stuck ball

[flywise]

Well, i had a stuck ball in my TC Hawken. I am new to this trad. muzzleloader thing so i bought a (apparently cheap) extractor. got what i thought was the whole ball out. decided i better clean the barrel real good so i poured hot/soapy water down the barrel and noticed that the water was not draining out the nipple. So, i am guessing that since i had a heck of a time getting the ball out i may have forced some lead into the nipple hole area.

Can i melt this lead out with out damaging the barrel?

 

[silly goose]

I'm thinking with a patent breech on the T/C's, there is no way the ball got close to the nipple channel. Did you get the patch out? The powder? Something must be blocking the passage, did you try to pump water through it with a cleaning rod and jag with a tight patch? Did you remove the nipple? Was it shooting fine up until this point? Tell us more.

 

[mooman76]

New or used gun?

 

[flywise]

I was shooting great before this problem started. I took it hunting last weekend, decided i would shoot a stump in camp and it did not fire. Not sure how it might have gotten wet but i believe my load may have. I had to beat this dang extractor screw into the ball several times and it would just pull out with the threads full of lead. after doing this a dozen times the ball finally came out(although real deformed) a little bit of patch came with it.
i then ran the patch extractor down many many times and only got a small amount of patch so i figured that must be all of it.
Then cleaned the barrel for 15 minutes trying to get the water to flow through the barrel. So, something is clogging the nipple channel(did take nipple out) and still nothin

 

[flywise]

New/used. had very few shots through it if any. bought from a friend who had it in closet for 7 years. I have shot it about 20 shots with out any problem. even played with it by shooting at big rocks out to 150 yds and barely missing, this thing was shooting really great
I love this gun and really want to get it back to shooting

 

[mooman76]

Sounds like you have powder packed down in it and maybe some patch and or old residue too. You need to clean it out. You might try compressed air if you have it available. You might have had some oil in the bore when you loaded it last and it wouldn't fire. Usually before first load we pop a couple caps to dry out the chamber and or run a alcohol swab and dry swab down the bore to clean out excess oil.

 

[flywise]

Sounds like you have powder packed down in it and maybe some patch and or old residue too. You need to clean it out. You might try compressed air if you have it available.

I will take it to work tomorrow and try air/and pumping it with a jag and patch.

 

[Dwight Rutherford]

I agree with Mooman. There could be powder in the barrel, be careful. Take the nipple out, point the barrel in a safe direction, shoot a blast of air into the rear of the barrel. I have done this with excellent success . Use 80-90 lbs of pressure.

 

[flywise]

I agree with Mooman. There could be powder in the barrel, be careful. Take the nipple out, point the barrel in a safe direction, shoot a blast of air into the rear of the barrel. I have done this with excellent success . Use 80-90 lbs of pressure.

Thank ya'll for the advice

 

[Rat Trapper]

Ya want to get in the habit of running a patch down the barrel with alcohol on it to remove the oil. Then a dry patch to dry the barrel. Then run another dry patch down the barrel and leave it and the rod in the barrel. Now pop a cap or two. when you remove the rod and patch the patch should be burned on the bottom. If it isn't don't load it as you need to do some more cleaning. You will not have misfires if you do this.

 

[Rifleman1776]

beat this dang extractor screw into the ball several times

That beating part is a puzzlement as to why you did that. Screw extractor should only be screwed in. You, very likely, deformed and/or broke the ball and compacted the powder.
Did you pull the nipple and try to see if powder was compacted there? With all the water you used it is unlikely you will be able to shoot the mess out. You may be facing a breech removal to clean it up.

 

[flywise]

beat this dang extractor screw into the ball several times

That beating part is a puzzlement as to why you did that. Screw extractor should only be screwed in. You, very likely, deformed and/or broke the ball and compacted the powder.
Did you pull the nipple and try to see if powder was compacted there? With all the water you used it is unlikely you will be able to shoot the mess out. You may be facing a breech removal to clean it up.

Basically, I could not get that piece of junk extractor to actually screw into the ball so I tap the ram rod with a hammer to seat the screw into the ball, every time I then tried to extract the ball the extractor would pull out with just the threads full of lead but no ball.

But...... I did get the ball out last night and this morning I was able to use compressed air to FINALLY get a compact plug of powder and a little wad out. I now believe the barrel is completely clean out now and I did do a good cleaning using the above advise from all you good folks.
I am brand new to this site and already realize this is a great site for HOW TO advise and I do appreciate all of your insight. With Out the input here I may have never gotten this problem resolved, thank you all very much

 

[Rifleman1776]

beat this dang extractor screw into the ball several times

:applause: :applause: :applause:

Keep shooting and stay tuned in here.

 

[silly goose]

Its all part of the curve. The folks on this site are incredible. Stay tuned and you'll pickup lots of info. Look at all you just learned. :wink:

 

[Rick Son]

You'll turn pale white and want to pass out,had the doc use his ball.. extractor!! :shocked2: :shocked2: :shocked2:

Me and Lance are like this :v