Minnie Ball Stuck 1861 Springfield

[deermanok]

 

[William Lincoln]

Save yourself misery. Take rod or brass or steel. Braze a screw
on the end--or get ball puller screw on range rod tap it down
and twist till tight--pull out- also a body work slam hammer
works if you clamp to range rod--or can get the screw tip
into the ball or bullet directly. Also the grease gun trick works
well too. I have seen too much bad results from shooting it
out!

 

[59sharps]

The way I see it, there has been lots of completely WRONG info posted here by some who obviously have never ever worked with minies. I'd also bet a fair amount is by guys who have never ventured beyond a round ball in a muzzleloader. A BFH is a very poor answer as is electricity. If the OP chooses to follow bad advice, he can injury himself or damage his rifle but that's no skin of the noses of the pundits.

But what do I know, I've been slacking this year and only shot about 2500 minies in competition and instruction. Many round ball guys don't shoot that much in 10 years.

I’m jealous only-been-to 2 shoots and my team ran one of them. Missed the vets because of work.

 

[Jaegermeister]

Hell, I thought my bottle jack idea was pretty innovative!

 

[Stantheman86]

I'm glad threads like this happen so I can add to my harvest of Ignored people who's mindless babbling I won't have to see anymore

 

[Josephg]

I'm glad winters didn't finally use a grease gun. Gads what a dang mess!

 

[user 51067]

I have a "learned" friend of mine who casts his own bullets (rather poorly I might add). One of those little "gems" had the skirt separate and remain in the breech (an original Mississippi Rifle I might add)! The ONLY solution for that was to remove the tang/breech plug. Trying to remove soft material from a steel/iron tube is (or can be) a true challenge. MANY ways might or could work, but the cure must be better than the "illness" or the "patient" will surely die.

 

[user 51067]

AND, I don't know just what that toxic "substance" was that they used to pour on the popcorn in movie theaters, but it sure tasted good!

 

[59sharps]

I have a "learned" friend of mine who casts his own bullets (rather poorly I might add). One of those little "gems" had the skirt separate and remain in the breech (an original Mississippi Rifle I might add)! The ONLY solution for that was to remove the tang/breech plug. Trying to remove soft material from a steel/iron tube is (or can be) a true challenge. MANY ways might or could work, but the cure must be better than the "illness" or the "patient" will surely die.

It takes time but a sharp breach scraper would work.
or use mercury to dissolve it

 

[user 51067]

He is NOT a patient person, and I really had no idea just what we were going to find in the breech. The breech scraper and the mercury are both viable ideas (although mercury is very difficult to find here). As I had access to a BAV (big assed vise) bolted to a BAB (big assed bench) and the proper fitting wrench, I went with the "Neanderthal Method." I all worked according to plan, and threads that hadn't seen the light of day in over 150 years goth themselves properly cleaned and lubed. On my part, it was more of a "I wonder if this will come apart" experience more than anything else. As the breech had threads, it seemed quite "logical" at the time. Even the witness marks were realigned correctly when it went back together. All's well that ends well.

 

[Springerpanhead]

I don't get it.....you're on a Muzzleloader forum but if a thread goes too long it's funny?

There's like what a handful of people who actually contribute to this forum but when it turns toxic and dies off because people scare off newcomers, there will be no other resources for newcomers to get info.

This forum was way more active a few years ago. Now it's pretty much on life support. I wonder why

It’s not as active as it was a few years ago for the same reason as classic car clubs, RC airplane clubs, antique engine shows and many other hands on hobbies don’t have the participation they used to. The kids now days have no interest in anything but their IPhone and their computer. Go to any of those events and what do you see. Grey hair everywhere, and seemingly one less grey head from one event to the next. Kids today by and large, absolutely abhor anything that might get their hands dirty or require physical work. We live in a time when the process of psychological emasculation of boys begins in kindergarten. The purpose is to prevent them from growing into men who might exhibit the traits of “ toxic masculinity “ Playing with such things as engines, guns, and pocket knives are immediately and severely discouraged by the women and sissified twits that run the public education system.

 

[toot]

and the beat goes on! OH! when will it ever end???? when will it ever end????

 

[dave951]

It’s not as active as it was a few years ago for the same reason as classic car clubs, RC airplane clubs, antique engine shows and many other hands on hobbies don’t have the participation they used to. The kids now days have no interest in anything but their IPhone and their computer. Go to any of those events and what do you see. Grey hair everywhere, and seemingly one less grey head from one event to the next. Kids today by and large, absolutely abhor anything that might get their hands dirty or require physical work. We live in a time when the process of psychological emasculation of boys begins in kindergarten. The purpose is to prevent them from growing into men who might exhibit the traits of “ toxic masculinity “ Playing with such things as engines, guns, and pocket knives are immediately and severely discouraged by the women and sissified twits that run the public education system.

Well, get up and do something about it! We have.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/last-instructions-session-of-the-summer.134808/
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/so-heres-what-weve-been-up-to.115764/#post-1582379

 

[Dude]

As an aside (disregarding the superfluous drama in the background) I'm reading different articles in the original Lyman Black Powder book from 1967, and specifically one about checking out a 'new' gun. One of the items is to remove the breech plug.

So often, on this forum, I've heard admonitions against removing it - I wonder why that is?

 

[ML48]

As an aside (disregarding the superfluous drama in the background) I'm reading different articles in the original Lyman Black Powder book from 1967, and specifically one about checking out a 'new' gun. One of the items is to remove the breech plug.

So often, on this forum, I've heard admonitions against removing it - I wonder why that is?

I've seen the same thing. I'LL START A THREAD ON IT AND I'LL BET WE'LL FIND OUT.

 

[Grenadier1758]

As an aside (disregarding the superfluous drama in the background) I'm reading different articles in the original Lyman Black Powder book from 1967, and specifically one about checking out a 'new' gun. One of the items is to remove the breech plug.

So often, on this forum, I've heard admonitions against removing it - I wonder why that is?

With respect to removing a breech plug and answering questions about removing breech plugs, there is no one definitive answer.

First, we have to determine how the breech plug is installed. The Traditions and CVA breech plugs are not designed to be removed. With a bit of searching we can find cut away diagrams showing that the drum or touch hole liner is drilled through the breech plug and the the chambered is drilled through the breech plug and the drum or liner. The precision to remove the drum and then the breech plug and replace such a design is not recommended and CVA and Traditions caution via violation of warranty against removal of drum or liner and breech plugs. So. CVA and Traditions breech plugs are not to be removed because one may not be able to reinstall the breech plug and drum or liner.

Second, some breech plugs are installed at such high torque that removal is likely to damage the tang or the finish in the breech.

Third, removal requires a heavy vise with the finish friendly pads to secure the barrel and a breech plug wrench that will fit the base of the breech plug. The extremely large crescent wrenches often have loose jaws that round off the tang since they don't fit.

Removal of a breech plug is not a task for a novice gun builder looking to check out a new gun. An endoscope is a much better method to check out a gun. The endoscope will give a much better view of the lands, grooves and pits in the barrel.

 

[Meriwether]

I've done some clean up. And since the problem has been solved the thread will now be closed.

(Hint: Look back about 3 or 4 pages for the report of how is was removed.)