Cva hawken stuck ball

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Brianc

40 Cal
Joined
Apr 24, 2021
Messages
173
Reaction score
128
I just picked this up but loaded , no idea for how long, loaded with what, dry balled is possible no way to know. I was able to get a ball pulling jag on my solid range rod and it WILL NOT budge! Any advice? It’s missing the nipple I thought of trickling some 4f and using cannon fuse to see if it would blow out but not knowing how it’s loaded I’m afraid that’s a bad idea. C02 discharge was a waste and did nothing. I appreciate the help
 

Attachments

  • F1F183AA-7A7D-442C-9E06-29373D341DE3.jpeg
    F1F183AA-7A7D-442C-9E06-29373D341DE3.jpeg
    87.9 KB
  • FCE3805E-A0A7-42C2-951E-A79536C885D5.jpeg
    FCE3805E-A0A7-42C2-951E-A79536C885D5.jpeg
    73.6 KB
Use the search feature and type in stuck ball. Hopefully your post won’t go 20 pages like the one a couple weeks ago concerning a stuck ball. If it was me I’d put a nipple in it and shoot it out. If you’re afraid it’s loaded with smokeless powder you can remove the drum and scrape/knock it out. Put the drum back in and trickle in some black powder and shoot it out.
 
Dribble some kroil down the barrel to dampen the patch. Use britsmoothys method inverting the gun barrel down and bounce the gun on the ramrod like you are ramming a charge home to breakfree the ball and patch from the barrel after about 10 minutes of letting the kroil soak into the patch. Pull ball out. Used this method to get a sabot out of a traditional ml, yea i know not my gun, 12 minutes tops, 10 waiting.
 
Dribble some kroil down the barrel to dampen the patch. Use britsmoothys method inverting the gun barrel down and bounce the gun on the ramrod like you are ramming a charge home to breakfree the ball and patch from the barrel after about 10 minutes of letting the kroil soak into the patch. Pull ball out. Used this method to get a sabot out of a traditional ml, yea i know not my gun, 12 minutes tops, 10 waiting.
Thank you for the reply I will give a try this afternoon
 
@Brianc, it appears that you have crusted fouling between the ball and the breech. Using a solvent on top of the ball may not penetrate to the crusty fouling and soften the blockage enough to move the ball, although @Britsmoothy's approach can work.

@Idaho Ron, it looks as if it's another call for your excellent video on removing a stuck ball with the use of a grease gun.

Pulling a round ball | Page 2 | The Muzzleloading Forum

There are four tools one should have in their gun kits.
1. A sturdy working rod of brass or stainless steel threaded for the cleaning jags. Particularly one that does not rotate and has a tee handle.
2. A ball pulling tip with a bore sized collar and deep threads.
3. A CO2 ball discharger.
4. A grease gun with the appropriately sized threaded Zerk fitting for your rifle. The grease gun can exert more pressure in the bore than the CO2 discharger.

5. Is optional. The emergency phone number of a muzzle loading gunsmith with the proper tools to remove the breech plug and rod to drive the stuck ball out.
 
Last edited:
@Brianc, it appears that you have crusted fouling between the ball and the breech. Using a solvent on top of the ball may not penetrate to the crusty fouling and soften the blockage enough to move the ball, although @Britsmoothy's approach can work.

@Idaho Ron, it looks as if it's another call for your excellent video on removing a stuck ball with the use of a grease gun.

Pulling a round ball | Page 2 | The Muzzleloading Forum

There are four tools one should have in their gun kits.
1. A sturdy working rod of brass or stainless steel threaded for the cleaning jags. Particularly one that does not rotate and has a tee handle.
2. A ball pulling tip with a bore sized collar and deep threads.
3. A CO2 ball discharger.
4. A grease gun with the appropriately sized threaded Zerk fitting for your rifle. The grease gun can exert more pressure in the bore than the CO2 discharger.

5. Is optional. The emergency phone number of a muzzle loading gunsmith with the proper tools to remove the breech plug and rod to drive the stuck ball out.
I’m interested in trying this has anyone here actually used the grease gun trick and had it work?
 
@Idaho Ron's video shows it working and quite a few of us have seen it work. Do use the grease gun before you run a ball puller through the ball and the grease can flow through that hole. You may be able to block the hole with the ball puller. Once the grease gun starts the ball moving, the puller can be used to remove the ball without adding more grease. It's really not that messy.
 
The grease gun is probably your best bet. Looking at the exterior condition of the gun I would guess that the patch has probably rusted to the bore firmly. If you try a ball puller and put a hole through the ball you will have a real problem and you do not want to unbreech a CVA. The nipple has metric threads, likely a 6-1mm and you will need a metric zerk (grease) fitting so you won't damage the threads (link below). If you don't have access to a grease gun the mini one linked below will work and is reasonably priced, don't forget the grease cartridges for it. Cleanup is easy, just push a patched jag down the barrel forcing the grease out the nipple hole followed by patches soaked with a degreaser or Dawn.

https://www.harborfreight.com/32-pi...k-aM-cW-jMiM2gI-OlO6jIZLB-5g0qzRoC_MkQAvD_BwE
https://www.harborfreight.com/grease-gun-with-3-oz-grease-95575.html
 
@Idaho Ron's video shows it working and quite a few of us have seen it work. Do use the grease gun before you run a ball puller through the ball and the grease can flow through that hole. You may be able to block the hole with the ball puller. Once the grease gun starts the ball moving, the puller can be used to remove the ball without adding more grease. It's really not that messy.

Exactly as Grenadier1758 says and if I may suggest leave the ball puller in the gun and pour a generous amount of Dawn down the barrel to act as a lubricant while you pull the ball. The cleanup will be easy and then you will be able to evaluate the bore and move on. Good luck.
 
Thank you all of for the helpful non condescending advise.! A trip to harbor freight is in order and I will fool with it later . Guy that had it at the flea market said he was pretty sure it’s loaded so I’m afraid to attempt to fire it as I have no idea how it was loaded with what
 
Guy that had it at the flea market said he was pretty sure it’s loaded so I’m afraid to attempt to fire it as I have no idea how it was loaded with what
That's smart!
A short story;
Sitting for lunch with a group of friends at a rendezvous camp years ago,, a camp visitor, (a recently widowed lady) approached us asking for help. She presented a caplock pistol that belonged to her husband, she said that she thinks her grand-kids had got a hold of it and was afraid it might be loaded.
One of the guy's lived near and took the barrel to his home/shop to extract the projectile.
He returned and showed us what he pulled. It was a Lee REAL bullet that had been inserted backwards in the bore,, and under it was modern nitro powder!!
A possible pipe bomb situation avoided!
Turns out her husband also loaded modern shot-shell.
Relieved that disaster had been averted, she just wanted to be rid of it. A generous but reasonable offer was made and she happily sold it.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top