Interesting story.
The question was raised about the little co2 discharger being capable of such a task.........
FWIW; About two years ago at the range, I "dry-balled" a .54 GPR.
I didn't have a puller, or the Co2 discharger with me, so I just got another rifle from the truck and finished my range session.
When I got home, I immediately cleaned the rifle I had been shooting and poured a little Black-Solv in the barrel of the one with the stuck ball.
After getting the first rifle cleaned, I put a new Co2 cartridge on the discharger, and fired the stuck ball.....that ball came out with such force it glanced off the garage floor, hit the blade on my chop saw, glanced off that and broke the garage window....when it rang the blade on the chop saw, my first thought was I had somehow just shot myself!
That ball may still be going, for all I know!
Don't underestimate the power of those little Co2 dischargers....especially at the range when other folks are present. When you release that pressure make sure the rifle is pointed in a safe direction.
If you get careless, you can get the scare of your life, maybe something even worse could happen.....although I never heard of anyone getting hurt real bad.
Russ...