Minnie Ball Stuck 1861 Springfield

[Britsmoothy]

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?

You've just made it a whole lot harder for your self wetting the charge. Boy the are some fairies on here nowadays.
People just can't think outside a tiny box!
Instead of rodding it down in the normal fashion invert the rifle to aquire much more momentum. You have to instead of pounding the bullet to get it to move, move the mass of the rifle to move around the bullet. Then shoot it out.
I did tell you in post #7.
I don't know why I bother.

 

[Winters]

You've just made it a whole lot harder for your self wetting the charge. Boy the are some fairies on here nowadays.
People just can't think outside a tiny box!
Instead of rodding it down in the normal fashion invert the rifle to aquire much more momentum. You have to instead of pounding the bullet to get it to move, move the mass of the rifle to move around the bullet. Then shoot it out.
I did tell you in post #7.
I don't know why I bother.

With the utmost respect, I have never done this before. I'm sure there was a time when you had never done it before too.

I appreciate your help, but I do not have the supplies needed to do what you've suggested. I also don't want to hurt the gun by forcing the bullet further down, and I suspect the skirt may be deformed as others have stated.

 

[Jaegermeister]

Shaking my head but keeping my mouth shut.

 

[Stantheman86]

Same thing happened to me , I didn't size my Minies and one got stuck. They drop out of molds at varying sizes bigger because of expansion. Back in the 1860s Remington sized the Minies.

A .575 mold might drop a .580 Minie.

Lube isn't a factor here because a properly sized Minie would still go down with force. Unless the bore has a "tight spot"

Pulling that out is gonna be a huge pain, but you may have fouling pushed up below it and you'll be fighting that trying to pound it down. At least pulling it, you're getting it out through the same length of bore it went in.

If you pound on it it MAY go down or it will deform into a crushed up piece of lead and just be lodged in the barrel.

Since there's no longer a powder charge , just get a ball puller. You'll need one anyway, it's a must have piece of equipment.


If it's that bad a Smith will have to pull the breech off and tap it forward.

 

[sheba]

Since you already killed the powder charge a little penetrating fluid down the bore to lube things up wouldn’t hurt

 

[11th corps]

Since you have killed the charge I would try something like Kroil down both ends. Let it sit for a few minutes then try moving it again.

 

[ZUG]

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?

For me this is the best solution -- I think if you pound the bullet any more you will be forcing it into the rifling at the spot where it is now and just making a wad of lead. Whatever made that minie stop there and not let it to move past that spot must be very stubborn and trying to force it down will not end well -- THINK ABOUT WHAT I AM SAYING HERE. The ball puller should have course threads and I would find/make a chunk of metal with a hole in it to allow the ram rod to slide into the chunk of metal to act like a slide hammer. I would lube the bore then screw the ball puller into the minie ball and using the sliding chunk of metal start to jack out the minie. I would clamp the rifle in a vise or other means to support the rifle so you have both hands to work on the rifle safely.

 

[mooman76]

Clean what you can. The rest should be ok as long as it doesn't sit too long.

 

[bud in pa]

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!

Why do people keep insisting that a big solid vise and a crescent wrench are not proper tools? I bought my vise 34 years ago, the jaws are 6 inches wide. I have a monkey wrench with a handle about 12 inches long and over an inch wide. I make jaw inserts from 2 x4's. The hardest barrel I have removed was on a 1917 Mauser 98. Black powder guns are a snap with this set up.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

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?

No. . .but what can you do?

Don't have access seems well un investigated to me, I bet there are 6-7 air compressors on my block. (I'm not you, maybe you live 50 miles from everyone) But a 6 pack of beer would get me "Access" to my pick of these compressors. Maybe just ask a neighbor or two that you've seen working on their own car. Remember to bring an old blanket in a cardboard box to catch what comes out. With a good Compressor the minnie will come out at velocity, with a loud pop and followed by mucky wet BP.

 

[Jaegermeister]

I agree, bud in pa, but my hillbilly tool set doesn’t seem to float too many boats on here.

 

[RicM]

Shaking my head but keeping my mouth shut.

I agree. . We are taking about a valuable 160 year old rifle. Yes they are built strong but to pound the living daylights to jam it further down ??? . We all have our own methods. It’s like me doing the same with my 1854 Johnson muzzle loading pistol, the nipple is frozen, (post 12) so to correct it maybe I should gorilla strength it to the point of snapping it off? I rather than soak it, heat it, and do it such a way not to risk harming and original firearm. Or maybe a bit of fairy dust will work it free. I consider playing it smart but I’m no expert what do I know, so I will refrain further here also. Good luck and please let us know how you made out.

Late edit: Sorry my mistake, my replies were based on assuming (I hate that word) that it is an original.

 

[Jaegermeister]

I didn’t realize it’s an original!! That’s a bit of a game changer. Now if it was an Armi Sport I would……….never mind.

 

[Tasbay]

This is going to upset a few but: ( Zonie please bare with me) A couple of years ago I got a Russian 7.62x39mm bullet stuck halfway down my Ruger Ranch rifle barrel, when I shot it with a subsonic load that I had for ages been shooting out of a Chinese made 7.62x39mm bolt action. Reason was American barrel measured .310 and the Chinese was .312. Anyway after belting it with all manner of rods and hammers I remembered you cannot overload a Black Powder rifle so I filled the barrel to the breach with 2f and filled a primed case and loaded it. Tied it to a tree and pulled the trigger with a suitable length piece of rope. Gun went Boom and plenty of smoke. On inspection the Ruger was dirty but in perfect condition. I would do the same with a stuck ball in a muzzleloader.

 

[Woody Morgan]

Put a drill bit in it.

No. Wait. Don't. We don't wanna do that again.

wm

 

[Norman Brooks]

Have you tried bore cleaner down the bore, not a lot but enough to cover the mini? Let it set for about 10 seconds, dump out the excess then swab the bore, stand rifle up muzzle first and let it set for a while for the remainder of the bore cleaner to work then see if the mini will move...

 

[Pork Chop]

So since the powder charge is inert, why not get a zerk fitting and a grease gun and ease it on out?

 

[Ian Straus]

Thanks for the responses! So just to clarify:
.....

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?

It doesn't matter. There is no way you can clean the bottom of the bore right now, so why worry about it before you get the ball screw?

Worry instead about why it got stuck.
Did you start with the barrel clean?
In a clean barrel a minie should go down under the weight of your ramrod.
After firing a few shots it should require finger pressure.
When you have to force the ramrod down with strength you should quit and clean, or at least brush the barrel once to get the worst fouling out.
Which of these stages were you at, and about how many rounds had you fired, when the Minie got stuck?

It does seem strange to me that it got stuck with a Crisco lube,
Though pure Crisco is not what I would recommend to anyone, and I'd be afraid that in hot weather such as we have in Texas now the pure Crisco would be as liquid as water, and might ruin your powder.
The only time I got Minies stuck like that after a few (four) shots was when I used a petroleum based lube with a misleading name, that is now off the market.
I wonder, was the bullet sized? Is it the first time you have shot Minies from this mold?

 

[Cpt Flint]

I’m reminded of the Keystone Cops when I read this thread.

 

[sheriff john]

Got a ramrod/cleaning patch stuck in a barrel. Clamped barrel in vise, attached rope to handle of ramrod (G.I. surplus, one-piece .50 cleaning rod) and tied to my truck.
Vise broke, whole thing on garage floor.

Finally - unscrewed breech plug, got a larger hammer and drove it out the end in about two minutes. Harbor Freight vise replaced at no cost, no questions.

There are smart people on this thread offering good advice. I am not one of those.