Stuck Ball

[Frank Costa]

CVA .45 cal

Hornday .440 ball with lubed patch stuck about 12 inches down barel. Poured lub down barrel and used rod with the screw ball remover tip. After trying to pull ball out by hand and ball not moving I put vice grips on the rod and started tapping on the vice grips. After 5 or 6 taps the screw pulled out of the ball, ball had not moved. Screw will not go back in the ball as the hole in the ball is to big. NEXT MOVE???

Frank

 

[Mainehunt]

CVA .45 cal

Hornday .440 ball with lubed patch stuck about 12 inches down barel. Poured lub down barrel and used rod with the screw ball remover tip. After trying to pull ball out by hand and ball not moving I put vice grips on the rod and started tapping on the vice grips. After 5 or 6 taps the screw pulled out of the ball, ball had not moved. Screw will not go back in the ball as the hole in the ball is to big. NEXT MOVE???

Frank

put some powder in through the touch hole and seat the ball, fire it out.

 

[cynthialee]

CVA .45 cal

Hornday .440 ball with lubed patch stuck about 12 inches down barel. Poured lub down barrel and used rod with the screw ball remover tip. After trying to pull ball out by hand and ball not moving I put vice grips on the rod and started tapping on the vice grips. After 5 or 6 taps the screw pulled out of the ball, ball had not moved. Screw will not go back in the ball as the hole in the ball is to big. NEXT MOVE???

Frank

put some powder in through the touch hole and seat the ball, fire it out.

ONLY DO THIS IF THE BALL IS SEATED ALL THE WAY!!!

 

[dcriner]

The vise-grip/hammer routine was not good. They make a special tool that looks like a 2-levered wine cork screw - that grips the ramrod and applies slow, steady pressure. Dixie or Track should have them.

There are at least two different ball removal screw bits - one looks like a large pair of spiral fishhooks and the other looks like a wood screw. Whichever one you used, try the other type. They come in different sizes (calibers).

If that doesn't work, try seating the ball and shooting it out. If you can't seat the ball, you still might be able to shoot it out. (Some would worry that shooting an unseated ball may over-pressurize or damage the barrel, while others say they have done it successfully.)

Another option is to use a CO2 gadget to blow the ball out from the nipple hole (with the nipple removed). http://www.rmcoxyoke.com/inc/searchresults?s=b.i.d.&ss=b.i.d.&n=100067

Last idea: remove the breachplug and insert a dowel or steel pipe that just fits into the barrel. Beat out the ball with a rubber- or plastic-headed hammer.

If the ball went it, it can come out.

 

[Claude Mathis]

put some powder in through the touch hole and seat the ball, fire it out.

This can (depending on the charge) put a big bulge in your barrel or have it blow up in your face. IMO

The ball must be firmly seated on the charge before firing.

 

[tiger13]

You did not say that you dry loaded this gun? so I assume that you did not.If that is the case, and there is powder in the rifle, get a piece of steel rod from the hardware store, it is cheap, and hit it with a hammer, do not KILL IT, but tap it down until it is seated and shoot the ball out.A piece of steel rod should not cost more that a few dollars, and it could come in handy in the future, you could drill and tap the end to put a ball puller in it later on if need be for future use. But use it to seat the ball.

 

[TFoley]

CVA .45 cal

Hornday .440 ball with lubed patch stuck about 12 inches down barel. Poured lub down barrel and used rod with the screw ball remover tip. After trying to pull ball out by hand and ball not moving I put vice grips on the rod and started tapping on the vice grips. After 5 or 6 taps the screw pulled out of the ball, ball had not moved. Screw will not go back in the ball as the hole in the ball is to big. NEXT MOVE???

Frank

put some powder in through the touch hole and seat the ball, fire it out.

ONLY DO THIS IF THE BALL IS SEATED ALL THE WAY!!!

Uh, he DID note to seat the ball.

tac

 

[Mainehunt]

CVA .45 cal

Hornday .440 ball with lubed patch stuck about 12 inches down barel. Poured lub down barrel and used rod with the screw ball remover tip. After trying to pull ball out by hand and ball not moving I put vice grips on the rod and started tapping on the vice grips. After 5 or 6 taps the screw pulled out of the ball, ball had not moved. Screw will not go back in the ball as the hole in the ball is to big. NEXT MOVE???

Frank

put some powder in through the touch hole and seat the ball, fire it out.

ONLY DO THIS IF THE BALL IS SEATED ALL THE WAY!!!

Uh, he DID note to seat the ball.

tac

THANK YOU tac......I did say to seat it first. :grin:

Kev

 

[Carl Fowler III]

:shocked2: Once you get the ball out " I would try the co2 method " you should check the barrel for a ring of rust in your barrel where it was stuck...clean this out before trying to seat another patched ball.

 

[Col. Batguano]

braze a larger machine or wood screw on to a part that will screw in to your rod and try to screw it in to the ball.

 

[Deadeye]

Another reason to have a "BRASS" ramrod, no problem to seat the ball and shoot it out. Just about everytime I'm shooting a match someone sticks a ball and I have to drive it down for them. Shooting greasy lube that doesn't soften fouling is the main problem, use spit, no problems. Deadeye

 

[54ball]

If you have access to a powerful air compressor with a reserve tank and pressure from 100-120psi, you usually can blow it out with a blower. One of those pointed rubber tipped ones work well to seal the drum "after you remove the nipple" or vent.

