Ramrod Snapped Off

[Bad Karma]

Take the gun to a gunsmith and have him/her de-breach the rifle.

Not a CVA you won’t. Bobby Hoyt apparently knows how to do it but your average gunsmith is gonna be disappointed when he gets in there and realizes he might not get it back together.

 

[rfd]

T/Cs are good guns for sure, I've had 3 or 4 over the decades and they do hold their value. I had one in percussion and three in flint. IMHO, the locks and DSTs were no better than what Investarms put out, which I usually swap out anyway for L&R offerings.

The main point I make about all these guns, and why I lump T/C and offshore together, is that damnable patent breech plug.

 

[rfd]

Not a CVA you won’t. Bobby Hoyt apparently knows how to do it but your average gunsmith is gonna be disappointed when he gets in there and realizes he might not get it back together.

Bobby's real good! He's reamed out more than a few bbls for me and all were top notch jobs. I once had a used Traditions - what I consider the worst of all trad side locks in terms of their breech plugs - that even my good tooling couldn't separate and Bobby said "No worries, I'll make it happen", and he did.

However, if the gun is a T/C or Investarms, any gunsmith will have no problem removing the breech plug.

 

[2thepoint]

Thanks for all the help.

Again I don't have any info on how it got this way or what's been done prior. It is a CVA .50 cal, barrel is made in Spain, not sure about the lock or stock. It's percussion, not flint and looking at the nipple it looks like it was never fired. Makes sense since the stock is still unfinished, but I'm NOT assuming anything. I live in new jersey so finding a good ML gunsmith or any gunsmith is like hitting the powerball!

I'll start with the CO2 discharge .......if that doesn't cure it, it's on to the grease gun and zerk fitting through the nipple seat.

here's what I'm looking at>>>>>>>>

thanks again for all your help..........

 

[bdog]

I would buy the longest drill bit I could find, then spin it by hand in to the rod, then try a long screw, grip that with some pliers and give it a pull

 

[deermanok]

From the picture, it looks like a CVA Frontier. Probably from the late 80's or early 90's. 26" barrel?
1/48 twist barrel. Good for patched round balls or lead conical bullets.

 

[deermanok]

You could also unscrew the nipple and fill the drum with black powder. Reinstall the nipple and blast that ramrod out. You'll need a new ramrod afterwards.

 

[2thepoint]

Yep, it is a Frontier. Might try the the black powder idea if all else fails.

I have a few long drill bits. Yet another option.

thanks folks.

 

[edmehlig]

You could also unscrew the nipple and fill the drum with black powder. Reinstall the nipple and blast that ramrod out. You'll need a new ramrod afterwards.

As long as he does that somewhere he can shoot it and not in the basement!

 

[bstorric]

Yep, it is a Frontier. Might try the the black powder idea if all else fails.

I have a few long drill bits. Yet another option.

thanks folks.

I'd stick with the less risky stuff first (CO2/grease). If that drill bit starts into the lands you now have a dinged up bore in what is essentially a new gun (assuming the bore looks how the outside of the gun looks)

 

[Slingingslugs]

I would definitely go with hydraulic or pneumatic pressure through the nipple

 

[rfd]

Don't pussyfoot around with it any longer, just cap and cock the hammer and fire that sucker out and be done with it.

What? Nothing happened, no powder in the chamber? Unscrew the nipple and force in powder, the finest BP granularity you have, recap, blast away.

 

[gregdaws]

Phil, I’m not sure but maybe this video may help you?
https://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/threads/i-have-a-stuck-bullet-video.39277/

I like the grease method. I used the same principle for adjusting excavator tracks. I'd check for powder 1st and kill it if necessary then I'd lube the bore on the muzzle end before applying grease through the breech.

 

[southdakbearfan]

Looking at the picture, my main concern with shooting it out would be that there is a ball/bullet stuck in there under the ramrod.

 

[rfd]

Looking at the picture, my main concern with shooting it out would be that there is a ball/bullet stuck in there under the ramrod.

Trust me, whatever's in the tube will come out easy peasy when it goes bang!

 

[brushblind]

I would try a small wire pulling grip (Chinese finger) used in electrical work to hold cables while pulling through conduit. Shooting it out might cause a barrel bulge. It sounds like a stuck cleaning jag, if it were a bullet stuck the broken rod would fall out. I know Lowes has them, just use the smallest size that will feed down over the rod.

 

[edmehlig]

Trust me, whatever's in the tube will come out easy peasy went it goes bang!

I agree a few grains of powder where the nipple screws into and shoot it at the range and it should fly out of there.

 

[2thepoint]

BrushBlind - I Like the Chinese finger idea. Are they thin enough to get around the rod?

If all else fails, a few grains of ffff/goex at the range. This one will wait until after the season.

Thanks again for all the help, stay safe and have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

phil

 

[GM54-120]

They make something like the Chinese finger puzzle in steel. Its used for pulling hoses/ropes/cables through stuff. Problem is getting it to grab the rod if you cant grab it either.

You can buy something just like this in steel. I works off the same principle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_finger_trap

 

[Paul Stewart]

Just saw this thread. What if the rod broke off half way in as he was seating the RB which means there would be a load of BP with a large cavity of space between it and the RB and if you try to shoot out the rod via firing it wouldn't that be a very bad thing?