Help please

[Walkingeagle]

I'll bet is a T/C poly patch.

Again though, how do you ascertain what the obstruction is?
I’d like to hear from the OP how he knows?
Walk

 

[Carbon 6]

I’d like to hear from the OP how he knows?

Ok I'll wait for his reply before I tell you the answer.

 

[user 48679]

A few years back a rifle was found in NV, park I believe but it was I believe an old lever gun and had been there for many decades. I think the tree even started to grow around it if memory serves.

Per Wiki:

The Forgotten Winchester is a Winchester Model 1873 rifle that archaeologists discovered in 2014 leaning against a juniper tree in Great Basin National Park in Nevada.
The gun was manufactured in 1882, but nothing is known of its abandonment.

 

[Walkingeagle]

Ok I'll wait for his reply before I tell you the answer.

Lol. If you have the answer please proceed. I’m stumped.
Unless he pulled the projectile out of the sabot already. Hmmm...
Walk

 

[Tn poor boy]

I would say a ball puller on range rod screw it in projectile then us a vice put rod in and pull put some oil down into it

 

[rdane]

Don’t try shooting it out. The dumb ax may have used smokeless.

 

[Carbon 6]

Lol. If you have the answer please proceed. I’m stumped.
Unless he pulled the projectile out of the sabot already. Hmmm...
Walk

Now I'm curious to see if the OP does reply back. But if he's like me He's trying to pull it and all he's getting is bits of plastic stuck to the screw. If it's green, could be a poly patch. Since they were design for round balls (by T/C) the ball comes loose very easily but the "patch" sticks tight in the barrel, a ball has a very small contact surface with the sides compared to a conical. I think that's why T/C quit making them because they sure shot great. I ultimately pulled the breech, but the grease gun method should work too.

 

[Walkingeagle]

Doubt he’ll be back. Joined Wednesday, all 3 posts in this thread and no contact since.
Walk

 

[oldwood]

In one of those huge landfills where you see those big trash compactors going back and forth , one guy noticed a T.C. Hawkin rifle sticking up out of the trash in the muzzle down position. A relative of my neighbor passed the useless rifle to him and it quickly ended up in my shop. Neighbor was a m/l building student of mine w/ three long rifle flint guns under his belt , so told him I would watch him fix the T.C. percussion rifle. First , while waiting for a new a new 32" X.50 cal. patched r/b twist barrel to come , plus a new longer under rib , the stock was sanded down and refinished. The r/r entry into the stock was remodeled w/ a piece of Lignum Vidae wood from Africa. The sights and r/r thimbles were removed and salvaged. All lost was the barrel and rib too rusted to use. Rifle isn't completed yet , but will make neighbor a capitol good looking custom ladder stand deer gun. Can't wait to go to the range w/ the rifle...........oldwood

 

[harleynut]

I have a T/C Hawken that has a sabot stuck in barrel. The gun was found on private land in summer posted up against a tree. Is a grease fitting and grease good to push sabot out? Not sure how long it sat, so don’t know how nasty it is in powder. Barrel looks good otherwise.

I had same issue with a M.L. sat for 20 years with a ball in it i couldn't get it out had to remove the breech plug that was a chore

 

[Centurion]

My past life still calls to me and i wonder, like more than a few of you...
1. Is this public or private land?
2. Does the condition of said rifle give an indication as to how long it had been there, and is it possible to guess as to “not longer than____ but longer than____”?
3. Any missing person reports around that time frame?
4. Related to #1 above, any chance of going back and making reasonably sure the previous owner’s remains aren’t to be found a short distance away?

don

 

[Yellowdog1]

Is it just the plastic sabot or the whole shebang, sabot and bullet, also how far down the barrel is it.

It’s a full load. Packed all the way down.

 

[Yellowdog1]

My past life still calls to me and i wonder, like more than a few of you...
1. Is this public or private land?
2. Does the condition of said rifle give an indication as to how long it had been there, and is it possible to guess as to “not longer than____ but longer than____”?
3. Any missing person reports around that time frame?
4. Related to #1 above, any chance of going back and making reasonably sure the previous owner’s remains aren’t to be found a short distance away?

don

Well if you read my post...it’s private land. My buddy has 10 acres in a major city that’s mostly woods. We were looking through property and walked up on it. I would say it was there at least a couple months.

 

[Shooter1]

Well if you read my post...it’s private land. My buddy has 10 acres in a major city that’s mostly woods. We were looking through property and walked up on it. I would say it was there at least a couple months.

Being nice, you might leave a note in plastic bag tacked to the tree. If he returns and calls, ask what he was doing on private land and make a friend or enemy out of him,,,,your choice. Or just keep it figuring if he was dumb enough to leave it and you can fix it, It's yours.

 

[Yellowdog1]

I'll bet is a T/C poly patch.

I can look in barrel and see lead bullet

 

[Yellowdog1]

Being nice, you might leave a note in plastic bag tacked to the tree. If he returns and calls, ask what he was doing on private land and make a friend or enemy out of him,,,,your choice. Or just keep it figuring if he was dumb enough to leave it and you can fix it, It's yours.

My buddy (who’s land it was) has had it 1.5 years. I asked him what ever come of it and he said nothing. I asked him if he would let me remove bullet and get it shooting. He gave it to me.

 

[Yellowdog1]

Well if you read my post...it’s private land. My buddy has 10 acres in a major city that’s mostly woods. We were looking through property and walked up on it. I would say it was there at least a couple months.

No gun hunting even allowed where it was found.

 

[Carbon 6]

I can look in barrel and see lead bullet

Guess it's not that then, but you still have choices. Not knowing your capabilities, or what load is in the gun I would probably go the grease gun route to remove it. Replace the nipple with the proper sized grease zerk and start pumping. I'd remove the barrel from the stock first.

A little acetone down the barrel will soften the sabot/ acetone eats plastic. that might alow you to pull the whole works or it might just release the bullet. Be careful not to get the acetone on anything else.

Removing the breech requires special tools and knowledge to prevent damage.

Firing it to remove it is too risky IMO.

 

[TFoley]

Is this even in the USA/Canada?

 

[hanshi]

Interesting! In our youths a dear friend and I spent a LOT of time roaming through the woods. Happening upon an ancient, crumbling - house? - with a fallen in roof, we found the remains of an old muzzling loading dbl barrel shotgun. Only remnants of the stock remained and metal parts were pitted with rust. Can't recall what became of it but we both were fascinated with it.