am44mag
05-31-2018, 05:02 PM
A while back I managed to get a ball and wad so stuck in my 45 cal muzzleloader than I couldn't get it out. It was well lubed, and there was a powder charge behind it, but I could not get it to touch off. I tried removing the ball with a bullet puller (the screw thing) and the ramrod. No success in that. Almost broke the ramrod trying to pull it out. Tried pneumatic air behind the ball, and again no success. I tried putting a little holy black behind the ball too, but even know it would touch off, it wouldn't ignite the original powder and it wasn't strong enough to force the ball out.
Well, I cleaned it as best I could, set it aside, and started looking for new ways to dislodge the ball. I was about to give up and take it to a smith when I gave it one last try. I got some kind of anchor screw (pointed, course thread on one side, fine threads with flat point on the other, maybe about 1/4" in diameter) and a 3/8" steel rod. I welded the screw to the end of the rod, covered the rod in masking tape, and stuck it down the (oiled) barrel. I got it screwed into that ball as much as I could, and clamped the part of the rod sticking out to a work bench, and started pulling. I had to have someone sit on the table, and then I had to also put my foot on it to keep it from moving, but eventually that ball started sliding down the barrel. That thing was STUCK but I finally got it free. :D
Feels good to have that problem solved.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180531/87527e97e4fa27eab722ca71d7cf06e5.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180531/4f08a25d3b5f78927f2dab24aa7775e2.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180531/b9335c50572cd9c699ed0f54957ee4fe.jpg
Well, I cleaned it as best I could, set it aside, and started looking for new ways to dislodge the ball. I was about to give up and take it to a smith when I gave it one last try. I got some kind of anchor screw (pointed, course thread on one side, fine threads with flat point on the other, maybe about 1/4" in diameter) and a 3/8" steel rod. I welded the screw to the end of the rod, covered the rod in masking tape, and stuck it down the (oiled) barrel. I got it screwed into that ball as much as I could, and clamped the part of the rod sticking out to a work bench, and started pulling. I had to have someone sit on the table, and then I had to also put my foot on it to keep it from moving, but eventually that ball started sliding down the barrel. That thing was STUCK but I finally got it free. :D
Feels good to have that problem solved.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180531/87527e97e4fa27eab722ca71d7cf06e5.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180531/4f08a25d3b5f78927f2dab24aa7775e2.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180531/b9335c50572cd9c699ed0f54957ee4fe.jpg