Bound to happen

[user 49399]

So, shoot long enough and often enough, you’ll eventually get a stuck ball. On the bright side, I learned to remove a barrel and breech plug from my rifle. May be ready for a Kibler now!

 

[64Springer]

This is where the false breech on Traditions rifles has its benefits.

There's room behind the ball for some powder.

 

[bluemule66]

don't forget the anti-seize!

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

View attachment 217989
So, shoot long enough and often enough, you’ll eventually get a stuck ball. On the bright side, I learned to remove a barrel and breech plug from my rifle. May be ready for a Kibler now!

What happened there? (shiny edge on flat) Too bad for that. Glad ya got the ball out.
Larry

 

[user 49399]

View attachment 218004
What happened there? (shiny edge on flat) Too bad for that. Glad ya got the ball out.
Larry

It’s a beauty mark made by an ape with two left thumbs.

It filed out and all is good.

 

[Whitworth]

There's no such thing as a stuck ball, just insufficient ramming force

 

[büchsenmacher64]

View attachment 218004
What happened there? (shiny edge on flat) Too bad for that. Glad ya got the ball out.
Larry

I think you did great Banjoman. Yes, you’re ready to assemble a Kibler.

 

[user 49399]

This is where the false breech on Traditions rifles has its benefits.

There's room behind the ball for some powder.

This was not the usual dry ball. I did load powder first. But, I tried to take a shortcut and that’s where I messed up.

I was loading powder, wad of tow, round ball and another wad of tow. This worked good as long as I seated the wad, ball and wad separately. But, big dummy got in a hurry, and tried to push the wad of tow only about an inch into the barrel. Then the ball was pushed down into the tow, the top wad pushed in and all of it pushed down together.

The dry tow wrapped up around the ball like a patch and when it was pushed down the barrel all the crud gathered up under it and caused it to stick about two inches above where it should be seated. It wouldn’t budge. I didn’t have a range rod and I wasn’t about to break my good wooden rod. At first I thought maybe I’d loaded two balls, but only afterwards did I figure out what actually happened.

There was some good to come from all this though. First, I was reminded not to take short cuts when working with muzzleloaders.

Secondly, I learned how to safely remove a barrel from a full stock. I’d always shot mostly Hawken type guns with a hooked breech. Removing a barrel from a full stock seemed intimidating at first but it’s really not that hard. I used the Black Powder TV video as a guide.

Finally, I’m glad I took it apart because there was some rust under the barrel and tang which need cleaned up.

 

[user 49399]

I think you did great Banjoman. Yes, you’re ready to assemble a Kibler.

Yeah, after taking it apart, removing the ball, cleaning everything thing up and putting it back together, I got to thinking maybe I could assemble a Kibler. I even learned how not to leave “beauty marks” and how to clean them up if I do.

But first, I gotta go see if I can sharpen a pencil now.

 

[büchsenmacher64]

Yeah, after taking it apart, removing the ball, cleaning everything thing up and putting it back together, I got to thinking maybe I could assemble a Kibler. I even learned how not to leave “beauty marks” and how to clean them up if I do.

But first, I gotta go see if I can sharpen a pencil now.

You would be surprised at what you can do.

 

[longcruise]

Think i woulda gone to the hardware store and purchased a steel rod and used it to hammer the ball down. Could make a range rod out of it when done.