Howdy from Colorado and Stuck Ball Question!

[HighCountryHunter]

Hey longcruise. Thank you. I'm near Franktown. It's my understanding that the rifle was loaded but didn't/wouldn't fire. It was then put away like that without my knowledge. And, if you know of a good smith that works with muzzleloaders, please let me know. As far as I'm concerned if they are in Colorado, and can fix this, it would be worth the drive.

 

[Phil Coffins]

I’m in Johnstown and would be willing to remove the load for you.

 

[bummy]

Like BUCKSKINQUIN said. Remove the nipple put as much 4f or 3f in the nipple hole. Screw the nipple back in, cap it and shoot it out. I've done it several times. Works great.

 

[Grenadier1758]

@HighCountryHunter, the shooting it out is a good choice if you know if the powder is black powder or the synthetic substitute. It probably is a synthetic powder since it didn't fire. Or it was a new gun and the breech was packed full of storage grease that blocked the flash channel. If the ball is separated from the powder at the breech, shooting it out even with black powder can create an extreme pressure spike that can blow up the barrel. This is one of those areas that one should proceed with caution and use non explosive techniques to remove the ball. The statement that it was loaded and did not fire implies that the ball is at the breech on top of some powder or no powder. Had the rifle been fired?

My vote is for @Phil Coffins to remove the stuck ball. Provide him with all the information, no matter how trivial. Has your ball puller penetrated the ball? What powder? What caps? What brand of puller? Is the ball on top of powder at the breech? Did solvent get to the powder charge by adding solvent through the nipple?

Once the ball is out, the barrel should be scoped for damage. Some barrels will still perform well even with pitting. They foul easily, but are still acceptably accurate when the bore is clean.

 

[aleksa oldfart]

How about getting a cleaning patch with small amount of lube clean the barrel down to the ball that will tell you how far down the ball is.then get a pipe cleaner( a tobacco pipe cleaner) take off nipple clean the hole.( I have gotten a pipe cleaner all the way into the barrel many times) poor powder in to the nipple tape it some to get it inside, poor a little more powder in , put nipple back on . Strap gun down to a table. Put a string on trigger stand back along way and shoot. Not knowing what powder was put in the gun this is important thing to do .I would try shooting it at least 3 times if first time it didn't shoot.

 

[JeeeperBillMI]

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

First verify the gun isn’t double loaded which can create a very dangerous situation if you do this method. Take the Ram rod and put it down the barrel. Mark where it ends up at the muzzle then put it up against the barrel to see how far down the end is compared to the breech. It shouldn’t be more than about 1.5 to 2”” from the end of the breech. I believe on a Lyman you can see the joint line between the breech and the barrel.
Like Buckskinquin and a few others have now stated remove the nipple and clean out screw. Then using pick clean out as much of whatever is in there out. Pour as much 4F or 3F powder into the channel under the nipple. Make sure the nipple is clear through and reinstall it. There should be enough powder to shoot it and blow out the ball in a safe place of course. Magnum caps are sometimes also helpful to start the ignition. We do this almost every week because someone gets chatting then forgets and dryballs.
I just unloaded my friend’s CVA that had been loaded for about 15 years with pyrodex. I thought the corrosion would be much worse but oxygen is not getting to the chamber because it is sealed off pretty good. In his case I did the rod depth check first and there was at least 5” of something in the chamber. I pulled first pulled out a maxi ball that was about 1” long. After that I had to hack through about another inch of packed hard pyrodex. At that point I took a leap o faith filled the nipple channel with 4F, capped it and pulled the trigger back in my back yard woods. It was definitely loaded by the way it kicked back. I probably should have strapped the gun to a tree and used a string to pull the trigger but I took an educated guess based on what I pulled out of it.

 

[steg49]

I would try penetrating oil (small amount down the barrel, let it soak for a day or two then use a CO2 ball extractor and see if you can blow it out. Don't have anything in front of the barrel except open space as the ball will come out with a little force from the co2. Second option is a ball puller with a steel ramrod. Make sure the puller is well seated in the ball, place the ramrod in a sturdy vice and start pulling. Last option would be to pull the breach plug but that might cost more than a new barrel if using a gunsmith to do the work. Plugs can be extremely hard to get loose. Good luck steg49

 

[Bill Bryan]

I'd do a lot of things before I'd throw the barrel away. First choice is to trickle some 4f powder into the hole and nipple. You should be able to shoot the ball out with little trouble. It may take several trys. If the ball moves at all I'd try some lubricant and then a ball puller. Bill