Stuck ball but with a twist

[ryoung14]

Plug the hole with the screw or next size larger screw and then pump it out with zerk fitting and grease. That's about the only combination I didn't see mentioned.

 

[AlexFolino]

I didnt want to try the grease because if that doesnt work i doubt id be able to shoot the ball out if worst comes to worst.

 

[davemcg]

I think if it were me, at this point I'd clean out the old powder charge and dry out the chamber as best as I could with compressed air, trickle as much powder in as I could....well 20-25 grains anyway.

Lightly tap the ball down against the fresh charge, prime it and touch 'er off in a safe direction. Even with a hole in the ball I'd think you'd get enough gasses built up quick enough to pop it out.

Just my :2 FWIW

 

[ZUG]

Think about this - you are going to "force" a larger size screw into a soft lead ball that is already stuck to the walls of the barrel - will this not force the ball against the inside of the barrel even more ?? What happens now when you shoot it out :redface: ?? I vote for the Zerk fitting and grease.

 

[bebloomster]

Is the breechplug removable? That would be an easy way.

 

[AlexFolino]

The plug looks really clean although i put penetrating oil all over it and even in the morning the oil never went down so im afraid to try taking that part out as it might break off that hook bolt looking part like it did on my other gun...

 

[mckutzy]

it is not needed to remove the breach plug, it could damage the barrel, like i said before u could pop it out, or others have said use a grease fitting.

 

[AlexFolino]

Ill attempt shooting it out tomorrow. Im going to shoot 5grains of 4f as the main charge or should i go a little heavier?

 

[mckutzy]

if that dont work step it up a bit, but seat the ball for every shot.

 

[Many Klatch]

I think 5 grains will just move it down the barrel a ways especially with that hole in the ball. 15 grains should do it.

Many Klatch

 

[AlexFolino]

Ill try 15g of 4f. The reason i want to use the grease as a last resort because thats going to be so messy if i have to come back later and try shooting the ball again. I was going to go to the hardware store today and make a homemade ramrod/screw remover but shooting it out seems a bit more fun :grin:

 

[mckutzy]

have fun, be safe. :thumbsup:

 

[bucktales]

Well??? :hmm:
inquiring minds want to know. :hmm:

 

[AlexFolino]

Im sort of scared to shoot it.. It woulnt blow up will it?

 

[mckutzy]

if in doubt and if ur out in the wood where it is legal to shoot it, prime or charge the piece, with a small amount of powder, seat the ball, secure to a tree with a rope or bungee cords pointed in a safe direction, secure a string to the firing mech, lay out the string out a number of feet behind a sizable tree behind the piece, return to prime/cap the piece, return to hiding, pull string, listen for a fire or a misfire/hangfire as u will not be able to actualy see the gun go off, inspect the piece. now this is what i might do if i was unsure about the outcome (like i said if in doubt) or maybe for proofing. this is sometimes called as "an Oak tree Ransom Rest" :wink:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Its not going to blow up with that small charge. If in doubt, use nothing smaller than FFFg powder to shoot the ball and jag out of the gun.

 

[mckutzy]

i was saying for his own interest, if he does want the gun discharged but doesnt want to do it by hand, erroring in safty and this is perhaps overkill, but this method could possibly satisfy his concern of doing it by hand, thats all.
i know that in a similar case, i wouldnt take such measures but as a newer person to the sport many years ago, i might have.

 

[Harold1950]

When I was a kid, when we got or someone had a gun we weren't sure of, we'd slip the but of the stock inside an old tire carcass and put the forearm over the opposite side and tie it down with rope or a heavy cord and tie the string on the trigger and let out enough slack to allow us to get to a safe place and then pull the string and shoot the gun, might add that the gun was pointed in a safe direction. Luckily we never had any blow up...did have some shoot flames out around the action though............

 

[mckutzy]

i suggested the woods as a safer place, but with a small charge, a noise in the shop would probably go un-noiticed....

 

[Stumpkiller]

i suggested the woods as a safer place, but with a small charge, a noise in the shop would probably go un-noiticed....

The smoke and richochette, on the other hand . . .