Stuck balls!

[Woody Morgan]

I recommend that ball pullers be thrown away. They usually cause more problems that they solve

Is that so? Care to expand on that simple statement? The majority on this board would seem to disagree with you.

wm

 

[Josephg]

I don't understand what the difficulty is in pulling a breech plug. when I got int

Now days people are dissuaded by warnings about everything. We are taught that eveything is dangerous. Or everything causes cancer in California. I've not looked but would not be surprised if a quart of motor oil has a warning not to drink it.
Read a book, No! We'll ask someone on the internet.

I'm like that Prussian in the movie, Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines. I read a book first. The way I was raised.

 

[mooman76]

Now days people are dissuaded by warnings about everything. We are taught that eveything is dangerous. Or everything causes cancer in California. I've not looked but would not be surprised if a quart of motor oil has a warning not to drink it.
Read a book, No! We'll ask someone on the internet.

I'm like that Prussian in the movie, Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines. I read a book first. The way I was raised.

Someone once pointed out to me once that the toilet cakes have a California cancer warning. So I told him, don't eat them then.

 

[Josephg]

I recommend that ball pullers be thrown away. They usually cause more problems that they solve

Certainly a lot of evidence here on the forum to support that statement. Think there's a thread nine pages long about a ball stuck in a barrel and still stuck. I read some of it and it was agonizing. Poor guy!

 

[vintovka]

In making repairs for others over the last 4 decades one learns a thing ot two. Many screw pulling "incidents" may stem from the rod being used. Even rod ends that are properly cross pinned can fail under stress. Those stuck on with epoxy can too as well as the rod itself breaking at some point. Resisting the urge to pound the rod into the ball to get it started is key. Heavy pounding can loosen the ends and weaken the rod. If the end with the steel screw (stuck in the ball) detaches, its a real problem. Alternately even a steel rod with threaded end can cause problems, and, if used improperly, smashes the ball into breech. I used to have a special steel rod for ball pulling in the shop. I copied it from one Hal Sharon had, It was 1/4" by 48" with a T handle. It used a screw with a machine threads on one end and wood threads on the other. The machine threaded part was screwed into the rod and firmly held by a special nut. It was for "first try" This leaves shooting it out and other pressure methods of removal at the top of the list and finally pulling breech.

 

[Britsmoothy]

In making repairs for others over the last 4 decades one learns a thing ot two. Many screw pulling "incidents" may stem from the rod being used. Even rod ends that are properly cross pinned can fail under stress. Those stuck on with epoxy can too as well as the rod itself breaking at some point. Resisting the urge to pound the rod into the ball to get it started is key. Heavy pounding can loosen the ends and weaken the rod. If the end with the steel screw (stuck in the ball) detaches, its a real problem. Alternately even a steel rod with threaded end can cause problems, and, if used improperly, smashes the ball into breech. I used to have a special steel rod for ball pulling in the shop. I copied it from one Hal Sharon had, It was 1/4" by 48" with a T handle. It used a screw with a machine threads on one end and wood threads on the other. The machine threaded part was screwed into the rod and firmly held by a special nut. It was for "first try" This leaves shooting it out and other pressure methods of removal at the top of the list and finally pulling breech.

Most pull on the t bar. I stand on it and pull the gun upwards or alternatively put the t bar in a vice or tree branch.
One can grip the gun better than the other way around.

 

[vintovka]

Most pull on the t bar. I stand on it and pull the gun upwards or alternatively put the t bar in a vice or tree branch.
One can grip the gun better than the other way around.

I used to "hook" the t bar on the bench vise and pull on the rifle. Care must be taken not to injure rifle or face.

 

[Dude]

Shooting it out sure seems like the easiest approach.

If the sheet metal screw wedges the ball tighter, it makes sense drilling a pilot hole first, then maybe using a course thread tap, then the machine screw. If that strips out, then go for the sheet metal screw. If all that fails, then drill the sucker out of there since at that point the only other solution is breech block removal. LOL

I like the idea of shooting it out the best.

 

[coloradoclyde]

If those balls are still stuck after 4 pages you better see a doctor or a gunsmith.

 

[Mustakrakish]

Don Fox had a shop at Poulsbo WA for many years. He never removed a breech plug or bolster either. Howard did that. Howard was his gunsmith.

Man, that's a blast from the past. I remember Don. The first time that I held an unmentionable was in his shop.