CO2 ball unloader

[shifty]

   Which CO2 ball unloader do you think is the best as far as quality , I would like to find one that is not all plastic.

[smylee grouch]

One thing I consider is bore size and length. If you have to use one of the small CO2 cartridges you might not have enuff gas to expel a large cal with a long barrel. I took a discharger, replumbed it for my air compressor so I can use it at home after hunting. I set my line pressure to around 110/120

[P.W.Berkuta]

I have one of the ones that use the standard size CO2 cartridges and it is fine for my guns which range in caliber from .36 to .54 and it works fine for them. If I was to get one now I would look at the larger size units that use the larger size CO2 cylinders "just because" bigger is better. The "plastic" ones are fine - I've not seen one made of metal but I have not looked for one either. There is no need for a metal one as the "plastic" material they are made of is plenty strong to contain the CO2 gas as it is the "O" ring seal that does all the work.

[Daryl]

While shooting the ALR Covid Postal match with Taylor this winter, I loaded patched ball without on several occasions. Talking too much, I assume.
I simply pulled the nipple and dribbled in some 4F, tilted the rifle tapped the breech plug with the starter's knob, then re-seated the nipple & fire the ball out.
All 3 times, the ball actually went through the 3/4" plywood target board at 25 yards range.  Flinters are easier, it seems, as the pan holds more 4F at a time
and no nipple to fiddle with. Other times, we've just used a ball screw and pulled the "load".
I've never used a CO2 dis-charger, but guess they'd work OK.

[shifty]

  The main reason i want to buy one of these unloaders is because i am building a very small caliber (22) ML and i may have to swab after every shot . I would carry a unloader with me so I could  clear the fire channel after swabbing.

[Fyrstyk]

The only non-plastic C02 discharger I have seen in the old T/C one.  It did not work on all guns because you could not get the angle to the nipple to fit.  I have a RMC discharger that takes the standard C02 cartridge, and it works fine for use in the field or at the range.  At home I just use my air compressor with the soft rubber tip for percussion guns. and with a ball inflator for my flintlocks.

[Daryl]

  The main reason i want to buy one of these unloaders is because i am building a very small caliber (22) ML and i may have to swab after every shot . I would carry a unloader with me so I could  clear the fire channel after swabbing.

I don't understand why you think you would need to swab a .22. Taylor doesn't have to swab is .25 which has a 46" or maybe it's even longer than that, barrel.
My .32 was not only the smallest bored gun I've owned, one of the cleanest shooting rifle's I've ever had. Using Mink Oil the 50th shot loaded easier than the first
did, in a clean barrel.
I wouldn't own a rifle I had to swab the bore on. I clean the rifle when all the shooting is done, for the day. Since the rifling will likely be shallower than normal, I'd use a ball
that was .005" undersized, and a .015" patch(compressed)

[shifty]

  The main reason i want to buy one of these unloaders is because i am building a very small caliber (22) ML and i may have to swab after every shot . I would carry a unloader with me so I could  clear the fire channel after swabbing.

I don't understand why you think you would need to swab a .22. Taylor doesn't have to swab is .25 which has a 46" or maybe it's even longer than that, barrel.
My .32 was not only the smallest bored gun I've owned, one of the cleanest shooting rifle's I've ever had. Using Mink Oil the 50th shot loaded easier than the first
did, in a clean barrel.
I wouldn't own a rifle I had to swab the bore on. I clean the rifle when all the shooting is done, for the day. Since the rifling will likely be shallower than normal, I'd use a ball
that was .005" undersized, and a .015" patch(compressed)

 
   
      I don't know if i will have to swab yet the gun is not finished ,a fellow on another forum told me he had to swab his . I was going to try and shoot conicals in my rifle I have a source for the bullets , already have some test  bullets in different weights (lengths). By the way what powder does Taylor use in his 25? My rifle barrel has a 1-16 twist rate, what does Taylors have?

[Hungry Horse]

 Just be aware that one of the small, plastic, unloaders, shot a 58 caliber mini about fifty yards out of my old Navy Arms 1803 Harpers Ferry. So you can expect the velocity in a .22 to be considerable.

  Hungry Horse

[shifty]

Just be aware that one of the small, plastic, unloaders, shot a 58 caliber mini about fifty yards out of my old Navy Arms 1803 Harpers Ferry. So you can expect the velocity in a .22 to be considerable.

  Hungry Horse

 
     I would guess that you know you just gave me an idea.

[Daryl]

3F and I don't know what the twist is, suffice to say it is not a RF barrel.

[Craig Wilcox]

I have been wondering about very small calibers for flintlocks, and have several of my questions answered, for which I thank you.

Where might one acquire a .25 or .22 rifled barrel?  It would certainly be light enough to be carried readily, and both lead and powder consumption would be minimal.  Ram rod material?  I am thinking that a hickory rod that small would snap rather easily, and perhaps a metal RR would be needed.

Shifty, I note that you will be using bullets instead of balls - what might be the patch material used?  Could a paper patch do the job?

