Stuck Ball - Got it out

[Smokin' Joe]

I managed to get a ball stuck about 5 1/2" from the end of the muzzle on my .54  Hawken.  I do have a CO2 Silent Ball Discharger but have never used it before.  I assume the discharger should only be used at the range?? Looking for some guidance from some of you experienced mountain men or women.

UPDATE: Got it out- no problem

Thank you

 

[patocazador]

You could probably do it in your back yard with a log or something sturdy for a backstop.

My CO2 discharger does just that. Every time I use it, there goes another full mini-bottle. Half the time the ball comes out too.

Is this a percussion or flintlock? Either way, I would seat the ball all the way but not with much pressure. Then either remove the nipple and trickle a fair amount of 3F or 4F in, replace the nipple, prime and shoot at an angle into the backstop so the ball doesn't ricochet back and hit you.

With a flinter, remove the liner, if possible, or poke powder into the touch hole with a round toothpick, prime and fire. The ball comes out with quite a bit of force (enough to penetrate a metal ice chest I found out).

 

[Smokin' Joe]

The muzzy has 70grains of 2F in the barrel  I could try to seat the ball but I was afraid I might just get it stuck harder.  Before I do anything, I'm going to remove the nipple, soak the breach in water and then try to pull it out with a ball puller.  I believe that will be a safe way.  Being so close to the muzzle it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[patocazador]

Sorry, I thought it was a "dry ball."

If it's not impossible, I'd seat it (with a mallet, if necessary) and shoot it out. I've done it before. 
Try your CO2 first. If the pressure is too much with the discharger, it will just vent through the nipple or touch hole. Keep your hands away from the edge of the nipple opening/touch hole. The CO2 under pressure can cut your skin or cause freezing damage.

 

[Smokin' Joe]

I got the ball out.  I put a little oil down the barrel, wrapped a solid aluminum bench rod with a small piece of leather, put a ball puller on it, clamped on a vice grip, then lightly tapped on the vice grip with a rubber mallet.  The ball started sliding out right away.  Came out very easy actually.  I had been soaking the breech end in very hot water and Ballistol.  Once the ball was removed I freshened up the water/Ballistol mix and gave the barrel a royal cleaning.

Everything is back to normal.

 

[Buck Conner1]

Nice going Joe, back to square one - where's the powder at now ...... 

 

[Smokin' Joe]

The powder all washed down the drain.  I pumped a cleaning patch down the barrel with the breech end in a water/ballistol mix. I also use a brass brush with a cleaning patch wrapped around it.  Once the barrel is spotless I run a few patches down the tube with Frontier’s patch lube.

 

[patocazador]

Do you know why the ball got stuck?

 

[Smokin' Joe]

Well....I was doing some experimenting, swabbing the barrel at different intervals.  The last one I swabbed after the 3rd shot, could of been a dirty barrel.  I was also changing patch types and thicknesses to see what worked best.  The stuck ball had one of my square, blue stripe, pillow ticking pre soaked with Frontier's patch lube from the night before.  The patch seemed to swell up from the lube so the thickness was definitely more than .015.  Maybe a little too much lube.  I also thought the square patches that I cut had a lot of excess material and bunched up more than the pre-cut round patches I was using also.

Long story short.....any of the above.  

 

[Buck Conner1]

Could the moisture be causing the problem Joe, would have problems like yours in PA, haven't had any issues like yours in UT, CO, WY ?   :?:

 

[Smokin' Joe]

I'll be going back to the range again as soon as the weather breaks.  We are suppose to get a 10" snow fall tonight.  So it may be a few days.  I'll pay more attention this time and see if it happens again.  I've never had a stuck ball before.  I've put the ball in "before" the powder numerous times    Then I just pull it back out.

 

[patocazador]

Funny thing about dry balls - when I've tried to pull a ball from my percussion guns' barrels, it's rarely successful. I have to resort to shooting it out. However, when I try to pull a ball from my flintlock's barrel, it has slid out easily each time.

 

[dbowling2]

Another way to get them out is put a grease zerk in nipple and pump grease in with a air powered grease gun, ball will come right out.. had a guy tell me he had been doing it for years.. for percussion guns only.

 

[Overdue Bill]

Hi shooters !  I'm a new member and hope I'm doing this right.  Have a question (or two).  I have heard numerous times, and know it's correct, that the first shot out of a clean muzzle barrel probably won't be right on.  Therefore, when going out after Whitetail, should I fire the rifle to foul the barrel?  If so, would this not cause the rifle to rust while I'm out for several hours?  Is there any other way to foul up a clean barrel? Would the two or 3 caps that I always fire in the am foul the barrel?  Sure would appreciate any advise I can get.   Thanks

 

[exMember]

Bill what rifle/powder are you shooting?

 

[patocazador]

Hi shooters !  I'm a new member and hope I'm doing this right.  Have a question (or two).  I have heard numerous times, and know it's correct, that the first shot out of a clean muzzle barrel probably won't be right on.  Therefore, when going out after Whitetail, should I fire the rifle to foul the barrel?  If so, would this not cause the rifle to rust while I'm out for several hours?  Is there any other way to foul up a clean barrel? Would the two or 3 caps that I always fire in the am foul the barrel?  Sure would appreciate any advise I can get.   Thanks

 Bill, pm sent.

 

[strong eagle]

when i read about flintlock and dry ball and side lock percussion and dry ball, it confirmed my belief that flinters shoot cleaner and have a more even combustion.if you put a tiny vent hole of a percussion  in front of the drum i bet they will shoot cleaner also. it is my belief and i may be wrong, the flinter after ignition may suck air to aide combustion. anyone give me real knowledge on this?

 

[patocazador]

Bill, I only shoot at targets to make sure that my gun is ready for hunting. When I hunt, I usually only get one shot so that is the spot that counts. I do snap a couple of caps prior to loading, however, I don't know whether that fouls the barrel enough to matter.

 

[Overdue Bill]

Yeah, that's about it with me also but from time to time I miss when it just doesn't seem like it should have been a miss.  That's why i wondered if it was that clean, unfouled barrel doing it..  I almost always fire 3 caps prior to going out.  Why three?--don't know, guess it just sounds like a good number.

 

[Smokin' Joe]

Bill, in my opinion, I've never really noticed any difference from the first shot to the last.  I wouldn't loose any sleep over that.  At the range you probably swab the barrel , wet patch-dry patch, between shots or every other shot so in a sense you're always shooting a clean barrel.  As Bob stated, I do highly recommend firing off a cap before loading when heading out to the deer woods just to make sure there is no obstructions, like some patch lube plugging up the touch hole.

Less worrying - more fun!