Bullet stuck in a Pedersoli Frontier Flintlock
- Thread starter Heimrick
- Start date
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I think the tool that you want is a "worm" - like a tap that goes on end of the ramrod and threads into the stuck ball? Just guessing - have not done that, yet...
It's a special screw on the end of a brass ferrule that threads on the ramrod. you screw the worm into the ball as you apply moderate pressure. When you feel that it's secure, you pull the ball out. I've done it a few times, pretty easy!
Good luck!
Good luck!
basically a screw. We made up a couple heavy duty ones we leave at the range. Wood screw welded to a steel rod with a T shaped handle welded on. If you shoot a muzzle loader enough it happens. I keep one of the screws in my bag all the time. One end is the same thread as your bench rod and the other end is course threaded like a wood screw.
I would put 4 F powder in the pan and tap the breach until the powder trickles in or alternately push it in in small amounts with a vent pick. If you have not 4F, go to 3F and once you feel you have some powder in the "chamber" ram the ball to the bottom, if it is not already there. Hold the barrel up and smack it with your hand a couple of times then horizontal and fire. Reason for holding the barrel up etc is that if the gun has a recessed breach plug, you want the powder to be close to the vent hole.
I have seen balls pulled with a screw on the end of the ramrod but I have also seen the end of the rod pulled off and even worse the rod broken several inches from the end, while trying to screw it into the ball. I do use a ball puller but it is a iron rod with a removeable brass tip that is 10 or 20 thousandths under bore diameter and a #12 wood screw silver soldered into it. That centers the screw and protects the bore from damage. The rod has a T handle and I tie a rope to my vice with a couple of feet of slack and yank with increasing amounts of force
cheers mooncoon
I have seen balls pulled with a screw on the end of the ramrod but I have also seen the end of the rod pulled off and even worse the rod broken several inches from the end, while trying to screw it into the ball. I do use a ball puller but it is a iron rod with a removeable brass tip that is 10 or 20 thousandths under bore diameter and a #12 wood screw silver soldered into it. That centers the screw and protects the bore from damage. The rod has a T handle and I tie a rope to my vice with a couple of feet of slack and yank with increasing amounts of force
cheers mooncoon
Heard of guys modifying a tire valve to screw into the touch hole (if you have a removable one) and normal air compressor. Or a grease fitting but man; can you imagine the mess to clean up?
As above, trickle powder in and fire it.
If you use the ball puller, make sure you have a GOOD rod set up or you risk leaving the tip and puller in the barrel. If you're going with that, maybe a little bit of oil or water above the ball to try and provide some lubrication.
Had the dickens of a time with my TC flinter. Luckily vent is tapped same as nipple for percussion, so swapped them out and used my CO2 discharger.
As above, trickle powder in and fire it.
If you use the ball puller, make sure you have a GOOD rod set up or you risk leaving the tip and puller in the barrel. If you're going with that, maybe a little bit of oil or water above the ball to try and provide some lubrication.
Had the dickens of a time with my TC flinter. Luckily vent is tapped same as nipple for percussion, so swapped them out and used my CO2 discharger.
TungstenJohn
CGN Regular
- Location
- Campbell River BC
I have used a quality worm and a quality ramrod many times to remove a ball or conical
I used to hunt in pouring rain until dark with a muzzleloader.
It was obvious that I would have to clean and dry out the gun at the end of the day. I really did not feel like discharging the gun right at dark. I was hunting relatively close to civilization.I did this many times and I never had any issues whatsoever in removing the ball
I made sure that the worm I used had a bushing on it that fit the bore of the gun so that the screw centred on the ball or conical
Did this dozens of times with no issues
I used to hunt in pouring rain until dark with a muzzleloader.
It was obvious that I would have to clean and dry out the gun at the end of the day. I really did not feel like discharging the gun right at dark. I was hunting relatively close to civilization.I did this many times and I never had any issues whatsoever in removing the ball
I made sure that the worm I used had a bushing on it that fit the bore of the gun so that the screw centred on the ball or conical
Did this dozens of times with no issues
Thank you all for your help. I managed to blow the bullet out using a small airgun and a compressor. I sent air trough the vent and after several trials and a few hours of lettign the bullet soak in black powder solvant it it out with a champagne cork sound! the .54 round ball made a pretty decent notch in the ceiling when it popped out, but everything is in order now!
Your options as stated by several others are:
- ball puller (cheapest & easiest) https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/839/1
- CO2 ... fairly cheap https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index...32/product_name/MT0515+UNIVERSAL+UNLOADER+KIT
Never used one - results may vary
- trickle powder in ... tricky.. use caution!
Last option (and the least fun) would be to remove the breech plug & ram the ball out.
bandanaman
CGN Regular
- Location
- New Westminster
Don't feel bad, I don't know what I was thinking about when I tried the same thing in my kitchen with a homemade CO 2 system. Wrapped a bath towel and plastic bag around the muzzle, placed it in the inside corner of my kitchen cabinets and popped a 54 caliber hole through the baseboard......
I went grease gun on the one that I dealt with. It wasn't all that bad to clean up.
Other options were not very viable, as it had been double loaded and the guy that did that, then soaked the bore and vent with all manner of liquids and solvents trying to be 'safe'.
If the gun is reasonably new, I'd go for the breech plug, and just ram the ball the rest of the way out.
Other options were not very viable, as it had been double loaded and the guy that did that, then soaked the bore and vent with all manner of liquids and solvents trying to be 'safe'.
If the gun is reasonably new, I'd go for the breech plug, and just ram the ball the rest of the way out.
