Minnie Ball Stuck 1861 Springfield

[Winters]

I got a Minnie Ball stuck when loading my 1861 Springfield today. I suspect I did not have enough lube. Of course, I have a couple of questions;

How can I get it out? Should I order a .58 ball puller from Track of the Wolf, or is there a better way? (I have no access to an air pressure device, but I do have a water power washer with a small stream).

I am not going to be able to clean the gun until I get the bullet out. Is this alright, or am I in danger of hurting the rifle?


Don't worry- I will not shoot it out as it's not even halfway down the barrel, so as of right now it's just a pipe bomb (70g below the ball).

Thanks!

 

[Jaegermeister]

If it is pure soft lead you should be able to pound it down to the powder charge and shoot it. Hammer time. Some old German Jaegers used a mallet to drive their projectiles home. Having said that, it’s odd that it would seem so utterly and totally stuck like it is.
Definitely wait for others to chime in of course.

 

[Tumbledown]

A minie should go down rather easily, as they should be slightly undersized. Is it stuck on fouling? I would use a long dowel (or several, end-to-end down the barrel) and try driving it all of the way down.

 

[Winters]

If it is pure soft lead you should be able to pound it down to the powder charge and shoot it. Hammer time. Some old German Jaegers used a mallet to drive their projectiles home. Having said that, it’s odd that it would seem so utterly and totally stuck like it is.
Definitely wait for others to chime in of course.

A minie should go down rather easily, as they should be slightly undersized. Is it stuck on fouling? I would use a long dowel (or several, end-to-end down the barrel) and try driving it all of the way down.

It's stuck stuck. I've tried ramming it as hard as possible, then using a rubber mallet on the ramrod. Nothing.

 

[Jaegermeister]

Hell, I would use a range rod (or something similar) and a common steel hammer. Wear leather gloves and get mad at it. Protect your butt plate by placing it on a piece of wood or something. Or lay it down with the butt against the garage wall. Use a bottle jack as a hillbilly press. Move your car to where you can butt the jack up against the tire or some other immovable object. Wrap the gun in a blanket. Sometimes I get a little caveman-ish when manure like this pisses me off. If the conical is soft lead, it will seat with enough pressure.

 

[Trot]

I had the same thing happen once years ago. Heavy hammering may do more harm than good. In my case I am convinced that hammering on the minie caused the skirt to roll up and jam it harder. I can't remember how I eventually got it, but wait for more answers before doing much pounding.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Your doing it wrong!
You need a near full bore rod. Solid.
Weld a t bar to it.
With the t on the ground slide the rifle over it. You grip the rifle and use its mass to overcome the stuck bullet.

What lube you using, no wait, just throw it away. Order some beeswax and olive oil.

 

[TreeMan]

Your doing it wrong!
You need a near full bore rod. Solid.
Weld a t bar to it.
With the t on the ground slide the rifle over it. You grip the rifle and use its mass to overcome the stuck bullet.

What lube you using, no wait, just throw it away. Order some beeswax and olive oil.

Exactly. A soft left projectile should be no match for a proper steel or brass range rod. Pound it home!

 

[dave951]

Stop right NOW!

First, kill the powder charge with water. Remove the nipple and flood the chamber.

Second, if the bullet is stuck on fouling, more pounding will deform it and likely make it worse. Flood the chamber with water, flood in front of the bullet with water. You're trying to dissolve the fouling.

Third, minie ball pullers are available.

Lastly. Why is it stuck? What powder are you using and what lube?

 

[Ian Straus]

If it is pure soft lead you should be able to pound it down to the powder charge and shoot it. Hammer time. Some old German Jaegers used a mallet to drive their projectiles home. Having said that, it’s odd that it would seem so utterly and totally stuck like it is.
Definitely wait for others to chime in of course.

NO! This is a Minie. Pounding it down will spread the skirt and really get the bullet wedged in against whatever it stuck on. Then it will be harder to pull out.
If he uses a ball screw at this point, without pounding, there is a good chance of getting it out easily.

