I once loaded a normal charge to mark my ramrod. This was in my basement, so I planed to remove the charge with a screw worm I had recently purchased. I couldn’t get the screw to stay in the ball. It kept stripping out. I finally went outside and shot it. Only drawback was I had to clean the gun just the same as if I had shot it a couple of dozen times.
I started trying to figure out why the screw worm Wouldn’t work. I found that some sold have deeper threads cut into them than the one I bought. So if someone is buying a screw worm, pay attention to that. Also people have told me that it’s important not to screw it in too tight, because it expands the ball making it a tighter fit.
The time I actually dry balled, I was at the firing line and besides being a bit embarrassed, I didn’t want to take the time to leave to deal with it. I was shooting a Flintlock, so I couldn’t unscrew the nipple and put a little powder in. It took a little time, but I was able to work enough 4F through the touch hole and the ball came out with a plop. So that method can work too, even in a flintlock.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |