Stuck ball help

[mustanggt]

I finished my Kibler kit a month ago and have been enjoying shooting it. My usual lube is Mr. Flintlock and wiping every 10 shots. Since it has been getting quite cold here I pulled out the TOW mink oil to try. I put 10 shots through it and was pleased with the accuracy and ease of loading. Shot one ball on the next string and loaded the second and it got stuck half way down. I was using strips that I had drug through the mink oil and cutting with a knife. Couldn't get it down any further so decided to go home. Got some Mr. Flintlock douched down the bore and was able to now push it all the way down. Then I couldn't find the ball puller and must have forgot to order one when I ordered everything else. Finally got the ball puller in the mail today. Ran it down the bore and started to screw it into the ball when SNAP!!! The ball puller snapped off at the threads. Great. Now how the $#*! do I get out of this predicament Ollie???

[Rich]

I would suggest removing the barrel from the stock, remove the breech plug and push the ball out the breech end. I would have recommended a co2 discharger or firing it out after you had it set on the powder, but because you now have a screw sticking out of the ball, you would risk having the screw remains gouge the barrel if you try to shoot it out with powder or co2.

[mustanggt]

I thought that after I douched the patch real good that powder would be too wet and take forever to dry out so I didn't decide to do it that way. I've never had that happen before. Had to be a flaw in the metal of the screw. Guess my only alternative it to take the barrel out and remove breech plug. Thank you

[Bill Paton]

Rich ’s post is very good, covering your specific issues.

New method:
Parenthetically, My 16 year old bicyclist and flintlock shooter suggested unloading our loaded moose rifle (60 cal) with a bike tire pump, since we couldn’t find the CO2 discharger after an unsuccessful day in the woods. So I took a basketball filling needle, ground off the side hole, giving it a flat end hole, held the needle against the vent, and he easily pumped the patched ball and powder right out the muzzle! The gently removed ball and patch got put right back into my loading block for our next try at a moose!

Bill Paton

[wattlebuster]

Rich ’s post is very good, covering your specific issues.

New method:
Parenthetically, My 16 year old bicyclist and flintlock shooter suggested unloading our loaded moose rifle (60 cal) with a bike tire pump, since we couldn’t find the CO2 discharger after an unsuccessful day in the woods. So I took a basketball filling needle, ground off the side hole, giving it a flat end hole, held the needle against the vent, and he easily pumped the patched ball and powder right out the muzzle! The gently removed ball and patch got put right back into my loading block for our next try at a moose!

Bill Paton

I'll have to say that I would have never thought of that

[Black Hand]

Shoot it out...

[EC121]

If the puller snapped off at the threads it is probably centered and will probably stay that way with a tight patch and light load to push the ball out.  Depends on touch hole placement and how much powder you can get behind the ball.  If the hole is too far back, the ball will hit the breechplug and block the hole.  Compressed air or unbreeching will probably be the solution.   

[OldMtnMan]

You made a bunch of mistakes in the whole process, but that doesn't matter now. I'd pull the breech plug. It's not that hard. Have it done if you're not comfortable doing it.

[Black Hand]

If the puller snapped off at the threads it is probably centered and will probably stay that way with a tight patch and light load to push the ball out.  Depends on touch hole placement and how much powder you can get behind the ball.  If the hole is too far back, the ball will hit the breechplug and block the hole.  Compressed air or unbreeching will probably be the solution.

Really doesn't take much powder to move the ball out of the barrel. If you can get the ball to more forward little, then put more powder behind and reseat the ball. It will come out...

[mustanggt]

Thanks for all the help. I pulled the breech plug and took care of the problem.

[iloco]

If you had access to another ball puller would there have been enough room beside the broken one for a second one to take hold of the ball.....?

[mustanggt]

The ball puller had that brass ferule, so no, I wouldn't have been able to use another one.

[Turtle]

 I have a small drill bit fastened to a jag that I drill a hole in the ball with before screwing the screw in. Works slick. Unfortunately,The manufacturer is no longer in business.

[Black Hand]

Forget buying a screw from a vendor. Go to your local hardware store and buy one of these:

It is helpful to make the taper more gentle and then deepen the groove with needle files. Shorten the machine-screw end to fit your rammer.

