AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Black Powder Shooting => Topic started by: Seth Isaacson on October 22, 2024, 10:37:00 PM
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I am occasionally tasked with clearing batches of "loaded" guns. Modern muzzleloading rifles that are actually loaded typically aren't that hard to clear with a T-handle rod and a ball worm, unless it is a patched round ball that has completely dried out and hardened in the barrel. Even then, I can usually put a little lubricant down the barrel and re-moisten the load and get it to move with some convincing. The more time consuming part is cleaning out all the powder afterwards. It sure seems like people that own T/C Hawkens or Inlines are prone to leaving their guns loaded for extended periods of time. I'm shocked at how many I see that have loads in them. I cleared one a while back that had a stout powder charge, a Great Plains bullet, and then another charge and bullet on top. I've seen a few that had pellet charges, a bullet, and then another pellet charge seated on top of the bullet.
The guns that are just full of junk are always a lot harder to get cleared. Some of the rusty old shotguns have a ton of just dried dirt and detritus build up in them, but occasionally, there is shot and powder under all that junk. Often it seems like someone got some oily rag, patches, wads, etc. stuck in the barrel. I've also pulled some funny stuff out of muzzleloaders over the years such as acorns out of a blunderbuss and a plastic model airplane propeller out of a rifle-musket. We even removed an 1970s "gentleman's" magazine from a cannon once.
Does anyone have any recommendations for some truly durable tools that won't wear out or break as readily as your typical ball and patch worms? The ball pullers tend to have the tips dull up fairly quickly, and all to often break off at the threads which then leaves you with a useless rod until you can get the threads clear again. The U.S. Model 1817 style worms look promising since they are more robust, but that would still leave the threads as a weak point.
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1. Remove the barrel
2. clean the bore with wet, soapy water to clear any detritus
3. Fill barrel 1/2 full of above
4. Immerse breech end in same in a coffee can and let it sit overnite
This softens/dissolves everything up from both ends of the load. Run your ball screw thru a couple of patches before inserting it. This keeps the screw centered in the bore. Pull the load and repeat as necessary if there is more than one projectile.
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I pretty much use the same method but sometimes use WD40 or anything like that.
It is coming that time of year here when folks will start showing up with muzzleloader problems, and mosly loaded from last year. At least thats what they "think".
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I’ve had really good luck with one of those CO2 discharges. It removes most loads instantly. When that doesn’t work on percussions I have an air operated grease gun and a grease zerk in 1/4x20 thread that fits most old guns. You can use an air compressor also but a really tight load can generate as much velocity as a full charge so doing this in your garage may cost you a garage door, and scare the daylights out of the neighbors.
Hungry Horse
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T.O.F. thanks for the suggestion on the 2 patches on the ball screw for centering. Good idea.
I have DaveC's Artillery Mate's tool for both.50 and my .69, but not the other calibers and centering the ball screw is an important step in pulling a load.
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I recently silver soldered some 1/16” brass wire to one the 1817 ball pullers to center it better I also lightly case hardened the ball business end to make it a little harder.
And I had a patch puller version come apart because the 8-32 screw that enters the rod was a apparentlu drilled a little to large for the tap and the screw cam out. I managed to get it back together in the bore and got the stuck part and patch out then silver soldered that in. So if you have one of these, and I like them a lot, you might check this.
(https://i.ibb.co/4KDcdpt/IMG-4110.jpg) (https://ibb.co/348wzcd)
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Thanks for the suggestions. I have mainly been using the brass rods from The Log Cabin Shop and worms and ball pullers from Track of the Wolf. I've had at least three of the ball pullers snap off at the threads over the last few years which then creates a bigger issues, and the patch worms seem to get worn out real fast if you use them for anything but just pulling out patches or wads. The main struggle is getting stuff out that has really sat in there a long time or the basically cemented in junk that built up in "attic" or "barn" condition guns. I know some people drill out/through obstructions, but that doesn't seem like a great idea, maybe using a really long brass bit and a hand powered drill would work without damaging things or risking creating excess heat in case there is actual live powder behind the blockage.