Imperial Guardsman
Member
Well, it has been a long time since I was here!
I just had an experience with my Investarm 120B Hawken percussion cap (.54 caliber) and wanted to share it for others who may run into the same problem.
I had put away this rifle with plenty of oil because I didn't see myself shooting it for a while. Well, last week I wanted to shoot it and forgot to blow out the oil that was in it. Out in the filed I fired one cap with no load as a token clearing shot and then loaded up with 80 grains of ff Goex black powder. It didn't fire and, after 3 or 4 caps, I realized that oil might have still been in there.
I tried using the ball remover screw (as that was what I thought one did in such a situation) and ended up breaking the ramrod with the force I was exerting trying to remove the ball. With my tail between my legs, I went to the gunsmith and he quickly put in some more powder through the hole where the nipple goes, put the nipple back on and a cap, and then it fired.
So, the lesson here is that a bit of powder through the back might be the solution.
My question for the rest of you is this: Have you ever successfully removed a ball with the screw attachment on a ramrod? The gunsmith didn't look to kindly on them.
I just had an experience with my Investarm 120B Hawken percussion cap (.54 caliber) and wanted to share it for others who may run into the same problem.
I had put away this rifle with plenty of oil because I didn't see myself shooting it for a while. Well, last week I wanted to shoot it and forgot to blow out the oil that was in it. Out in the filed I fired one cap with no load as a token clearing shot and then loaded up with 80 grains of ff Goex black powder. It didn't fire and, after 3 or 4 caps, I realized that oil might have still been in there.
I tried using the ball remover screw (as that was what I thought one did in such a situation) and ended up breaking the ramrod with the force I was exerting trying to remove the ball. With my tail between my legs, I went to the gunsmith and he quickly put in some more powder through the hole where the nipple goes, put the nipple back on and a cap, and then it fired.
So, the lesson here is that a bit of powder through the back might be the solution.
My question for the rest of you is this: Have you ever successfully removed a ball with the screw attachment on a ramrod? The gunsmith didn't look to kindly on them.