Stuck ramrod

I can not believe I did this. Brand new rifle and first time at the range with it. I started with 70 grains of GOEX and she was shooting very well. Naturally I bumped it up to where I think a good Whitetail hunting load should be and when I go to 90 grains the rifle was right on the money. Through the process I was swabbing the bore between every shot. However, I used a patch that was just a bit snug an it is stuck big time. I can not get the raam rod out. I tried pulling with a piece of sandpaper wrapped on the rod to get a better grip - no help. I ordered a ramrod puller from Dixie and in the mean time poured oil and solvent down the bore to help loosen the crud. I think I recall an ealier post on this same topic, but I could not locate it. Any suggestions will be appreciated. I once ramed home the patched ball and then poured in the charge, but this takes the cake!

 

[BrownBear]

Others reported soaking with solvent. I did this last night myself, and my solution still works without marring the rod: Tie a piece of stout twine around the ramrod using a long series of half hitches so the more you pull, the tighter the knots get. Tie the other end to something solid, or do as I do: Merely wrap it around your foot a couple of times and stand on it. A firm steady pull draws the rod right out if your knots don't slip. May take you a couple of tries to get the knots right, but it works great. I always keep about 4 feet of twine coiled in my range box for this reason. Lots of other folks have been glad I did.

 

[lonewolf5347]

poured oil and solvent down the bore :
Let it sit for a while and remeber to only turn the ramrod clockwise ,otherwise you may loose the jag off the rod.I find the t/c range rods are what I use at the range ,another thing to do if you can is to retap the other end 10/32 threads for t handle works great
I also had pick up this year was a C02 discharger man the best money ever spent a dream to unload at the end of a day.

 

[BigCity]

The first time I took out my smokepole, I was shooting with a skirmish group who taught me what to do. My Cleaning rod kept getting stuck in the barrel. I pulled on it so hard I gave myself a hernia!
My brother in law was with me and helped me to get it out. I would hold onto the rifle and he would grab the ramrod and pull it out. We did this several times that day.
John

 

[madstone]

Chet,
Pull your nipple, or vent, and go to the local auto parts store. Find an alemite (grease fitting) with same threads and instal, in place of nipple. ( I once had to make an adaptor, no big deal) Pump the bbl full of grease and it will ease all the obstructions from the bore with NO damage to bore!
I've done this possibly hundreds of times and always charged 20 bucks. This paid for the tube of grease and I also always give them the alemite and instructions to do same for themselves!. Beats heck out of scarring the bore with brute force!!!
:results:

 

[nvbirdman]

You may think I'm crazy, but it works. If you were using any kind of grease (or maybe spit, I don't know), take some of the blue ice thingys, the flexible kind, not the rigid kind, and wrap them around the barrel at the point where the ball is stuck. Freeze them first of course. After about an hour, try ramming the ball all the way down. A friend of mine was lubing with Crisco, and stuck the ball about half-way down, I did this, seated the ball, shot out the ball, and gave him back the rifle the next day.

 

[nvbirdman]

Sorry, I was thinking stuck ball, not stuck ramrod.

 

[huck]

I had PRECISELY the same thing happen to me TWICE TODAY. I did this...which may not be the recommended approach...but it worked. Of course, you've gummed it up with solvent, so this is likely too late...but I pulled the nipple, and shot a little powder down in there. Tapped the stock to help shake the powder down into the flash hole, and kept going 'til it wouldn't fill any more (three or four times) but I could still get the nipple down tight without hitting the powder. Then I shot the ramrod downrange 40 yards. Worked like a charm. And at least I was INTENTIONALLY shooting my ramrod downrange...not accidentally.

Maybe there are LOTS of reasons this is a bad idea. I was getting no more than maybe 5 grains of powder in it, if that. But it worked.

 

[Stumpkiller]

PLEASE DON'T TRY THAT WITH THE RAMROD PARTIALLY DOWN THE BARREL.

That's called a "Pipe Bomb". :nono: The ramrod is a barrel obstruction and pressure will be tremendous behind it, even with small charges.

NEVER try to shoot out a ramrod that has airspace above the powder. If necessary, tap the ramrod against a tree or other hard object to ooch it down the barrel onto the powder. Even then, it's not the best solution to shoot it out, but it may save the barrel or even your hands & eyes if you are committed to it.

 

[musketman]

Tie a piece of stout twine around the ramrod using a long series of half hitches so the more you pull, the tighter the knots get. Tie the other end to something solid, or do as I do: Merely wrap it around your foot a couple of times and stand on it. A firm steady pull draws the rod right out if your knots don't slip.

I like the twine method, however, tie it to a small tree or fence post, if the gun went off and the twine was around the ramrod and your foot, well, you just shot yourself...

 

[BrownBear]

You're right MM. If there was powder in there I would use the tree or something. My problem has always been a little too much enthusiasm in stacking cleaning patches on a jag, then sticking the rod at the bottom of the stroke where there's too little rod sticking out of the barrel for a hand grip. No powder invovled, so the foot works fine.

 

[huck]

PLEASE DON'T TRY THAT WITH THE RAMROD PARTIALLY DOWN THE BARREL.

That's called a "Pipe Bomb". :nono: The ramrod is a barrel obstruction and pressure will be tremendous behind it, even with small charges.

NEVER try to shoot out a ramrod that has airspace above the powder. If necessary, tap the ramrod against a tree or other hard object to ooch it down the barrel onto the powder. Even then, it's not the best solution to shoot it out, but it may save the barrel or even your hands & eyes if you are committed to it.

You are probably quite right, that this is maybe generally a bad recommendation. In my case, as in the case that started this thread, the ramrod was fully seated in the barrel, with NO CHARGE whatsoever in it. I trickled, at most, 5 grains of powder into it - probably not that.

But if I'd had another means of extracting it WITHOUT powder, I certainly would have done that, and maybe should have. It worked, though, and, under those specific circumstances, I don't think I was taking that big a risk. I'd certainly like to think not. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[crockett]

We had a conversation a bit back on hangfires. I have never tried it but maybe a co2 dispenser could be used to "shoot out" a stuck ramrod.
Somebody should have mentioned on the hangfire thread to always make sure the ball is still down on the powder before charging a nipple, etc and re-firing.

 

[Keith]

We had a conversation a bit back on hangfires. I have never tried it but maybe a co2 dispenser could be used to "shoot out" a stuck ramrod.

It works, Been there, done that. :haha: