# Help!!! Ball stuck in old thompson center



## thill (Aug 23, 2006)

My cousin called me last night and asked if I knew how to get a ball out of his muzzleloader. Its an old school ball and patch type and he already broke a rod trying the screw removal attachment. 

Any ideas? I told him it's time to buy a new one:lol:.


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## Rustyaxecamp (Mar 1, 2005)

They make CO2 things that use CO2 to blow it out.


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## Pinefarm (Sep 19, 2000)

Is the ball still all the way tight up against the breech and powder charge? 
Did you take the nipple off to make sure it's not plugged? Unscrew the nipple and look to see if that little hole at the bottom is plugged. If so, use your nipple tool and/or a needle to pop it clean.

If the ball is still packed up against the powder, you can put a little bit of powder under the nipple, then screw the nipple in and fire it at a target. That may work, if dirty. It still may fire. But if you try that and it doesn't go off right away, BE VERY CAREFUL-YOU COULD STILL GET A DELAYED HANGFIRE.

However, if the ball is anywhere in the barrel other than up tight against the powder charge DO NOT DO THAT! 

Otherwise, pour a little water down the barrel to make sure the powder is wet, buy a fiberglass ramrod and use your ball puller on that.

If that doesn't work, some gun shops will have a little c02 cartridge do-hicky that you use to blow the ball out, by forced air, thru the nipple.


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## adam bomb (Feb 27, 2006)

If he has powder in the barrel, the right caliber bullet and its seated fully, id try and shoot it. Otherwise, id give the Co2 devise a try or use an air compressor with an a peice of tubing over the nipple. I used the compressor once on a patch that was lodged so tightly i couldnt get the worm(patch remover) hooked into it, nor push it out with the ramrod. When it went, it went!!!


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## bigsablemike (Apr 26, 2005)

take the breech block off and push it out the back end.did that with my brothers worked fine.


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## sneakboxer (Oct 28, 2006)

I'd go with Pinefarm's post. I have a CO2 jobie and i will never worm again. Just keep in mind that there is a ball and powder in a pipe so watch what you put infront of it. Don't get discuraged patch and ball is a pretty cool way to hunt.
Let us know what ends up working for you.
Good luck


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## PA BUCK 2 (Oct 17, 2006)

You mention that he broke a rod trying to get the ball out with a threaded remover. is the rod or a portion of it still screwed into the ball and in the barrel? If so- DO NOT FIRE!!!


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## Anderson (May 17, 2005)

I agree with Pinefarm's advice. I have added some powder and fired a stuck ball out before and it worked. As long as the broken ramrod is still not in the barrel. I went to the CO2 cartridge and that is a better option.


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## mparks (Sep 4, 2001)

If this was a "forgot the powder" issue, the remove the nipple and trickle in some powder option works great. I would work even better with some fine actual black powder. If you have 2f, put a little in a small bowl and crush it down to 4f. I think this would be fine with the worm and 20" or so of ramrod still in there. Just means a heavier projectile, maybe not so good for the rifling though.

He's gonna need a new ramrod anyway so I'd go get a good one. They make rubber coated fiberglass versions that are great. With the ball puller on the new rod, try to screw into the ball while tapping with a hammer enough to make the threads grip.

Removing the breech block is going to take some effort to do it without marring the barrel or breech block. If you don't care about that, clamp it in the vice and go to town. I'd keep that as the last option and try the CO2 or compressor route first.

I've always been able to take care of this with either the ball puller or powder through the nipple methods.


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## thill (Aug 23, 2006)

PA BUCK 2 said:


> You mention that he broke a rod trying to get the ball out with a threaded remover. is the rod or a portion of it still screwed into the ball and in the barrel? If so- DO NOT FIRE!!!


 
No the rod is not still in the barrel. All you guys have given me some great advice! I didn't know there was a co2 dohicky, that makes a lot of sense. I'm going to see him this weekend and we'll work on it then.

Thank you everyone for you suggestions.

This ms.com site is a great resource!


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## augustus0603 (Oct 24, 2005)

I used an air compressor and hose nozzle to just blow mine out.


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## Nick Adams (Mar 10, 2005)

If the Co2/air compressor doesn't work, and for some reason shooting it out is not an option, you should be able to find a grease gun Zerk fitting that matches the threads on the nipple.

Replace the nipple with the Zerk and use the grease gun to force the ball out hydraulically.

Worst case scenario: you can pretty easily buy a replacement drop-in barrel for the gun.

-na


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## QuakrTrakr (Apr 4, 2001)

Throw it away and buy an inline. hehe


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## thunderman (Mar 10, 2005)

mparks said:


> If this was a "forgot the powder" issue, the remove the nipple and trickle in some powder option works great. I would work even better with some fine actual black powder. *If you have 2f, put a little in a small bowl and crush it down to 4f. *I think this would be fine with the worm and 20" or so of ramrod still in there. Just means a heavier projectile, maybe not so good for the rifling though.
> 
> He's gonna need a new ramrod anyway so I'd go get a good one. They make rubber coated fiberglass versions that are great. With the ball puller on the new rod, try to screw into the ball while tapping with a hammer enough to make the threads grip.
> 
> ...


 
what are you crazy???? never ever crush black powder!!!!!!!!! although you may not have had a problem in the past, your going to sooner or later learn a leason about compressing black powder.
not a real good idea to pound on a ram rod either. remember those red rolled cap gun strips? those are made with black powder. if that gun does go off when your pounding on the rod, where is your hand and face positioned?????
then you what to fire out half a ramrod???? you crazy man!!!!

if your ball puller screw is dull enough you have to pound it into the bullet you need to get another one that is nice and sharp. if you know what your doing you can sharpen it with a small file. as someone else said pour a little cleaning fluid, best, or just some water to lube the patch/bullet to barrel wall and it'll slide out much easier.

anyone who is using a wooden ram rod should throw it away and get a fiberglass or metel one. i've seen a couple times where people have snapped them off loading and puctured themselfs, and as this guy has found out they don't like to be twisted to far when pulling a bullet. it usally doesn't take to much bite with ball puller screw to pull a bullet. the deeper you screw it in the tighter the load gets in the barrel! problem with fiber/wood rods, is the end cap pulls free in the bore, and now you have a problem. pulling the breech plug is now the only way to clear the bore safely. i have and use the c02 chargers and they work really well, lessin you have an extreamly tight jam. mine has and added 90 degree fitting for clearing my scope. i use mine to clear a charge after hunting so i don't have to clean my gun. i also use a solid one piece aluminum rod for pulling tight bullets.

you can wrap some leather around the barrel and breech plug when unscrewing it to keep the finish nice.

no matter how good your loading routine, sooner or later your going to seat a bullet without powder. hopfully it's at the range and not when you snap off a cap at that big buck! working some powder into the nipple's flame channel will help clear it. strike one up in the good colum for the in-lines.


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## mparks (Sep 4, 2001)

thunderman said:


> what are you crazy???? never ever crush black powder!!!!!!!!! although you may not have had a problem in the past, your going to sooner or later learn a leason about compressing black powder.
> not a real good idea to pound on a ram rod either. remember those red rolled cap gun strips? those are made with black powder. if that gun does go off when your pounding on the rod, where is your hand and face positioned?????
> then you what to fire out half a ramrod???? you crazy man!!!!
> 
> ...


:lol:

I didn't post anything too revolutionary in there. All of these methods have been in use for a long, long time and I didn't invent a one of them. I guess with the inline craze in full effect most of this knowledge 

Look into a substance call "fulminate of mercury" or "primer compunds" and maybe why it's a little different from black powder. Maybe that and not black powder is in those red caps. I'd like to see some black powder ingnite from even a hammer blow, which is not exactly what I recommended. I'm talking about an amount that would be used to trickle down the nipple for the intended purpose. An amount that would do nothing more than flash and smoke up the house if it did combust.

Wooden ramrods have worked for a few hundred years. Didn't realize they were such a hazard. Better than scratching up the bore with 'metel' or fiberglass. 

If you can screw into a ball far enough with only hand pressure you've go one helluva sharp jag and or using a lot of pressure. Regardless, the same chance of pulling the ferrule off the end of the rod if not pinned. That one really sucks!

I guess if I guy can't remove a stuck ball without puncturing his had on a broken rod or burning the house down with a little powder than they should just buy an inline. Those plastic stocked eye-sores come cheap enough that they can just be replaced every December if neglected.

Thanks for the cap 'leason':lol:


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## thunderman (Mar 10, 2005)

say there skip, do this board favor and anyone else you happen to come across and don't give newbies any more advice shooting out half a ramrod and grinding powder geez! sure there's a few tricks to doing things like this, but their better left to a properly trained seasoned vet. 

i can see it now. not so smart newbies at his bench/table with a can of powder, he's looking around for something to mash powder in. ahh the cap off the can looks like it'd do just fine. he takes his "pinch" of powder and starts crushing it with some kinda tool "poof" static from the friction sets it off, sparks fly into the can and "boom" no more newbie. and YES black powder is compression sensitive. 

shooting out a round with a screw jig and rod attached.... i won't even go there.

i've been around front stuffers a long time, enough to see quite a few bad things happen to good people. like watching the guy loading with his "100 year old" wooden rod shear it off and run it from between his first two fingers to well past his wrist. ouch! or the seasoned vet at the club that chain fired an old navy. his black powder tattooed upper body is rather ulgy. not to mention the nub he now scratches with.

i'm no pro myself by any means, and i've done my share of dumb things.
but i still have all my fingers and toes, and if i can help others to keep theirs alittle longer, i'll step in and lend a guiding hand.

nothen scares me more than a whole firing line of newbies at the range trying to figure out how to play with their new pipe bombs with no more than the book it came with.:yikes:

learn how to sharpen your screw jig and you won't have to pound it into your bullet.

ooh, and i do agree with you about junky toy plastic stocks. a nice piece of curly wood feels and looks so much better. and i know my spelling and writing sucks. ooh well.


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## QuakrTrakr (Apr 4, 2001)

thunderman said:


> ooh, and i do agree with you about junky toy plastic stocks. a nice piece of curly wood feels and looks so much better. and i know my spelling and writing sucks. ooh well.


I disagree about the synthetic stocks. They're lighter, less cold to the touch, and less prone to warping in extreme weather conditions. They're maybe not as pretty to look at, but that's personal preference, and the dead deer I've shot with all my synthetics could care less how pretty my gun is. My current synthetic stocks are my Knight Disc, Howa Hogue, Remington VSSF II, and my Winchester 1300, all of which have killed critters. My favorite stock is my overmolded rubberized Hogue. http://www.getgrip.com/main/overview/overmolded.html


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## Rustyaxecamp (Mar 1, 2005)

mparks said:


> I guess if I guy can't remove a stuck ball without puncturing his had on a broken rod or burning the house down with a little powder than they should just buy an inline. Those plastic stocked eye-sores come cheap enough that they can just be replaced every December if neglected.




I stuck a ball this past weeked in my Hawken (bad powder). Used the original wooden ramrod (from 1980's) and a used ball puller to successfully pull the ball. Next 2 shots put 2 roundballs inside 3" at 65 yards.

Inlines are for sucks.


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## QuakrTrakr (Apr 4, 2001)

Rustyaxecamp;1901373
Inlines are for sucks.;)[/QUOTE said:


> Thems thar fightin' werds!


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## Rustyaxecamp (Mar 1, 2005)

:lol:


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