Stuck Jag

[ValleyForge]

Hello, all -
OK, relatively new to the sport & have accomplished my first dumb-ass move. While cleaning the barrel of my .40 cal flint rifle between shots, I somehow or other got the cleaning jag stuck. All thas in there is the jag & the cleaning patch. I can twist the ramrod in & out at will.

Any suggestions as to how I might remove the sucker?

Thanks!

VF

 

[Stumpkiller]

Easiest (faint hope): Wrap the exposed end of the ramrod with a leather strap for better grip and pull with both hands (an assistant is helpful, or sit on the floor and brace your stocking feet against the triggerguard and the frizzen.

Slightly Better: Add a pair of vice grip pliers to the above, BEING EXTREMELY CAREFUL not to clamp it too tight and destroy the wood fibers or crush the exposed ramrod tip.

Best bet: A CO2 ball discharger with flintlock adapter.

Possible help: pour in an ounce of water and let it sit for 20 minutes and it MIGHT soften up the fouling enough to allow the patch to be removed. (Repeat "Slightly Better" above after this).

Approved method (see "This Really Sucks Method" below)

Desparation Method (You didn't learn this here, but this is where I'd go next): trickle in about 10 or 12 grains of powder and launch that puppy. Thread the ramrod back on and have a long landing strip so you can find it.

This Really Sucks Method: Pull the barrel, remove the breech-plug and push it out with a soft metal rod.

Oh Man, This Really, Really Sucks: Pay a gunsmith to do the above for you, or repair the damage you inflicted trying to do it yourself unsuccessfully.

One more hope: If you have a vent liner you can screw in a suitable Zirk fitting and pump in grease to pop out the obstruction.

 

Jags can become stuck due to fouling and not enough lube or water in them, but the MAIN reason is improper breeching.
; The plug's threaded end MUST bear aginst the shoulder inside, as well as outside, at the same time. This is a proepr safe breech, given proper thread depth and fit.
; Many cheap production guns have a gap between the end of the lug and the bore- this is inadmissible as it is a trap for fouing that may not be removed by cleaning and will cause festering and rot the barrel at that point, the place where the pressure is highest.
: I suggest you remove the plug and measure from the tang or bolster to the plug's end as well as the barrel's thread depth. They should be the same length, exactly. If the plug's protrusion is shorter than the barrel's threads, you have problem.
: Robert H. form the Disc. General's told me of a Pedersoli Bess that stuck the jag. When the plug was removed, it was found to be 1/4" (.250") shorter than the barrel's threads. In the Bess, it's not as much a safety matter until the threads rust out, creating a too-thin spot there. On a small cal rifle, with much higher pressure, this can become dangerous sooner as well as always sticking patches there, being a pain. You should check this out properly by pulling the plug.

 

[Stumpkiller]

PS. Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt.

Don't get discouraged. Just use more powder solvent when wiping; be it saliva, moose milk, water or some commercial brew.

 

[ValleyForge]

Thanks, Charlie -- but I think I'll pass on the powder option -- probably blow the whole damn thing!

I've had a few guys recommend the warm water, so I'll give that a shot. As far as yanking it out, I had my football-playing 18yr old son give that a try. It didn't budge.

I'll try the warm water tonight.

Thanks again.

- VF

 

[Birddog6]

Remove the nipple or vent & try the rubber tipped Pssst on your air compressor & blow it out. Be sure you have the muzzle pointer to the dirt/ground or a good wad of rags for it to go into as sometimes with 120# of instant air they come out pretty hard.

 

[ValleyForge]

Thanks, Birdog

 

[Keith]

I have had to pull a couple of charges or stuck jags. What a pain, get a CO2 discharger, use it once and it paid for itself. Before I got that when actually pulling a charge I put the rod in a bench mounted vise and PULLED. Not fun.
The air compressor is probably better than the CO2, but I can't take it to the range if I have a problem.

 

[ValleyForge]

I have a CO2 discharger (wouldn't go to the range w/o one & recommend them to everybody) -- unfortunately, this jag is so stuck up the wazoo the CO2 accomplished nothing. Very disappointing.

I called Dixon's gunshop - they said pour hot water down the muzzle, wait 5 min & pull again. But they also said if that doesn't work, the residue/water combo will eat away the barrel in no time. They said only do it on a day when you can bring the rifle in if it doesn't work.

Won't be able to get out there for at least 2 weeks (hr. drive), so my trusty flint will hang over the fireplace for awhile, and my neighbors can ask "Is that a real gun?"

No. It's a real rifle. I love acting smug.

-- VF

 

[Stumpkiller]

So now, while you're waiting, you can be thinkin on:

If I was eight days walk from the nearest settlement, and my belly was empty, and I've seen fresh moccasin tracks this morning . . . What would Jebediah do?

 

[Birddog6]

Jebadiah would most likely be a cussin like a drunken saylot.

Another alternative. Spray aa moderate ammount of penetrating oil down the barrel. Remove the nipple or vent & screw in a grease fitting into the nipple hole & start pumping grease into the chamber & when the jag dislodges pull it on out with the ramrod.

 

[ValleyForge]

When I was 25 I pumped iron. Now that I'm 55 I guess pumping grease is all that's left....

 

[Stumpkiller]

Remove the nipple or vent & screw in a grease fitting into the nipple hole & start pumping grease into the chamber

'S'OK if you have a vent liner.

If you're not emotionally attached to that jag you might also try attaching a steel cleaning rod with a "T" or other handle and devising something along the lines of a gear puller/prop puller using a bolt and a wrench or the jaws of a vise to pull on the jag. Sometimes it just needs that little bit of movement to loosen it up (especially after adding the water & c.). You're going to be taking it to a gunsmith anyway, might as well give it a try (and possibly strip the threads in the process . . . )

 

[ValleyForge]

Birddog, you ARE the MAN!

A little WD40 down the barrel, a few twists of the ramrod, and the jag popped out faster than a teenager at the opera!
Back to the range!

 

[makanaut]

When I first started shooting cap and ball I loaded a patched ball and when I drove it home I got that sick feeling. You know the one when theres no powder in there. Somehow I got the rod stuck trying to pull it. That CO2 rig worked great. Lesson learned, havent done that one since. Hey Daryl, you got me spooked now, Im wantin to pull the breech on all my guns to measure and inspect.

 

[Stumpkiller]

BRAVO!

Gunsmiths are great guys, buy ain't it sweet to work it out on your own.

 

[connerm]

I had the whole ramrod jag and patch stuck about 10" in the barrel of my 1803...and I was in the field and had just shot a buck. I was reloading for a quick follow up shot on another deer. In all the excietment, I forgot to lube the patch. Dumbass me walks out of the woods with 8' of gun and rod and a deer. Was kind of tuff making the gun/rod fit in my Crown Vic - and that's not a small car. Glad it worked out for you.