Hawken won't fire?

[eaglesnester]

Took out my custom 54 Hawken , loaded it and repeadly tried to fire it. No mater what I tried I could not get it to fire. Took it home and pulled the ball, washed out the powder and while trying to do so I noted that the touche hole would not draw water with a patched jag while the touchhole was submerged in hot soapy water. Try as I might I could not clear the blockage. I ended up removing the snail and low and behold there was a patch jammed in the chamber. Tried to pick it out and no luck. I did not want to remove the breach plug no how. thought about the old zerk fitting trick and grease gun to push out the patch but i did not have a zerk fitting and its 25 miles to town. Finaly I decided to dry out the chamber behind the patch and fill it with about 10 or so grains of 4F. Worked like a charm.Before I tried to b low out the patch with powder I tried to patch remover, ball worm, and the kitchen sink. Nothing worked. How that patch got in there
behind the powder charge beats me.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I tried to patch remover, ball worm, and the kitchen sink. Nothing worked. How that patch got in there
behind the powder charge beats me.

More than likely it came off during a routine swabbing. The corkscrew style patch pullers usually work fine. You said you removed the snail. Puzzling as those are (usually) part of the breech plug. Do you mean drum? If so, with that off you should be able to loosen up the patch with a bit of wire and them pull it with the worm. Wish we could help more but no one else has ever had a predicatment like that. :shocked2: :wink: :rotf:

 

[crockett]

Wonder how it happened? Must have accidentally put two patches on the jag and one got stuck? I never thought about that- be sure only one patch on the jag.

 

[FishDFly]

Being 70 might have something to do with it.

 

[Alden]

That's not very nice.

 

[azmntman]

Alden is correct.....Nope, not very nice at all, and worse :shake:

 

[Ken Cormier]

Now now kids play nice or no cookies after your nap.

 

[ccmountainman]

So many rifles have the patent breech, where the chamber is smaller in diameter than the rest of the bore.

Because of this the business end of the patch worm won't always get down in there to snag the patch.
because the base of the worm is too big to drop down in there.

a old clothes hanger will work, a brass brazing rod or such. Bend a small tip to it. run it down the bore and snag the patch.

If that doesn't work. pour rubbing alcohol down the bore. Light it from the touch hole.
Burn the patch to ash and then swab it out.
Might have to burn it a couple times.

Another option, a breech brush which you should have anyway. It might snag it, but you'll need it to brush out the ash any way.

 

[Harold1950]

Possibly wouldn't say a 22 caliber brass cleaning brush screwed into the cleaning rod be small enough to get into it to snag the patch?

 

[Rifleman1776]

Being 70 might have something to do with it.

How old are you?
That was uncalled for. You owe an apology.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Possibly wouldn't say a 22 caliber brass cleaning brush screwed into the cleaning rod be small enough to get into it to snag the patch?

Good idea. :applause:

 

[Harold1950]

Hey mtmanjim, I don't think any disrespect was intended about the 70's remark. :v Mostly sarcastic humor which we see a lot of on here. :surrender: Everyone is friendly and usually don't take any offense from it. If someone digs at me, they are leaving someone else alone and I don't let it bother me cause I know it was in fun. :blah: My family always dinged each other that way when I was growing up. So, I guess I'm used to it and it doesn't bother me in any way or form. Heck, I'm 65 and prone to do things backwards without even realizing it. If someone wants to call me on it in a sarcastic way, go ahead, I'll remember to do it right next time. Just my thought for what it's worth.

 

[garra]

I guess we have 2 issues, one getting something long enough to get to the bottom of the barrel and the other is to have something small enough to hit the patch in the patented breach area.
If you have a standard patch holder like from your 22 kit, that has a slot for the patch, can you rig up a wire with a hook using that slot to wrap/hold the wire, then attach to your range rod. It may be a bit Rube Goldfarb, but may give you the ability to reach the bottom and snag that patch.

If you decide to try to burn it out, brandy works really good and is very flammable.

 

[Harold1950]

Seems Like a waste of good brandy though :rotf:

 

[Harold1950]

Seems Like a waste of good brandy though :shocked2:

 

[eaglesnester]

Being 70 might have something to do with it.

ya figure?

 

[eaglesnester]

tried the cork screw. that there patch were so jamed down the bore in the chamber that it would not budge. Now then the snail is not really a snail at all but a very short tube screwed into the chamber with a nipple screwd into the tube under the hammer.
Lucky for me the rifle were made thata way or I never would have been able to clear it out with a shot of 4f. a 3/8 wrench fit it perfect. Sort of looked like it was set up for just the situation that I had with the patch.

 

[Billnpatti]

I have never experienced your predicament so my answer is just me ruminating. I wonder if you might have gotten it out by spraying a bit of starter fluid in the breach through the nipple or touch hole, tip the muzzle away from you with the touch hole also pointing away and then lighting it. It should give you a nice big WOOSH! and the patch come out of the muzzle. I have inflated tires using this trick so I would think it might blow a patch out of the bore. Just a wild idea of mine. :hmm:

 

[Dean2]

I think I may be beginning to see why Tip Curtis didn't want to do business with you. Apologize, and keep that kind of bad attitude to yourself next time.

mountainmanjim

Most of the guys on here are really good people, try to ignore the few that make uncalled for comments.

Eaglenester

Glad you managed to get it out with little trouble. Amazing what a little 4F will get rid of.

 

[MacRob46]

Richard Eames you need to apologize unless you are older than 70 and then you still need to apologize!