Stuck ball, now with drill bit

[Eterry]

Wrap the muzzle in a bath towel and tape burrito. Fire into the back lawn. Avoid sprinkler pipes. The noise will be zero from the muzzle.

I saw Thomas Magnum do that 40years ago on TV. I thought I can do that. All i got was ringing ears and a towel on fire duct taped to my barrel. Everyone in a quarter mile heard it as well.

 

[Tom511]

If it is 6-8 inches away from the breech face, you need to re-seat it (somehow) if you plan on shooting it out, dont needto addany additional character to the barrel.

Correct.

I first put in FFFFg Goex (17 gr, not 30 gr as I had said before) through the breech port and nipple well. Chose superfine powder to help get more in. Superfine packs very easily, so I had to pour a little powder, use a piece of wire to break up whatever packed, pour some more, etc. I put in all that would fit.

Then I used the aluminum tube to reseat the ball. The tube went over the drill bit (put another way, the drill bit went into the tube) and I tapped the tube down the barrel as far as it would go.

After pulling the trigger and seeing the tube was gone, put the ram rod down the barrel. It went all the way to the 'empty barrel' mark on the rod, so I knew the ball was out. Oh, what a feeling!

Brilliant idea to use a tube, as it kept the drill bit from possibly hitting the barrel.

 

[Woody Morgan]

Didja find the tube?

wm

 

[Grenadier1758]

OP here.

SUCCESS!!

Bought a 36" aluminum tube, 1/2", put it in the barrel after moving the ball back, put probably 30 grains of powder in and the tube shot out about 48 yards. Just did this yesterday. Couldn't find the ball, but it's definitely out.

Apparently 30 grains of powder will launch an aluminum tube about 48 yards. The ball and drill bit have been lost to the range.

 

[deermanok]

The End.

 

[Auldjin]

or is it?

 

[Tom511]

Didja find the tube?

wm

The tube was easy to find, as it's 1/2" and 36" long.

The ball with drill bit, no luck. Spent about 15 minutes looking. Maybe someday on one of my hikes up and down range to change targets I'll find it.

 

[Rudall]

Maybe the ball got stuck in the tube and we can have another 11 pages on that.

 

[Silent Walker]

Glad you finally got the ball out Tom511

 

[Crow-Feather]

Apparently 30 grains of powder will launch an aluminum tube about 48 yards. The ball and drill bit have been lost to the range.

Thank you for the update. I am glad to hear that all went well.

 

[BV]

Oh, also, I do live in a very urban area, in a very (excessively) restrictive state. Would probably have to drive 100 miles to find a random place to shoot and even then, good chance I'd get arrested. So had to rely on 'the range,' which ended up being closed for about five weeks. Would really like to be able to go out back and shoot at a tree stump. But our HOA doesn't allow tree stumps.

Where's your adventurous spirit? Arrested? Pfffft..............

 

[Sudsy]

Want to keep this thread going ?

took me over 25 years but I had my first dry ball experience today.
I have a fairly stout brass range rod and put on the ball puller attachment
(I know, after reading this thread i realize I should have shot it out)

That ball didn't want to move, I figured it just needed a bit more convincing. Poured a bit of moose milk down the barrel for lube and got a pretty big guy to hold the gun while I proceeded to rip the ball puller out of the ball
Now I have a stuck ball with a big hole all the way through it

 

[Sudsy]

.45 cal Armi Sport Kentuckian

 

[Dude]

One of the tricks mentioned earlier was to thread a screw into the ball with a dowel. Then fill the breech and blow it out of there - dowel and all.

 

[Whitworth]

I'd try to shoot it out hole and all before doing anything else.

 

[ord sgt]

A friend had a ball stuck in the barrel, he then stripped the ball puller out of the ball, leaving a hole. Tried shooting it out, most of the pressure went through the hole and just barely moved the ball. Loaded more powder behind the ball and pushed some small pieces of lead down the barrel, was able to close the hole and shoot the ball out.

 

[deerstalkert]

vent hole on a flintlock isn't much smaller than a screw hole through that ball, and rock scratchers shoot them there little round things out the front perty good.

 

[Stantheman86]

I got a Minie ball stuck in my .577 sizer if it makes you feel better

 

[Winchester97]

Sounds to me like you need to get a drill bit stuck in there to fill that hole ASAP.

 

[Sudsy]

Sounds to me like you need to get a drill bit stuck in there to fill that hole ASAP.

Just did that (sort of). Use the thicker screw that came with my .50 cal set, swapped the brass guide with the one from the 45, put it on my brass range rod and screwed it in tight.

With the screw in I tried the compressed air method - I have a fairly large compressor that goes to just over 100 lbs, didn't budge.