Author Topic: How to Get a Stuck Ball Out (Read 2311 times)

Cory McArtor · « **on:** August 07, 2018, 12:56:41 AM »

My friend and I made ourselves a bit of a problem today. I was teaching him to shoot my flintlock and left him to load it while I walked to the car. He put in a patch and ball with no powder. No problem. I got out the ball puller, screwed it into the ramrod, and then into the ball. As I started p pulling, everything was going great. But then the ball puller somehow came out of the ramrod. I'm not really sure what happened there, but now the ball puller is stuck in the ball which is stuck near the breech plug. I know I could use a CO2 discharger, but I don't have one. Is there another way of getting it out easily? I've tried screwing the ramrod into the ball puller, but I think the angle is off. I also tried using my air compressor, but I don't have an adapter that will seal well on the tough hole.

I would just order a CO2 discharger, but I'm worried about not being able to clean the barrel until it came in. We had been shooting for about an hour before this happened, so if I leave the ball in there for a few days it might rust up.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Dennis Glazener · « **Reply #1 on:** August 07, 2018, 01:19:04 AM »

Should not be a big problem, I have had success dribbling 3F G (or 4F G as long as it doesn't take too much) powder through the flash hole. I used a thin piece of brass to "rake" the grains (laying on the barrel flat) around until they decided to drop through the flash hole. Take your time, shake/tap the barrel to get as much in as you can before you set it off with a normal pan of priming powder. Be careful even with a small charge the patch/ball will come out pretty fast!
Dennis

Cory McArtor · « **Reply #2 on:** August 07, 2018, 02:17:06 AM »

So it seems as if there might be something more going on. The rifle has a slotted touch hole liner, so I unscrewed it and was able to fit an adapter from my air compressor to the hole. I got it up to 65 PSI for about 10 seconds without moving the ball at all that I can tell. I can't get any higher pressure or the air just leaks out the sides. Any other ideas?

If not I can try Dennis' idea in the morning (I'm already home in the city and don't want to fire it off here.)

smokinbuck · « **Reply #3 on:** August 07, 2018, 02:33:02 AM »

If you can get the liner out, as you say, dribble some FFFg into the chamber replace the liner prime and fire, in a safe direction.
Mark

drago · « **Reply #4 on:** August 07, 2018, 02:41:41 AM »

If the touch hole liner is the right size maybe a grease gun on a zert fitting. The screw in the ball probably expanded the ball making it tighter. If you try the compressor put some penetrating oil down the barrel first.

drago · « **Reply #5 on:** August 07, 2018, 02:43:07 AM »

Oh if you do try to shoot it out make sure you reseat it on the powder before firing.

Cory McArtor · « **Reply #6 on:** August 07, 2018, 02:54:31 AM »

I'm trying the penetrating oil now. If that doesn't work I'll go back to the range tomorrow and should be able to shoot it out. Thanks for the help!

Dennis Glazener · « **Reply #7 on:** August 07, 2018, 03:47:25 AM »

I would be afraid that the penetrating oil, especially soaked into the patch, will prevent the powder burning with enough force to shoot the ball/patch out. That penetrating oil is going to be extremely hard to keep from seeping into dry powder!
Dennis

Cory McArtor · « **Reply #8 on:** August 07, 2018, 04:32:40 AM »

I got it out. I ended up using a different ramrod attachment with a female end to screw into the ball puller and pull it out.

EC121 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 07, 2018, 06:54:47 AM »

Next time(and there will be a next time) dribble some water or cleaner down the barrel to soften and lube the fouling around the ball.. Let it sit a while before pulling the ball.

Molly · « **Reply #10 on:** August 07, 2018, 02:06:04 PM »

Post crisis comment. Be sure to use a ball puller with a collar matched to the size of the bore. I have encountered folks who feel one size fits all. Not so. The collar ensures the screw goes in the center of the ball, not off center which can render it totally useless. And for what it's worth, the ram rod diameter matters as well if the puller comes off the end.

Nordnecker · « **Reply #11 on:** August 07, 2018, 02:44:53 PM »

While checking the fit of an unpatched ball, I had one get stuck about halfway down. I was in my shop and had a compressor handy. The ball wouldn't move. Air leaked around it. I had to seat the ball all the way down before it came out.

Quote from: drago on August 07, 2018, 02:43:07 AM

Oh if you do try to shoot it out make sure you reseat it on the powder before firing.

smokinbuck · « **Reply #12 on:** August 07, 2018, 04:13:29 PM »

More,
When I am trying a ball for size in a barrel I put a 6" brass rod in the barrel first. If the ball gets stuck just turn the rifle muzzle down and the rod acts like a plunger to push the ball out.
Mark

Semisane · « **Reply #13 on:** August 07, 2018, 07:44:56 PM »

Quote from: Molly on August 07, 2018, 02:06:04 PM

Post crisis comment. Be sure to use a ball puller with a collar matched to the size of the bore. I have encountered folks who feel one size fits all. Not so. The collar ensures the screw goes in the center of the ball, not off center which can render it totally useless. And for what it's worth, the ram rod diameter matters as well if the puller comes off the end.

If the collar is smaller than the bore, you can wrap it with duct tape or electrician's tape to bring it up to a suitable diameter. Works fine.

smylee grouch · « **Reply #14 on:** August 07, 2018, 10:44:00 PM »

A cleaning patch or two will help keep the ball puller screw in the center of the bore. That brass rod trick is also my method of slugging the bore to find the best ball size. Oil the bore up good, drive an over sized ball into the bore after you have the brass rod in place and when you upend the barrel the brass rod will slide down and knock the ball out.

Natureboy · « **Reply #15 on:** August 08, 2018, 12:00:19 AM »

"Crisalli's "Gunner's Mate" has a drill and a ball puller. That way, you can seat the puller screw in the drilled hole, without flattening the ball, which will make it harder to pull.

Molly · « **Reply #16 on:** August 08, 2018, 01:57:09 AM »

One of our shooting group put threads on a drill bit and screws it in the rod. That enables him to pre-drill the hole for the puller. Works OK but I have never had a problem getting the puller in the ball so it seems like an unnecessary step.

Turtle · « **Reply #17 on:** August 08, 2018, 03:54:34 PM »

drilling the ball first defiantly helps. I currently use tracks tapered screws which work better than the old parallel sided screws I used to use. Putting some lube down the barrel first is a great idea I never thought of, sometimes the ball sticks on the way our and this would prevent this.
Turtle

Turtle · « **Reply #18 on:** August 08, 2018, 03:56:50 PM »

The brass rod idea is great also---why didn't I think of that?? I actually unbreach my barrels to push out the sizing ball!

Semisane · « **Reply #19 on:** August 08, 2018, 05:15:28 PM »

You don't need to go looking for a brass rod. Steel will do just fine with an inch or so of each end wrapped in tape to prevent steel-to-steel contact with the barrel. Even a section of re-bar.

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Author Topic: How to Get a Stuck Ball Out (Read 2311 times)

Turtle

Turtle