unusual stuck ball

[Melnic]

ok, I just started cutting at the muzzle and on the 3rd reload of the morning, I ran the 4" end of the short starter BEFORE I cut the patch. Not thinking I could try to pull it back out, I cut the patch. Bad idea, It got stuck about 5" down. I could not get it to move. I could not get it to move. Well, I had a call and had to leave. Before putting it away I sprayed some REM OIL into the muzzle to hopefully soak the patch some. Took it home and pulled nipple and soaked it. Now, I took out the ball puller but there is so much patch in front of it, I can't get the screw onto the ball. I spent some time trying to rip the patching out with the screw and made little headway, but not much. I was able to get the ball down to the bottom of the barrel. I also soaked and dissolved much of the powder. I have about 1/2" of patch in front of the ball.

I have a CO2 dis-charger on order. I sprayed in some more oil into the nipple end and ran oiled patch in the muzzle after running some cleaning patches.

I can't think of anything else to do until the CO2 dis-charger comes in Friday or Monday

What sucks is this was my first 2 shots since acquiring some Goex powder and the first 2 shots were 1" apart at 50yards.

 

[George T.]

For the unloader to work you need to seat the ball. With that much void to fill it will never work. Look up how to use a grease gun if wetting the patch with soapy water wont let you seat it.

Geo. T.

 

[Melnic]

For the unloader to work you need to seat the ball. With that much void to fill it will never work. Look up how to use a grease gun if wetting the patch with soapy water wont let you seat it.

Geo. T.

Yes thx, I mentioned Its all the way down above after working with it.

I was wondering if there was a hydraulic way to remove it. I'll look at that.

 

[necchi]

Well he did get the ball down to the bottom.
But I also think this will be a grease gun job.

Get a grease zerk with the same thread as your nipple, screw it in there, then get a grease gun and start pumping. As the barrel fills the ball will push out.
If you can find a grease with lanolin, your hands will be nice an soft by the time your done cleaning up, :wink:

 

[fire-n-brimstone]

I have used a air compressor with the rubber tip to blow it out. It didn't happen immediately it took awhile.

Andy

 

[Alden]

If you can find a grease with lanolin, your hands will be nice an soft by the time your done cleaning up, :wink:

LOL

 

[Melnic]

Well, I found that my electric tire pump had a plastic tip attachment. It went up to 80PSI,
Ball did not look like it moved. It's gonna need more pressure than that. I may try the grease fitting trick. CO2 dis-charger may not be in till mid next week. Cabelas did not send a shipping notice yet.

 

[Melnic]

YUP,
Grease gun did the trick. Borrowed a grease gun and got a tube of grease from my bud in a shop.
Got the fitting from Harbor Freight near by and pushed it out in the parking lot before I went into work. Now just have to clean the goop out. I should have gone to BJs to get the bulk hand cream though, but glad its out.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Valuable lessons learned. :thumbsup:

 

[Ken Cormier]

Think about what you learned by this little adventure. 82% of what I have learned is by makeing. Mistakes so far I have managed to get out of them fairly cheaply with a good does work. Except once cost me a new barrel and the work to get it in the stock. Don't give up and have fun

 

[Melnic]

Think about what you learned by this little adventure. 82% of what I have learned is by makeing. Mistakes so far I have managed to get out of them fairly cheaply with a good does work. Except once cost me a new barrel and the work to get it in the stock. Don't give up and have fun

Exactly right. This gun cost me $55. A guy at my range asked "Is it doing what you want out of it". I replied "yes, learning about muzzleloaders". I have a belief that one learns best through struggle. I almost never buy the most expensive model to begin with. Sometimes buying something inexpensive, allows you to struggle with something, so does trying different or new things. What comes out of it if you don't quit is wealth of experience and knowledge. I've done so in my other hobbies.
thx

Here is a pic after pushing the bulk of it out w/ a Patch. Boy, that Lanolin is looking like a great idea right now

I'm thinking I'll keep patching and then use some mineral spirits to break up the grease unless someone else has some suggestions on grease removal. (my Engine buddy will probably say soak in kerosene or gas).

 

[rafterob]

Once you get the barrel fairly well cleaned then stick that breech end in a can with some gas in it and use your patched jag to pump it in and out. Use a pipe cleaner to run through the nipple area or if it has a clean out screw.

