Been reading your post here

[SwampYankee]

and the one about using the air hose to discharge at unfired round caught my eye.
What is the procedure to do this. I have a Hawkens my uncle left me and he had it tagged saying it had and unfired round in it and 5 caps had not set it off. Seeing as I have not been able to find my screw extractor, this looked like a great idea I have never heard of. I have the air compressor so curious as to how this works.

Look forward to your input.

George AKA SwampYankee

[Jim]

George,
If you can find a ball screw, that's probably the best approach. Another old trick is to pull the snail, dribble some powder in the hole, replace the snail, cap it and fire it. Usually(key), that will dislodge and expel a ball.

[SwampYankee]

Tempted to try the old trick. I checked it out with the ram rod. He had a green mark on it on where to stop and show ball was at right depth. That checks out ok, pulled out the nipple and cleaned it out good and the channel going into the barrel. How much dribbling should one do?
Thats enough to force it out? Any problem there. I cleaned out the rest of the barrel and that was nice and clean... No idea how long the charge has been in there. If that don't get it I'll go to one of the local shops and see if I can purchase a new extractor. Also just found one on Midway. Sooner I get it clear, the sooner I can use it. About 2 feet of snow on ground here, but I have a bench off my back porch and a 100 yard range. Nice to be able to dart out get off a few rounds and dart back in.

Thanks for your input, Much appreciated. SwampYankee George

[docone31]

Another trick,
Get a sheet rock screw, clip off the head. Take this screw and screw it into the ramrod threads. It did not mess up mine, the screw threads were just enough off to engage the sheetrock screw, and not mess up the ramrod.
Take a mallet, and start the screw into the ball. Then turn the ramrod to get the screw into the ball, and pull. It should come out.
If the powder is Pyrodex, and it actually sounds like it is, It will be lumped up. In mine, I dug at the powder and a lot come out and I thought it was empty. I put a cap on the nipple and snapped it down.
Well, it wasn't. No ball, but LOTS of smoke!
I was able to use the original ramrod with the sheetrock screw to pull the ball. Best to get a ball puller, but in a pinch, my way worked for me.
I found out, the nipple channel had some burrs, and the nipple was in too deep for the flame channel.
However, lets get the ball out, and then find out why it was in there for that long.

[SwampYankee]

Thanks Docone31.

Sure sounds like its worth a try and I have the sheet rock screws. I'll order the extractor from Midway anyhow in case it happens again. Funny, I was downstairs looking for something to try but didn't come up with anything. This might just save the day. Thanks for your input, I'll let you know tomorrow how it goes.

SwampYankee

[mooman76]

It doesn't take much powder to launch the ball out. Just a pinch and that's about all that will probably get in there. It may or may not set off the old charge though.

[Tazman1602]

The below is good advice dude. I just had a buddy of mine with a smokepole that he'd loaded and it wouldn't go off. I tried numerous approaches including compressed air to get it out -- no go. I could not figure out why it wouldn't blow out........until he showed me the powder he put in it.....Blackhorn 209...."209" being the key with a percussion cap rifle. Took out the nipple, but in a few grains of holy black (Black powder itself) reinstalled the nipple and off it went.

Pyrodex will work in a pinch just like Jim says PROVIDED the load in there is safe to begin with and hasn't been contaminated. Even then I've gotten the ball to pop out before by just doing this even though the charge wouldn't go off.

Give it a shot anyways.............

Art


George,
If you can find a ball screw, that's probably the best approach. Another old trick is to pull the snail, dribble some powder in the hole, replace the snail, cap it and fire it. Usually(key), that will dislodge and expel a ball.

[smoked turkey]

I recently used about 50 psi from my air compressor to unload my 50 cal renegade. I had loaded a 370 gr. maxi ball for our muzzleloader season. Since I didn't get a shot I chose to unload without firing the rifle in order to save a lot of clean up since it was after dark and I was tired. I attached about 4" of rubber hose I had in my tool box. I think it was a piece of left over vacuum line. Evidently I don't ever throw nothin away. I sat the rifle in my cleaning cradle and aimed the barrel across the back 40 so my chances of shooting anything was pretty slim. I used my air blow gun which fit into the air hose real good for a nice tight seal on the nipple and the blow gun. One small puff of air and the maxi landed about 5 feet in front of my gun. Easiest thing I have ever done.

[Taylor]

I use the blower attachment on my air hose,hold it to the nipple and let her rip.Normally mine bounches across the driveway into the grass and I can never find it.Lost lead.The last one dinged off the side of my truck and I still haven't found it.

[pietro]

http://pics.gunbroker.com/GB/209188000/209188342/pix755550024.jpg


http://www.bowhunterssuperstore.com/rydon-discharge-p-1864137.html?osCsid=dd176b7b0db1a9b3b78b9d78baad66 95
.

[waksupi]

About half this price at a bicycle shop.


http://pics.gunbroker.com/GB/209188000/209188342/pix755550024.jpg


http://www.bowhunterssuperstore.com/rydon-discharge-p-1864137.html?osCsid=dd176b7b0db1a9b3b78b9d78baad66 95
.

[SwampYankee]

First want to thank all of you for your input on getting the ball out of the 45 Hawken. I try at lot of ways, adding powder under the nipple after a good cleaning of the channel, tried it about 5 times, sheet rock screw, Had a hold of it a few times but could not move it, then tried the air compressor at the nipple, minus the nipple, still didn't move.

Today, with temps around -7 at daybreak, I decided I knew what my project would be after breakfast. I removed the nipple, replace it with a grease fitting and with a fresh tube of grease when at it. Much to my surprised it moved easy. I had the ram rod in so I could keep track of it and about 50 pumps later there it was. It came out in 3 parts and I took a picture of it to show you. The ball looked fine, the next piece is the column of powder, and the third appears to be the same. I have not cut it apart yet to see just what is in the third piece, but would see to be a major load if its more powder.

I have no idea what my uncle put in it many years so it would not fire, but added PB BLAST a few times, WD 40 from time to time. I was more concerned about it eating at the breech plug or barrel. Started to clean it up. Pushed the grease out the barrel with the air hose on the nipple, or most of it, then a patch on a large cleaning rod for and old rolling block I have in a .43 spanish and forced the rest of the grease out the nipple hole. Little more cleaning out tomorrow an
thats one problem out of the way.

Enough chatter, but did want to thank all of you for your input. Much appreciated.

SwampYankee

http://www.cccmx.com/balla.jpg

http://www.cccmx.com/ballb.jpg

[mooman76]

Great deal! We are anxiously awaiting to hear how good it still shoots.

[Smokin_Gun]

SwapYankee that's one one the best specimens of a cartridge extraction I have seen photographed. Well Done...mine most always dump powder out the end of that dang barrel :O)