I became "addicted" to squirrel Thanksgiving day, 1973.  Was in college, and we plum did not have enough $$ for a turkey, or even a Cornish hen.  A brief hunt yielded 7 squirrels.  The wife stuffed them with some granola, and baked them up - we even invited a classmate over to help us disappear those tasty critters.  So a .22 M/L sounds like it would be a very useful rifle.

[shifty]

   Craig i love Squirrels too this rifle will get some i hope.

     PM sent

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I bought a walnut plank inlet with a Ed Rayl .25 cal barrel, 44" long, from Chris Laubach, and built a longrifle ala Thomas Allison from Western PA.  I shoot .250" buckshot, .021" denim (10 oz) cotton patches, and 30 gr. FFFg GOEX all day long without cleaning, and use a 1/4" dia hickory rod confidently to load it.  I confess, that when I was making the rifle and the rod, I made two rods, in case the first one couldn't take the guff.  But it is one of the easiest rifles I own to load.  Once the ball and patch are started, the wooden rod sends them down to the charge with almost no resistance.  This rifle weighs over 9 pounds, is a joy to shoot, and is deadly accurate within it's range.  Nice to be able to buy thousands of rounds in a five pound box...never have to cast for this sweetie.  The only fouling that is necessary to clean is that which remains in the powder charge area, and that which remains from the last shot.  The water in the pail is just noticeably grey...I remove and flush every time I shoot it.  Never thought I'd enjoy the little rifle as much as I do.

Here's a pic...double click it if you wish to get a full screen image.

[shifty]

   Great rifle beauty, do you recall the twist rate.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Pretty sure it's 1:48".  The bore is .255" so a .250" buckshot ball is easy to load.  And my ramrod is exactly 1/4"...goes down nicely.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

What's one of those old aluminum dischargers worth?

[Hungry Horse]

Daryl, a modern .22 is one in fourteen twist, so a muzzleloader should be somewhere close to that rate of twist. Of course keep in mind with a cartridge you are limited in how much powder you can put behind the bullet. Keeping that in mind, you probably should go with a little slower twist if your going to put eight inches of 3F behind that little ball.

  Hungry Horse

[MuskratMike]

The biggest issue i have with the black plastic kind is they can and will cross thread on you then they won't make a complete seal at the "O"-ring. I have one that does this and just this last Saturday tried to help a new shooter pull a stuck ball and you guessed it screwed in a new cartridge and psssssst out went all the CO2. I have one more cartridgee, when that one is done they all go in the trash.

[shifty]

   The most common Rim Fire twist rate is 1-16 but they are available in 1-14,1-15, 1-17 and 1-19, I have 1-19 on one rifle but it is mostly a warm weather twist.

[Bob Roller]

When I was in High School I made two 22 caliber muzzle loaders,One was for me with an
octagon barrel from a Marlin(I think).The other was a round barrel from a Remington for
E.M.Farris who was one of the founders of the NMLRA in 1933.I used a cast bullet for a 22
Hornet in Farris's rifle and two 22LR cases full of 4fg and it shot well.The Marlin barrel was shot
with a cross strip paper patch ungrooved bullet and was only fairly accurate.The Marlin barreled gun
was last seen in Louisiana owned by a private charter pilot and no idea about the Remington barreled
rifle or if it even still exists.
Bob Roller

[shifty]

When I was in High School I made two 22 caliber muzzle loaders,One was for me with an
octagon barrel from a Marlin(I think).The other was a round barrel from a Remington for
E.M.Farris who was one of the founders of the NMLRA in 1933.I used a cast bullet for a 22
Hornet in Farris's rifle and two 22LR cases full of 4fg and it shot well.The Marlin barrel was shot
with a cross strip paper patch ungrooved bullet and was only fairly accurate.The Marlin barreled gun
was last seen in Louisiana owned by a private charter pilot and no idea about the Remington barreled
rifle or if it even still exists.
Bob Roller

     
    I should have my rifle finished in a few days ,I will start shooting with 3grns 3F .

[Daryl]

Both Crossman (I think) and H&N (Germany) make round balls at about .217 to .220") I don't know the
exact diameter of their round balls, but those are the diameter(s) of most .22 pellets.
There is also the possibility of using pellets.
The run in weight in lead, from about 14.43gr. to about 28.0gr. depending on the maker.
Many will have skirts too thin to withstand much muzzle blast - a consideration you must make.
H&N makes pellets to about 21.3gr. and they have thicker skirts. Lube, of course would easily be
put onto waisted pellets.
As well, there are bullet designs from .217" to .220".

[Ric Carter]

You can get the dischargers at a bike shop for about half of what you pay to a ML supplier. I've not carried one for years. However, I had a  friend that was always dry balling, so I kept it in my pouch. I had to use it a lot of times with him, and then I started charging him a buck every time I blew a ball out for him. From the look on his face, you would have thought I had pee'd in his Ovaltine, but he got a lot better about not dry balling. He was pretty tight with a nickle. I miss the old coot, and would gladly help him again if I still could.