 

[dmills]

I would prefer mineral spirits over gasoline, for several reasons.

 

[necchi]

I have been berated several times and rightly so as there is inherent risk,
But Gas does some wonderful things with grease and burnt on gunk, and does it right quick.
Keep in mind the risks, use proper gear in a proper location.

 

[tom deinek]

Some guys use an old time grease gun & the cheapest shortening they can buy at a grocery. Clean barrel by gentling heating it and the shortening just pours out.

 

[azmntman]

Lube the barrel not the patch! lol :rotf:

 

[Carl323]

Melnic, would you mind getting VERY specific and lay out the exact getup you used here, especially the size fitting you used to screw into the hole where the nipple was? Probably overkill, but forewarned is...., well, whatever that saying is! Congratulations on getting that ball out. Amazing how tight a fit the ball and bore are. I'm moving to the .010 patches, unless anyone corrects me, and please do. I've noticed a difference in loading between the .020 and .015 thick patches, so going down a bit more. Thanks, and congrats again.

 

[Melnic]

CVA Hawken.
It has a 6mmx1 thread on the nipple.

Buddy gave me this grease gun: http://www.harborfreight.com/lever-action-grease-gun-1703.html#.UypKls5BYqM
Buddy gave me a tube of this: http://www.harborfreight.com/sta-lube-moly-graph-lithium-grease-40712.html#.UypK3c5BYqM
I purchased this set and used the 6mm grease fitting http://www.harborfreight.com/32-piece-metric-grease-fittings-67569.html#.UypLCM5BYqM

If I ever have to do this again, I'll probably by some bulk hand cream from BJs and try that for knowledge sake. You can load bulk grease into the grease gun.

If I had not seated the ball, it still would have worked.
I screwed the fitting in place of the nipple.
I filled the grease gun.
I attached the grease gun to the grease fitting
I placed the muzzle into a trash bag
I pumped.
As the ball started to move, I could hear a hiss that got progressively higher pitched as the ball moved until it oozed out the muzzle. No splatter or shooting ball, just came out and then came the over powder wad (almost forgot about that).
I wiped up the barrel with paper towels
Then I removed Grease fitting.
Placed patch onto range rod and SLOWLY pushed it in holding breech end in the trash bag. OOZED the bulk of the grease out the nipple hole. Did this a couple times until no more was coming out.
Cleaned up as much as I could with paper towels from the outside. Qtip in the nipple hole. Pipe cleaner into the flash channel.
Sprayed some crud cutter into the muzzle and let soak for about 20 minutes (ate dinner).
Soap and hot water in a bucket muzzle up, Ran cleaning patch like I do for a normal cleaning.
Fresh hot water, ran cleaning patch back and forth.
Wipe down
Installed nipple plug (old nipple with tooth pick jammed in it). Filled with mineral spirits and place into a capped PVC pipe.
Went to Cub Scouts (2hrs)
Pulled Nipple plug
Agitated with cleaning brush
Agitated with cleaning patch
Pulled out of mineral spirits
Cleaned with dry patches
Cleaned with patches soaked in CVA barrel blaster
Cleaned with dry patches.
Rubbing alcohol into muzzle
Dry patches
Qtip and pipe cleaner for flash hole
One run of oil patch
DONE

From the point of soapy water minus the mineral spirits soak and bath, this is what I normally do the night after a range visit.

Buddy tonight said keep the grease gun, I'll be taking him muzzleloading shooting in the summer and he'll be borrowing the Hawken for early Muzzleloader season

I did order the Co2 discharger for $39 but for roughly $25 you can get the components for the grease method. HF has an SAE grease fitting assortment so I don't know if that has the appropriate fitting others might need for their Barrel. I was lucky they had what I needed.

I'd say the nice thing about this method was I was not struggling with anything. No digging into the ball or trying to pull it out straining myself.

 

[Carl323]

Great! Thanks, Melnic. I also have ordered a CO2 kit. I had my own little adventure with a dry ball the other day. My own tale is in a thread in the same section of the forum. Your solution was a lot slicker, though! Ha, ha. :rotf:

 

[chazz1975]

Thanks for posting all the specifics on how you pushed out the ball. I also own a CVA hawken. Do you know if Harbor freight makes standard thread zerks for the grease gun? I also own a T/C hawken and those have standard threads, which I think are 1/4-28?