike the dowel straight down, or the wood dowel will bend and snap.  If you have the jig wedged in the center of the barrel, make a couple of rods in different lengths to work the jig out. If you have more than a couple of inches of dowel sticking out of the barrel, it will flex and your blows will be wasted instead of driving the jig out.

I had a military rod get jammed in a similar way. I went to Home Depot and bought a length of 0.200" brass rod. The idea is to tap the thing out gently - fifty light taps will work where four or five hard ones might not.

WD-40 is your friend.