Howdy from Colorado and Stuck Ball Question!

[HighCountryHunter]

Howdy all. I'm new to the forum and happy to have found it. I've been a hunter all of my life. I have .54 caliber Lyman Great Plains rifle. Unfortunately, there has been a ball stuck in the barrel for some 30 years. Long story.... Anyway, I've tried pulling it without success. What are your thoughts on, even if a gunsmith can get it out, it being serviceable for hunting deer and elk? If a replacement is needed, what's a good source?

Thank you kindly.

Hunter

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I'm guessing this is a percussion rifle, so I moved this to that area so the folks can see this quick and give the best scoop on how to solve the problem. If it's a flintlock let us know.

LD

 

[Andrewmtnman]

Can you get pics of the bore up to the stuck ball? This would give an indication of condition of the barrel up to the ball

 

[Harry Marinakis]

I would dump some water down the barrel when you fool with it, unless you knew for sure there's no black powder behind the ball.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Where is ball stuck at in muzzle, halfway down barrel, dry balled.

 

[Mossback]

Howdy all. I'm new to the forum and happy to have found it. I've been a hunter all of my life. I have .54 caliber Lyman Great Plains rifle. Unfortunately, there has been a ball stuck in the barrel for some 30 years. Long story.... Anyway, I've tried pulling it without success. What are your thoughts on, even if a gunsmith can get it out, it being serviceable for hunting deer and elk? If a replacement is needed, what's a good source?

Thank you kindly.

Hunter

Welcome from Canon City.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Welcome from Upstate New York's Central-Leatherstocking Region.

I solved a similar problem by removing the nipple. Inserting a Zerk fitting (my T/C took 1/4"-28) and pushing it out with grease. Messy, but effective. Not sure if Lyman used a SAE or metric nipple. I sheared off a screw-in ball puller and that was the next solution in line.

 

[Newly O’Brian]

I'd be concerned about 30 years of rust from it not being cleaned

 

[BackDraft]

Welcome from South-Central Indiana

 

[toot]

wish you luck with your problem. i'm sure that you will get good answerers here.

 

[Rebel bull]

in my opinion I'd find a appropriate metric zirc 6x.75 if I recall correctly and just pump it out fast and easy then stick it in a trash can and blow most of the grease out next stick the breech in a bucket of hot water and pump scrub until its clean dry and shoot then repeat the cleaning when done lube the barrel with your lube of choice mine is wonderlube for over 30 years and never had a barrel rust

 

[Grenadier1758]

I would recommend some penetrating fluid (acetone and ATF if you have the fluids) if there is no hole through the ball. Let that sit for a day or two, then do as @Rebel bull suggests.

 

[LSLibelo]

Welcome from California.

 

[dracer]

welcome to the forum

 

[HighCountryHunter]

Thanks everyone! I wish I had more info but I believe there's powder behind the ball. I'll look into the zerk mentioned a couple of times here. If that doesn't work surely there's a replacement barrel out there somewhere.

 

[2 shots]

welcome first , what type of ball puller are you using? second, did you lubricate the patch and ball, 3rd if ball was stuck because of fowling in the bore is likely gone after that much time , as said. .might be best to
look for a new barrel. if its not what you have, look at the ball pullers track of the wolf sells i have my best luck with that type. and lubricate the load

 

[HighCountryHunter]

2 shots, thank you. I can't recall which puller I've used but have tried two. I've been out of the muzzleloading game for awhile. I had pretty much decided that I might just need a new barrel. I'm open to that but am not sure where to look. It would be great to save the original but, even though I live in a dry climate, 30 years is a long time for a charge to sit in a barrel. Do you know, if I should have to replace the barrel, where I might find a one?

 

[2 shots]

finding a good one is the problem .you might contact bobby hoyt to see if it could be rebored to .58 if you set on .54 might be pricy for him to reline it but either way you could get the twist you wanted and the bore is new.. you could watch the classifieds on here, but on ebay and gun broker... be careful not everyone knows what a good bore looks like or even knows how to check.

 

[Buckskinquin]

Remove the nipple, trickle some 3 or 4F in the nipple hole, reinsert nipple and shoot it out? Have you tried this yet?

 

[longcruise]

Put a range rod down the bore and hammer it onto the powder and shoot it out.

Where are you in CO. There might be a Smith nearby.

You could remove the breech plug and hammer it out. If it was shot before the ball stuck the barrel is probably ruined but might be a candidate for a rebore or lining.

A new barrel might be a good option: https://muzzle-loaders.com/collecti...ts/investarm-gemmer-hawken-replacement-barrel