Stuck in Barrel...

[NuclearMeltdown]

...no, not a ball without powder, but a cleaning patch, made from a paper towel. I was cleaning my TC Hawken, and (foolishly, I know) used a piece of paper towel as my first dry patch after the wet patches. It got damp and came loose from the jag, and is now stuck at the bottom of the barrel. Wouldn't be so bad, except it's wet, and I would like it out before rust sets in. I tried popping some caps and trickling in powder, but no dice...it's really in there. Apart from a patch worm or an air compressor (which I don't have access to anyway), any ideas I can try?

 

[mckutzy]

u might be able to rig up a pin in a coil shape and tape that to the ramrod, or try a small spring in the same manner.

 

[selvinman]

You might try a light wire fish hook bent out. The barb may help grab it.

 

[StevePrice2]

Paper will turn to pulp with enough water added.

If you can't rig a worm like was suggested and pull it out whole or in pieces, try this.

Get you a bucket, large can or if no one is looking the toilet bowl and remove the nipple. Of course remove the barrel FIRST.

After removing the nipple and cleanout screw if there is one, put a thick stout flannel, t-shirt or other strong cloth patch on your cleaning rod. You can use the jag or a strong brush and submerge the breach into the water and start plunging.

My bet is the paper towel will break up into pulp soon enough. Then dry your barrel good with hot air, heater vent, hair dryer, whatever. Oil up the barrel and you're good to go! :grin:

In theory this sounds like a plan... YMMV :hmm:

good luck and let us know how you did

Steve

 

[wtilenw]

Just blow it out with an air compressor. Place the rubber tip of an air nozzle to the touchhole or nipple and let 'er rip. It will come right out. You may need to remove the nipple on a percussion gun to get more air in the barrel chanel, the same if you have a removable touchhole liner on a flintlock. Try it first without removing either. oops! I didn't read the whole post. I'd still find one.

 

[reddog]

OR,,,if it is percussion, you could remove the nipple, and using a cloth patch on your jag, with the the breech in a bucket of water, pump like mad for a few minuites. That will most likely bust up the paper and flush it out,,,and the bore will probably be really clean!!! :wink: if it is flint, I dunno,,,yer on yer own.

 

[reddog]

Ya beat me to it,,,I type slow,,,

 

[NuclearMeltdown]

It is percussion, so that should make things a bit easier. I already tried making a sort of patch worm out of a paper clip and putting that on the rod, but it wouldn't grab it. I will try soaking and pumping with a heavier patch here in a few minutes...if not, I'll take it to a service station tomorrow and see if I can't have them use their compressor. Any other ideas?

 

[Many Klatch]

Do you have a brass bore brush? That should grab it. If you have a smaller caliber, like a .22 or a .30 use it and see if it won't fish out the pieces.

Many Klatch

 

[reddog]

Pulling the nipple and pumping out the paper will work,,,don't ask me how I know this,,,

 

[mrclean100]

I would do what steveprice said but I would use reallll hot water . It loosens things up better and a very warm barrel , in my opinion , will dry more quickly / completely .

 

[NuclearMeltdown]

Letting it soak in hot soapy water now...will let you know how it works out.

 

[NuclearMeltdown]

I still can't seem to break it up. I did get a an incredible amount of fouling out, though. Still, the paper towel is really jammed wet in the bottom -- probably the worst thing that can happen. I dried and oiled everything else, and I'll see what I can do tomorrow. I really need an air compressor...anyone have one in State College, PA?

 

[Birddog6]

Go to a Super WalMart & buy that lil brush/patchworm/jag/swab kit they have & get it out. I bought 5-6 of them last year on closeout hunting stuff. Don't use the Jag as it is all brass & the stud will break off. I chuck those in the lathe & drill them & tap them & put a steel shank in them.

The paper towel is not going to break down just by sloshing it with water. Especially if you wanted it to. Now if you NEEDED it to stay intact, the da.. thing would totally disintigrate ! :grin:

 

[Robert Egler]

The paper towel is not going to break down just by sloshing it with water. Especially if you wanted it to. Now if you NEEDED it to stay intact, the da.. thing would totally disintigrate ! :grin:

That's the truth! My son got his football stuck about 30 feet up in a pine tree. I tied a rock in a paper towel and attached it to a string to throw over the branch so I could shake it down, but on the first try the string broke and there was now a rock wrapped in a paper towel hanging from a string in the tree. That paper towel, holding the rock in it, in the rain, snow, wind, etc, stayed together for 17 months! It should have been a paper towel commercial.

I wouldn't expect that soaking the paper towel in water will have the desired effect in any reasonable time. I did this once myself, and got it out like Bird Dog and Many Klatch suggested, with a .22 brass bore brush.

 

[CZMark]

Do you have a brass bore brush? That should grab it. If you have a smaller caliber, like a .22 or a .30 use it and see if it won't fish out the pieces.

Many Klatch

If you haven't tried this, a .22 rod with a bristle brush should easily grab and remove that paper towel.

 

[Denny/Oh]

All of these ways will work. Sometimes it depends where you are and what you have with you.

I keep a piece of insulated wire rolled up in my shooting box.40" to 50" rolled up takes up little room and its easy to find.

Strip back a half inch or better and splay the wire into a spider like shape. Run it down the bore and twist a bit. nine times out of ten it works on the first try.

 

[musketman]

If it is "paper", couldn't you just burn it out by shooting the gun a few times? (assuming the flash hole isn't plugged)

 

[brubincam]

-----I use VIVA paper towels to clean my rifles--they are almost like a piece of cloth--"WORKS FOR ME"

 

[Bullmoose]

I had a cleaning wire brush get caught and the holder came off the tip, so no way to screw it back on, then had a worm wire break off and just the wire was in there with the busted brush.
made a coat hanger puller and bent a hook on the tip of the wire and ripped it out. maybe play around with a coat hanger and make a tip to grap it.