 

[Jaegermeister]

Never would’ve thought about doing that. My caveman approach is definitely not the most well thought out way. Still hard to imagine that it’s that completely stuck being soft lead and all. My only experience with a ball puller is pulling it plum out and leaving a hole in a ball. I have luck like that.

 

[RicM]

First off and I apologize for asking simple questions first. No foul no harm meant.
1 Did you already load it up to shoot with a powder charge. Then loading the minie and it then got stuck?
2. Did you by mistake already loaded a minie where as the stuck one is on top of the other giving impression that it’s stuck in bore? Which might explain why with moderate force won’t move downward.
I would take your rod and measure the length of the rod when inserted and then compare externally where the minie is stuck.
If it’s like stuck half way down and you already have a powder charge loaded, I would remove the nipple and flood the charge with water as with the other side of the minie in the barrel. (Previously posted)
If you did not have a powder charge in it. I would try using a little bit of solvent on a barrel brush the and clean the barrel of any excess crud and make sure it’s spotless then oil lightly the inside. Then see if it will come out with light tapping on a soft surface.
Otherwise the minie being dry and jammed itself being rammed down isn’t going to move then use a ball puller and remove it that way. Pounding hard on the rifle does makes me cringe thinking about doing damage to the rifle. And like said previously will only jam the minie in harder.
I’ve had a dryball minie with my original 1863. I’ve learned the hard way. After measuring and making sure it was all the way down seated, I springled Powder into the channel after removing the nipple then put nipple back in place and shot it. The minie came out. All fine.. The other time with a dryball was with my 1854 Johnson .54 round ball pistol (yes stupid me and embarrassed) That sucker did not want to come out and the nipple was frozen. So I did not want to do any damage to the nipple and the ball was impossible to get out, even removing the barrel and lightly tapping on soft pine wood praying it would roll out. Even tried soaking barrel to dissolve the patch. It was stuck!! So I used a ball puller and out it came.

 

[mooman76]

Just an educated guess but without more info, it's the best I can do. My guess is the fouling built up enough that it caused it to get stuck. You can try compressed air but being it's stuck half way, I don't think that will do it but it's worth a try. Your only other option I see are to use a bullet puller or get a grease gun fitting that matches your nipple threads and then pump out the minie with a grease gun.

 

[Jaegermeister]

Or remove the barrel then the breech-plug and shove it’s ass out the way it came in.

 

[dave951]

Or remove the barrel then the breech-plug and shove it’s ass out the way it came in.

not a good idea on a musket without the correct tools.

 

[Jaegermeister]

There I go again. I gues a bench vise, giant crescent wrench and leather pads won’t get it. This is why I don’t build guns and probably should quit giving advice. Part of growing old is learning when to be quiet.
I’ll be glad to hear how he finally gets that stubborn lead booger out!

 

[Whitworth]

Remove barrel from rifle, rest breech plug on block of wood to protect tang and beat it down with a BFH and a section of 5/16 All Thread wrapped in tape to protect the bore if you can't get a better rod.

 

[dave951]

Remove barrel from rifle, rest breech plug on block of wood to protect tang and beat it down with a BFH and a section of 5/16 All Thread wrapped in tape to protect the bore if you can't get a better rod.

No
Read posts 9, 10 & 12

 

[Okie Hog]

Been there, done that.

Don't wet the powder charge. Get a piece of 3/8-1/2" rod and drive the Minie ball onto the powder using a hammer. Then cap and fire.

 

[Winters]

Thanks for the responses! So just to clarify:

I loaded powder before putting in the minnie. There is only one ball in there and it is stuck halfway down the barrel. I have flooded the powder to kill the charge.

I am using Goex FFG. I couldn't find any beeswax anywhere in my town, so I used Crisco (which I read is what some people use) as a substitute.

I think I am going to order a ball puller from track of the wolf because I don't have access to anything recommended and I don't have the tools to put something together.

My big question: is it okay that I can not do a full cleaning of the rifle bore right now with the bullet stuck in there?