Need help, flash hole liner stuck!

[Ben Meyer]

Went shooting today, shot well! Me and my brother got to talking on the range, and I dryballed it. I take tge lock off, go to take the liner out and its stuck! I didnt push the 8ssue, got 3-4 gr 4f thru the touch hole, shot tge ball out, kept shooting. Im home, getting ready to clean tge gun and replace the liner(which i DID put antiseize on when I last had it out!) and I cant get it out. I stuck a toothpick in the hole and tried penetrating oil, no avail. I already have a replacement. The flat head slot is worn/boogered up, and getting purchase with a screwdriver is just making it worse.

And tricks to this? Any next steps?

 

[Grimord]

Use an easy out.

 

[Ballshooter]

Once you get it out order a RMC liner.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Yep, drill it the size needed for an e-z out then put in the replacement. Then quit taking it out! In the last 50 years of muzzle loading I have never removed a touch hole liner other then to replace them and haven’t had a lick of problems cleaning or pulling a load.

 

[2 shots]

ez out may work but i would enlarge the hole so you can use a larger size extractor. you dont want to snap one off in there. if it doesnt come loose with moderate force i would keep enlarging hole till its a shell and pick it out. 2 cents from 2 shots

 

[Zonie]

I'm not sure why you want to replace the liner unless it is just for aesthetic reasons (it looks bad).
For hundreds of years, flintlock guns didn't use a vent liner so having one that doesn't come out shouldn't be a big issue.

If your bound and determined to remove it, as was already said, buy a small "easy-out" and a drill bit to size the hole for it. Beware: Easy-out's are extremely hard and they break easily. Once broken off in a hole, there is no easy way to drill them out.

If you don't want to use an Easy-out, buy a small "prick punch". The kind of punch that is used to form an indentation in a metal surface. (A large 16 penny nail can also be used).
Place the point of the punch against one of what's left of the screw driver slot so it is pointing in a counter-clockwise direction. Hold the punch at about 45° and give it light taps with a small steel hammer. Usually, the liner will start to turn. If it doesn't, switch the point of the punch to the opposite side of the liner placing it against the side of the slot. This should also be in a counter-clockwise direction and held at about a 45° angle. Try tapping the punch again.

As the screw starts to rotate, rotate the punch along with it. After the screw has turned 1/8 to 1/4 turn, your regular screw driver should be able to unscrew it the rest of the way.

 

[Ben Meyer]

I could just leave it as is. I dont care so much of the esthetics. I do feel the actual hole has worn a tad bigger. Is there a point where it MUST be replaced? I generally don't remove it unless I dryball, which isn't often but, ya know, it happens.

It wasn't too hard to get 3-4 gr of 4f in thru it. I guess I could leave it??? I already have a replacement liner.

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

My removable liners are of the hex style (removable with an allen wrench.). I take them out every time I clean. The only time they are tough to get out is after a lot of hot loads. If I am just shooting targets, they come out easily. The only issue I have had in taking them out and replacing them is once I dropped one in the grass while cleaning it. Fortunately a younger set of eyes was able to find it. I now use a towel under my removal/replacement cycle.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[jsb30]

Chuck a screwdriver bit in a drill press and press bit down hard in screw slot so it cannot climb out of slot. Turn bit with a 1/4 inch box end wrench.

 

[biliff]

FWIW, try removing the barrel and letting the breach soak in some hot/warm water for awhile. Tends to loosen up the fouling in the threads and makes the liner easier to remove. And yes, I‘m the guy who likes to pull the liner when cleaning the gun.

 

[Livbucks]

Propane torch. Get it hot. Not glowing. Probably come out.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I knew of a guy who took the drum out of his percussion gun every time he cleaned it, just a habit. It wasn't long until he had the hole wallowed out and his drum was loose.

There is no good reason to pull a liner when you clean a gun either but old habits die hard.

 

[dave61965]

Run a file across it and clean it up a bit and go about your business, no reason to create a bigger problem with a possible broken off ease out in there, then the fun will truly begin.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

A quality set of Ez-Outs like as made by Snap-On will have left hand drills, Ninety percent of the time the Ez-Outs are not needed as the drills do the removing.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Once you get it out order a RMC liner.

Ditto - I have replaced all of the liners with the RMC. I only remove occasionally for deep cleaning but the allen set is wonderful!
Like you - the slotted ones gave me fits.

 

[Tasbay]

The one in My Pedersoli has always been difficult to remove. I take it out with an impact driver.

 

[painter]

Impact driver.

 

[Trot]

Absolutely an impact driver. Just about guaranteed to come out.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Yep, never force it. Just get a bigger impact driver. I use a 1/4" impact driver.

 

[Griz44Mag]

My impact driver that looks exactly like that one is a 3-8" drive.
I'll have to look for one of the 1/4" ones. I like that!