[EC121]

I use the tapered pullers from Track.  They have deep wide spaced threads and are tapered.  If it pulls out, you can try again by screwing it in a little farther.  We saved unbreeching a rifle with one after the straight threaded one pulled out.  Had to tie the metal rod to a trailer hitch and two men had to pull on it, but the ball came loose and the threads held.  They cost a little more, but it's only money. 

[Jerry V Lape]

CO2 ball discharger and if that won't get the job done I have an aircompressor at home.  Just make sure you have a backstop for the ball!  Haven't had to resort to the air compressor yet because the Ball discharger works just fine for me.  Use it when hunting to unload the guns before going into the truck or camp.  I just used a ball puller once and decided I didn't like working from the muzzle of a loaded rifle - not even one little bit.  I did use about 3 grains of powder to remove a ramrod from another persons percussion gun.  He had double patched his cleaning jag and firmly stuck it in the bore.  Couldn't pull it even after soaking the patches with bore cleaner.  After I got a little bit of 4F behind it he had to go about 100 yards down range to retrieve the rod from the range berm which it had skipped to.  . 

[Turtle]

 One more good suggestion on this topic. Either drill a hole on the end on the ramrod or have a groove there. Then tie or rap some nylon chute cord around it or put through the hole, and make a loop to put around something solid so you can pull on the butt end of the gun and have NOBODY in front of the muzzle when pulling the ball.

[Bob Roller]

About 60 years ago at a shoot in Lucasville,Ohio there was a shooter that loaded ball
and no powder. He had a ball screw with a collar that centered it in the bore and had
a friend pull hard on the rod.It came out abruptly and swung around and hit another man
that was loading his rifle.He then told the man with the rod if he was going to patch a ball
with a piece of over coat then please cut the buttons off of it.
  The furniture screws with wood threads and machine screw threads are OK and I have
made some in past years.Any machine thread smaller than 8x32 is risky.Another name
for threads is "built in"fracture cuts.
  Air compressor sounds good if available.I have a little on in the trunk of our car and
wonder if it would work .It pumps up low tires so we don't get gouged at a "Gas"station.

Bob Roller

[JCKelly]

Might I suggest that the flaw in the screw metal that caused it to break, was that it consisted of free-machining steel. Likely 12L14
Even more likely is lousy design, i.e., a sharp notch, being the screw threads

[leadslinger62]

Ball Puller from TOW, and a PINNED end Ramrod , works great !!

[Daryl]

Ball Puller from TOW, and a PINNED end Ramrod , works great !!

Doesn't everyone use steel ball pulling screws and pinned rod tips?  Should have one for every guy you have.

The ball screw with a bushing to just fit down the bore is a good idea as well, as it will perfectly centre the screw in the ball.

Dave makes these.  some guys have a pointed pin or drill, with bushing, to start the hole for sizes, making winding in the screw a lot easier.

[OldMtnMan]

I'll use an aluminum range rod to pull a ball. I know it will stay together.

To be honest. It's much easier to stay focused when loading, so ball pullers are never needed. I've been lucky and haven't needed one in about 10 years. I know it can still strike me one day when i'm daydreaming.

[Turtle]

a drilled hole and a parallel sided screw that threads into the hole works super.

[Pukka Bundook]

Had Exactly the same problem once with a double shotgun.

 fished in powder and blew it out.  Didn't hurt anything and I found my bits afterwards.

Personally I don't like the parallel wood screws, as I've seen them pull out in the past.
It is easy to file up a puller at home.  Electric drill in the vise and a file will do it, (Drill turned off when you cut the threads on the ball end!!) then tap threads on the other end for attaching to rod.

Tapered threads have much more bight in lead.
Pic of a short stubby one for a .54.   If a flint leather is put over the end before shoving down the barrel, it'll  keep it centred. Sometimes I've made a ball as part of the puller, so it stays central.
I Know none of this helps with your stuck ball puller though!


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[Turtle]

Pukka, good points and info. I have seen parallel sided screws fail too. I think they work with a drilled hole because the whole length of the screw bears on the hole which is drilled all the way through the ball.