Bullet puller!!!

[Grenadier1758]

And yes, there are CO2 ball removers that will work as well as shooting it out. Some respects better since you don't have to be concerned if your breech face is too wet to place dry powder behind the ball.

 

[mooman76]

Welcome to the club. I do believe that dry balling has happened to almost everyone on this forum. Happens all the time. Probably won't be the last time that you or me.

Not me! :blah: I lied, I did it twice. Both times I was busy taking instead of paying attention. Happens to the best of us.

 

[crockett]

Bama- you are not alone on this problem. If the projectile is a conical and pure lead and you screw in the ball puller to extract it, the bullet fits so tight that sometimes you either pull the rod out of the conical or in screwing into the conical you "strip the threads" and then are in a mess. On a ball, usually okay but you might get the ball turning around and have trouble screwing in the tip- although much less of a problem.
So....
Years ago the trickle of powder into the drum or flash hole- enough to fire and drive out the ball- probably a common solution. Now a days get a CO2 Dispenser. Invaluable IMHO.

 

[Billnpatti]

I have this little verse scrimshawed on my powder horn and it is worthy of remembering and reciting every time you load:

"This the rule above all
First the powder, then the ball"

 

[Billnpatti]

I must confess that from time to time, I have dry balled my rifle but it is a rarity. Those CO2 devices do a great job but you have to consider how often you manage to dry ball your rifle, how long an opened CO2 cartridge is good and what is the cost of a cartridge. You have to also figure in the original cost of the device. Given the infrequency with which I manage to dry ball my rifle, I would likely get only one discharge from a cartridge and the rest would be left to slowly leak away in my range box. That would make the cost per ball removal considerably more with CO2 than with a pinch of black powder. There is no question that they are a great device that is very convenient and does a great job of dislodging a stuck ball, but being a cheap a....uh ...frugal sole, I will stick to using a dab of black powder to dislodge any stuck ball that I might encounter. For those for whom the convenience is worth the cost, they are dandy.

 

[Carl323]

Thanks again to everyone. I have a bullet puller for free if anyone wants it. Really. About crocketts post here, it was a ball and i got the puller screw into it. I could always feel the point enter the ball when it wouldnt grip and i restarted. It was a very bright silver colored hornady ball and i could at a few points turn the barrel upside down and get some silvery filings. Those were from the ball for heavens sake and not the barrel i hope? Went out and fired her a bunch today. Shot the same. For the posters who mentioned cleaning her i tried for the first time the five gallon bucket and hot water and a few drops of liquid sink soap. WOW!!! The suction was incredible and the patches came out cleaner than heck much faster than the other way. Dried her with dry patches and then some patches with hoppes oil. More fun than bathing my little sons 33 years ago and no bath toys necessary. So, those silver filings were they from the ball? Same color. Thanks.

 

[Alden]

I too have never gotten a bullet pulling screw to bite enough lead to pull the thing out. Now, I have never loaded out of sequence myself, and hope I never do. But running a range and especially historical shooting events I had too much experience with this. There was only one gun I was not ever able to clear and that included using a CO2 discharger on what I believe was a three band Enfield CW repro. It would not budge no matter what we were able to try...

 

[azmntman]

So how did the owner remedy this? Wouldn't shoot out w/nipple removed and primed?

 

[Alden]

Couldn't remove the nipple or something as I recall and with an entire platoon of dressed CW shooters (equipped properly right down to the ammunition chests and wrapped cartridges) helping, that particular fellow, a stout Corporal which is fitting, had to leave with his rifle musket in that condition.

 

[Rat Trapper]

If ya have to pull a bullet, you need a "T" handle range rod. Easier to just pull the nipple and pour some powder in and work it under the bullet and shoot the bullet out.