Newbie with serious issue

[Piotr20]

Hounddog.

How much heat should I apply?? Also, this doesent hurt the barrel or the finish on it?? How do you recommend I was behind the powder charge? Just empty the powder, fill the breach with solvent and let it eat away some of the residue??

co2 discharger failed. I used up 5 cartridges and the minie didnt budge a whisker lol.

 

[mulefour]

If you post where you are located there may be someone closs that can help.

 

[Jason Lewis]

once you get the ball out, be prepared to do a lot of scrubbing to get all the lead out of the barrel.

 

[roundball]

"...doesent hurt the barrel or the finish on it??..."

Yes, I'd like to see the answer to this question as well...

 

[Piotr20]

I live in Rancho Cucamonga Southern California (Socialist Republic of Khaliforniaa)

Im going to try the grease method first. Hopefully Ill find a fitting that fits onto the nipple threading without hurting it too bad...

 

[Stumpkiller]

"...doesent hurt the barrel or the finish on it??..."

Yes, I'd like to see the answer to this question as well...

And must you heat the whole barrel to that 600°F mark to stress-relieve the metal again?

 

[Piotr20]

To be honest Im not a fan of heating up that barrel... Seems like too much can go wrong... Ill try the grease method if I can find a fitting that will fit that nipple threading... PLan B is ram it home and shoot it with a 20 grain charge or less... Hopefully I can find that fitting...

 

[Dirty Steve]

Piotr,

I spent a couple hours at the Bass Pro in Rancho Cucamunga couple years back. Ate lunch there at the Isla Morada Grill. Seemed like a nice area. Good luck with the stuck ball. Never stuck one that hard, but I have broke the ferule off a ramrod on one previously..... after I figured out I loaded without a charge. :redface: This really is a fun past time. :wink:

 

[crockett]

Well you have a problem. I know the projectile is supposed to be seated on a powder charge so if it is 5" up the barrel, that MIGHT be a problem although with a very light charge of powder it doesn't seem it would be too bad. so.
1. Try the CO2 dispenser- they are pretty powerful.
2. If some guys here have done the powder in the drum technique without ringing the barrel then it would seem to me that pretty much has to work. If the drum has a clean out screw you ought to be able to use a pipe cleaner and rout around in the drum and into the barrel's bore and clean out enough space for a very light powder charge. BUT these are my thoughts- I've always just used a CO2 dispenser and so far it has worked great. I did the powder in the drum once but the charge was all the way down.

 

[Piotr20]

Well IF I go the explosive route Ill seat the ball down further, it is going down with some effort but I wanted some advice before I took a hammer to it and pushed it all the way down. Right now it is sitting roughly 5 inches above the powder charge, Im sure I can get it down the rest of the way. With a light charge I see no reason why it wouldent work and not bulge my barrel in the process.

 

[reddog]

Well IF I go the explosive route Ill seat the ball down further, it is going down with some effort but I wanted some advice before I took a hammer to it and pushed it all the way down. Right now it is sitting roughly 5 inches above the powder charge, Im sure I can get it down the rest of the way. With a light charge I see no reason why it wouldent work and not bulge my barrel in the process.

Well,,,for petes sake,keep us posted!!

 

[Rifleman1776]

Do not, do not, do not :shocked2: try to melt the lead out. You will have to get the barrel somewhere around 700 degrees to melt the lead. That much sustained heat could change the barrel steel and give you something brittle and dangerous. Besides, the lead would never make it out the barrel. It would just resolidfy on the way out and give you a mess of lead inside.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Actually, the grease method doesn't seem bad compared to the effort already put in. I would first go for the CO2 discharger. About $20.00, worthwhile investment, IMHO. Then, if need be, the grease. Some clean-up required afterwards but that isn't a big deal.

 

[hounddog]

Gentlemen, I wash the powder out by putting the bbl under the faucet in the bathtub, use hot water on full pressure it will rinse it right out, on the off chance there is any powder residue it will only fizzle a little when heated. It does not take much heat bbl does not have to get hot enough to heat blue. Lead melts at 600 plus degrees. with bbl pointed straight down the molten lead just ploops out, I dont get any lead residue in the bbl. a good cleaning is all that is needed before reassembly. yours hounddog

 

[Piotr20]

So Ive been looking and looking but I cant find a zerk fitting that will fit the nipple threading... It's a 5/16-18. The closest is a 5/16-22. Im not sold on the idea of forcing this threading because it would mess up the threading on the rifle. This being said it seems I have 2 options. A- screw up the threading on the touchhole and push the minie out. B-Ram it down with a 20 grain or less charge and blow it out. Which one seems better?? lol

 

[jethro224]

You could try taking it to an auto repair shop where they have a big high pressure air compressor and a blow gun with a rubber tip. Spray some PB Blaster down the bore and let it soak. Remove the nipple and press the rubber tip of the blow gun to the nipple hole. Or ask a mechanic to blow it out after warning him that it will fly out with extreme force if it works. Make sure it is aimed in a safe direction! Maybe into a bucket of sand.
A good mechanic may also be able to find or make a grease zerk with the proper thread.

 

[jacko]

Piotr,
If you do go the explosive exit route you must be sure that the bullet is seated firmly against the powder charge. If it is not you run the risk of ruining your barrel with a bulge or, if the charge is too large, turning your gun into a pipe bomb. I don't understand how your bullet got so stuck. A minnie bullet should slide down the Parker Hale barrel with very little pressure on the ramrod. Did you perhaps forget to run the bullet through the sizing die? In my experience, most conical or minnie bullet molds cast bullets to a "nominal" size that require sizing before they will load easily.

 

[Piotr20]

Got it cleared!!! I got really lucky and was able to find a zerk fitting close enough to not hurt my threading and still be tight enough to allow grease to push out the minie!! No I can sleep at night :grin: The minie looks something like a very burned vienna sausage with both of its ends pushed in LOL Im extremely relieved I was able to get that sucker out. Thankyou very very VERY much to everyone who posted on here, you guys have saved my life on this one :bow:

 

[F_Thomas]

Wow, you got a problem. There is a gun store and gun smith up in San Gabriel. Bain & Davis. There phone number is: (626) 573-4241
They are located at 307 E. Valley Blvd.; San Gabriel, Ca. Actually just to the west of Rosemead.

They have a great gun smith and the owner is an avid black powder shooter with a couple of TVM rifles. Great people and excellent service.

I have used them a couple of times and once to get a stuck round ball out for me. I know it would be a drive for you, but is is well worth it.

It's a small shop, but has a great inventory and they are very knowledgable with black powder weapons.

 

[tom deinek]

In what kind of store did you find the zerk fitting? Auto, marine or agricultural? Did they have it stock or did you have to order it?

I wish they would still put them on cars. Sealed bearings always fail just when most inconvenient.