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Thread: Stuck Round Ball

  1. #41
    Boolit Man godzilla's Avatar
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    If the worm has a good purchase on the ball you can find something heavy that will slide over the range rod close and use it like a slide hammer. Few taps should get the ball moving.

  2. #42
    Boolit Buddy
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    Well, you know what they say about free advice... I would first try CO2 (not compressed air), easy fast, with no cleanup. If that fails, move on to the zerk fitting and grease gun. My normal first step is FFFF under the nipple.
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  3. #43
    Boolit Grand Master


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    I just ordered a CO2 bicycle tire filler. Seems like simplest and least potential for damage. If it does work, it will be nice to have on hand, if a similar situation arises.

  4. #44
    Boolit Buddy
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    Maybe some rather hot water to sit in there and soften things up before trying

  5. #45
    Boolit Grand Master


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    I’ve been soaking it with Ballistol for five days, but it hasn’t made it past the ball to drip out the nipple yet.

  6. #46
    Boolit Master RU shooter's Avatar
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    Try 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone
    If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

  7. #47
    Boolit Buddy cas's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by idahoron View Post

    I don't have a clue what it is.
    Looks like a round ball sabot that someone beat the snot out of and hammered flat. Which means before they beat on it, the ball was fairly undersized. I used to shoot them occasionally in one of my rifles in the early 90s.
    Former cylindersmith.

  8. #48
    Boolit Buddy Kylongrifle's Avatar
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    put a grease zerk in the nipple hole. if its a thompson its a 1/4 x 28. Then pump it out with a grease gun. works like a charm

  9. #49
    Boolit Buddy cas's Avatar
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    Wow. (did you read any of the thread? lmao)
    Former cylindersmith.

  10. #50
    Boolit Buddy Kylongrifle's Avatar
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    Click image for larger version. 

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  11. #51
    Boolit Buddy Kylongrifle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cas View Post
    Wow. (did you read any of the thread? lmao)
    yes and he asked what size, no one actually said what size zerk it takes yet.
    Last edited by Kylongrifle; 12-20-2020 at 06:54 PM.

  12. #52
    Boolit Buddy Kylongrifle's Avatar
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    also if itss a CVA its 6 x 1MM

  13. #53
    Boolit Master Boogieman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kylongrifle View Post
    also if itss a CVA its 6 x 1MM

    OP said in first post it was made in 1777 and was converted to cap lock later. Odds are it's a hand cut nonstandard thread. A grease gun is the safest way to go.
    The 3 people a man must be able to trust completely are his gunsmith his doctor & his preacher ..,his gunsmith for his short term health ,his doctor for long term health ,and his preacher incase one of the others mess up.

  14. #54
    Boolit Buddy Kylongrifle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boogieman View Post
    OP said in first post it was made in 1777 and was converted to cap lock later. Odds are it's a hand cut nonstandard thread. A grease gun is the safest way to go.
    In that case "IF" he dosnt mind altering he could drill and retap.. Otherwise those old threads werent even cut the tap and dies from that period swagged more than they cut and certainly wont be near standard and likely as you mentioned each tap/die set were individually made often times
    Last edited by Kylongrifle; 12-20-2020 at 09:24 PM.

  15. #55
    Boolit Master Boogieman's Avatar
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    Made in 1777 , not a CVA or Thompson Center. Safest way would be to drill out the old nipple and retap to standard size . then push the ball with a grease gun.
    you will need a new nipple if you plan to shoot it
    The 3 people a man must be able to trust completely are his gunsmith his doctor & his preacher ..,his gunsmith for his short term health ,his doctor for long term health ,and his preacher incase one of the others mess up.

  16. #56
    Boolit Grand Master


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    If the CO2 dosent work, I’ll have to try and get the nipple out. So far it won’t budge. I am afraid to put too much heat on it. I don’t want to damage the barrel and I’m pretty sure there’s still powder inside.

    The French invented the metric system and there were hundreds of thousands of these guns produced. They were some of the first to have standard exchangeable parts. If Zirks are available in all metic sizes, it’s a pretty good bet that I can find one to fit. I just need to get the nipple out and don’t want to resort to drilling etc.

  17. #57
    Boolit Master
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    If your going to try a grease gun and can't get the nipple off try a needle nose grease tip held tightly into that nipple. You can get them at any auto parts store and they come in different sizes.

    https://images.app.goo.gl/GQuEzdhZZhcESpfm7

    https://images.app.goo.gl/kvMuLU1V2KSthjM2A

  18. #58
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by NyFirefighter357 View Post
    If your going to try a grease gun and can't get the nipple off try a needle nose grease tip held tightly into that nipple. You can get them at any auto parts store and they come in different sizes.

    https://images.app.goo.gl/GQuEzdhZZhcESpfm7

    https://images.app.goo.gl/kvMuLU1V2KSthjM2A
    I forgot about those. That might be the better way to do that.

  19. #59
    Boolit Master
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    Been thinking about this since seen and have been asking myself what would I do if I could not get ball out in this situation. I ask bore size and length, crickets. Well, the idea- why not a piece of steel tubing between 3/8" and 1/2" and longer than bore. Cut asterisk 1/4" deep with hacksaw on end, file tooth pattern on backside of cuts similar to a hole saw pattern. Wrap tube in proper direction with duct/electrical tape to bore size every four to six inches and lubricate. Take a battery drill and remove center from projectile and should come out with tube. Compressed air through nipple and blow charge if any out muzzle. Long brass 1/4" rod or so and disrupt ring and take hooked 1/8" rod and extract ring. Told ya I been thinking about it. Oh, and keep your nose away from muzzle!

  20. #60
    Boolit Master Lead pot's Avatar
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    Pounding on a stuck ball trying to break it loose does nothing but expand it more into the pits that are most likely formed all these years it has been in the barrel.

    I pulled a tight stuck dry ball in a flint rifle for a guy once that was tight and after him using a ball puller not holding in the soft lead.
    I drilled a hole in a 3/8" brass rod and soldered a #12 cabinet screw to it. A cabinet screw has deep threads that hold better than a regular wood screw.
    The second rod I did the same thing as the one with the screw but I soldered a drill bit smaller than the screw so the threads will bite in the lead without expanding the ball tighter. Roughed up the drill shank and I used silver solder.
    I wrapped the drill rod and the screw rod with tape to hold center. This will make a good bite in the drill hole wall to let you pull the ball.
    This is a extreme for pulling a dry ball but it's better than ruining a fine old rifle drilling out a nipple and rethreading for a new one.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

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