Boolit removal tips

[Beekeeper]

OK ,
Ol" Toast" has a boolit stuck in her, I think on top of a powder charge.
distance between end of ramrod and where I think the breach plug is about 1 1/2 inch so it isn't just a ball.
Wild imagination says it is a roll of money but that ain't even possible.
Only High Heaven knows how long it has been there.
Still need to remove it to make" Toast" even safe to hang on the wall.
Have had it saturated with oil for a day now and still no joy with anything I have.
Was thinking about a piece of all thread with a drywall or sheet metal screw welded on the end.
Screw it into the Ball or whatever and use a washer and nut to pull it out.
What think You all?
Any better ideas?



beekeeper

[kenyerian]

https://secure.tcarms.com/store/ball-bullet-and-amp-wad-puller-cat-no-9013-9014-9015.html
This link is for a ball, bullet and wad puller offered by Thompson Center. Good Luck

[725]

There is a common jig to screw on the end of your ram rod used to pull stuck balls. Commonly called a ball puller. It's nothing more than a screw. Apply pressure and screw it into the lead. Get enough of the screw in and just pull it out. I've had best luck securing the rod in a fixed position (ie, held in a vise or if the there is some contour to the end of the rod, roping it to a tree or such) and then pulling the rifle back off the ball. Have never gotten used to standing in front of the muzzle while working on a gun.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

compressed air is the way to go if you can

[Beekeeper]

tried the compressed air thing.
125 lb air and nothing.
This thing has been in the barrel for at least 50 years so nothing normal is gonna work I think .
That is why I was considering the all thread idea.


beekeeper

[LUCKYDAWG13]

do you want to shot it or just hang it on the wall if you just want to hang it
just fill the barrel up with oil for a few days and hang it

[idahoron]

Screw a grease zerk in it and pump it out with the grease. Ron

[smoked turkey]

I was going to suggest compressed air as that has worked for me. But I see that has been tried. I agree with Ron, the grease zerk method is what I would try next. It is messy but will probably work.

[DIRT Farmer]

An old gunsmith said he had used a oxy acy torch to the breech although he said if it wasen't for the damage to his shorts and shop it would be a better solution.

For a load that has been in forever or longer, take a steel rod braze a drill bit in it the size of the main part of the screw you intend to pull with and drill the ball. Take another steel rod, drill and tap one end, bend the other end into a hook screw into the ball and hook the end on something solid and pull. Do all of the above with exposing body parts to the muzzle.

Or thread a grease zerk to match the nipple and pump it out with grease or heavy oil.

[Lead Fred]

Unscrew the nipple or touch hole liner, pour 4f into the hole, add a spark.
It will blow the ball out, or ignite the powder charge. You have an air gap that sniffs out the primer flame, unless you dry balled.

Compressed air is what we use, the 165lb compressor has always got them out.

[smokemjoe]

i used air one time at a gas station, Had a 58 ball stuck almost down on powder, I was hunting and went to town to gas station and used air, The ball went out after a short time but when it did it hit the pop machince and then bouch of it and hit a car going down the street.

[FLINTNFIRE]

So what did the driver say ? and I have to ask did the pop machine kick any sodas out ?
I have used ball pullers ,make sure it gets a good bite before pulling ,air or the grease both work , and also the adding a prime and touching off , if its safe to do so and the ball is down tight on the charge , if any doubts , use the air or grease, best of luck

[oldracer]

The bullet puller I made had the normal screw end to eat into the stuck ball, but the rod was threaded with a handle to help me get it into the ball. I have a couple of "fender" washers that sit on the muzzle and a not that I turn in slowly to apply force on the stuck ball. At the same time I whack the barrel with a rubber mallet just below where the ball is stuck. I generally spray some oil down into the barrel first to help things along. It has worked every time.

I was going to make one that was like the stuck case extractor I used to have that had a slide hammer built in but I was afraid the soft lead would rip too easily.

[Janoosh]

So.... The Ball is "STUCK". I have used Compressed air, a ball puller, and trickled 4F behind the ball. ALL worked. But the ball wasn't stuck more than a couple of hours, not Years! Couldn't you oil the bore ahead of the ball, thread a zerk fitting and use grease just to start the ball, and then use compressed air the rest of the way. It would save grease and a cleaning up of that mess. If it didn't work, just continue with the grease! Good Luck!

[Beekeeper]

Got the ball out , haven't found it but it made quite a loud noise comming out.

Found that the flash hole to the barrel was rusted solid.
Very carefully drilled it out and tried the air trick one more time.
A combination of the Dextron I pored down the muzzle and let set for 24 hours and the air did the trick.
About a 1 inch collum of what used to be powder and the ball came flying out with a pop loud enough my neighbor came out to see what I had blown up.
Found the powder but never did find the ball. Will look again when the neighbors mow their Grass.
Now need to retap the nipple hole and straighten the barrel and then can get to work on the stock.

She may never fire again but will not be the wall flower that no one ever looks at .

I need some info on metal parts (ie: barrel bands and springs).
The ones I have seen in the pictures I have found are rust collored!
Was that the original color?
When I took them out of the electrolisis tank and wire brushed them " by hand, soft brush" they are blued.
The tank sometimes does that and I will be able to get most off with crocus cloth and wood ash but if black was an acceptable color will leave them alone.

So far " Ol Toast" is coming along and if I have no unforseen problems will be done by Thanksgiving.

A question for Waksupi if I may.
I know you shoot them so I hope you may have the answer I need.
It concerns the stock!
What finish was the norm back in the day?
My Grandfather was a furniture builder and refinisher and always used a linsead oil/ Shellac finish. Takes forever but lasts forever as well.\

Any way thanks for the ideas and watch for further updates on "Ol Toast"


beekeeper

[keyser]

I didn't have any luck with compressed air or a normal ball puller on mine. I took a long piece of steel rod and welded an inch long #10 lag screw to it, screwed it in with vice grips and tapped the base of the vice grips with a hammer to extract it.