It may take several tries. It will come out at enough velocity to possibly kill so make sure it's pointed in a safe place.

 

[Mainehunt]

If you have access to a powerful air compressor with a reserve tank and pressure from 100-120psi, you usually can blow it out with a blower. One of those pointed rubber tipped ones work well to seal the drum "after you remove the nipple" or vent.

It may take several tries. It will come out at enough velocity to possibly kill so make sure it's pointed in a safe place.

Lewis and Clark knew this fact too.......... :hatsoff:


Kev
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[Billnpatti]

You didn't say what kind of rifle you have but since you posted it in the flintlock section, it must be a flintlock rifle. You can put some powder in your rifle (if it is not already loaded with powder) and shoot it out. But the ball must be seated on the powder. You will need a good strong metal range rod or you can buy a brass rod at a hardware store. Anyway, you need something strong. Then use a mallet, block of wood or what have you to drive the ball down on the powder. Sure you will deform the ball but it doesn't matter, you just want to get it out. Once it is seated on the powder, shoot the sucker out and then clean your bore befor trying to load again. If by some strange chance you do not have any powder in your rifle, you can trickle some in through the touch hole. It won't take much, just 10 or so grains will do the job. Then seat the ball and proceed to shoot it out. Another choice is available to you if you have a removable touch hole liner. You can unscrew the touch hole liner and take your gun to your local auto parts store and buy a zerk fitting with the same threads as your touch hole liner. Screw the zerk fitting in and use a grease gun to force the ball out by pumping in grease. The ball will come out and then all you have to do is remove the grease from your bore. The less air you have between the grease and the ball, the easier it will be. That means that you will have to use your rod to drive the ball down onto the powder or breach so the grease will not have to compress air to get the ball out. If you can't drive the ball down, you can still use the grease to get it out but it may be a bit more trouble. Have someone hold the grease gun onto the zerk fitting and pump away until the ball pops out.

 

[Grenadier1758]

CVA .45 cal

Hornday .440 ball with lubed patch stuck about 12 inches down barel. Poured lub down barrel and used rod with the screw ball remover tip. After trying to pull ball out by hand and ball not moving I put vice grips on the rod and started tapping on the vice grips. After 5 or 6 taps the screw pulled out of the ball, ball had not moved. Screw will not go back in the ball as the hole in the ball is to big. NEXT MOVE???

Frank

I am somewhat concerned since you used a ballpuller and pulled it out. There may a hole in the ball and the normal high pressure dischargers may just blow through the hole. A choice is to use a larger screw for the ball puller. Having a hole in the ball will allow the larger ball puller to engage the ball.

I do think we need to more of what led to the stuck ball. If the barrel is heavily fouled, you will need to pour some thin lubricant to disolve fouling and provide some slick to help tp remove the stuck ball.

The final choice is to pull the breech plug and drive the ball out. Use one of the methods described above.

 

[Frank Costa]

Thank you everyone for your ideas. I had poured lub down the barrel yesterday and the ball must have had a hole through it from the ball screw puller because lube was coming out the nipple. I took a steel rod and used a rubber hammer to run the ball down to the lub soaked powder. then took the nipple out and squirted starter fluid in the nipple hole to flush out the lub soaked powder. The starter fluid also washed the lube out. Then took powder and but it in the nipple hole and tapped the barrel with a plactic hammer to get the powder in the barrel chamber, replace the nipple, charged the flash pan, pulled the trigger and boom, out came the ball. Gave everything a good cleaning and all is well.

Frank

 

[mb3]

If the ball is only a foot down the barrel, and there is no powder charge, can you fashion (drill bit with a dowel) a drill bit long enough to drill the ball using a Yankee drill? Then basically pick/ pull the reminder of the stuck ball out.

 

[jamesthomas]

I don't get it. You replaced the nipple an charged the pan? So what do you have a flintlock or caplock? Never heard of a flintlock with a nipple, :idunno: Unless you meant the ventliner :hmm: Well at least ya got the ball out. :thumbsup:

 

[matt denison]

Thank you everyone for your ideas. I had poured lub down the barrel yesterday and the ball must have had a hole through it from the ball screw puller because lube was coming out the nipple. I took a steel rod and used a rubber hammer to run the ball down to the lub soaked powder. then took the nipple out and squirted starter fluid in the nipple hole to flush out the lub soaked powder. The starter fluid also washed the lube out. Then took powder and but it in the nipple hole and tapped the barrel with a plactic hammer to get the powder in the barrel chamber, replace the nipple, charged the flash pan, pulled the trigger and boom, out came the ball. Gave everything a good cleaning and all is well.

Frank

A new angle on an old problem. Us "experts" all learned something here. Thanks for the report and I'm glad that you were able to solve your problem.

My only question would be that you mention nipple and flash pan in the same sentence. Is it percussion or flint?

 

[tiger13]

Good deal! glad you got the problem solved. it sounds like you had a percussion gun after all.