Rifle Mystery???

[edggy]

My Dad and I have inherit a Armi Sport kentucky rifle in 45Cal. from one
of my Uncles, he claims the rifle has a stuck lead ball and patch because he forgot to load the powder. Anyway my dad does not see a ball in the barrel he has now ruined two ball screws. The ramrod bounces like its hitting steel. I poured boiling water and it came out the nipple hole. Boy, I just don't know. We are using a pen light and after awhile your eyes start playing tricks on you.

 

[Loosenock]

You can run the ramrod down the barrel and mark where the muzzle is on it. Then pull the ramrod out and lay it on top the barrel and find out where it comes to on the breech plug. If the ramrod goes beyond the seam between the breech plug and the barrel about a 1/2 inch your probably ok. If it stops before the breech plug the ball might be stuck in the breech plug its self, which means you will have to remove the breech plug to get it out..

I wish you luck

'Loose

 

[edggy]

Loosenock, Lets say that the ball is indeed stuck beyond the seam and into
breech. What would it hurt if the powder charge is on top of the ball. Thank You

 

[Cosmoline]

I like to use a flat-tipped breachface scraper to do a good cleaning anyway. In this case just run one down all the way with some ultra-fine steel wool and flitz on it and scrape it round and round for a bit, then flush with hot water. After that if you have no ball stuck you'll be able to see a shiny breechface very clearly when you shine a bright light in there and look down it. If there is a ball you'll just see a mess.

 

[Loosenock]

edggy if it is a patched ball with some patch available around the ball, after it is fired the first time that patch could smolder for awhile. If another powder charge was dropped down the barrel it could cause the the powder to ignite. If say..... for the first several dozen shots several minutes were to pass before reloading to be certain that there was no smoldering going on you could shoot. Even then, I think I would just drop a partial load until I was certain there is no hot spot down there.

If the ball is into the breech and the nipple is clear, it wont hurt a thing IMHO.

We dont know if it is a Patent breech......If it is, the ball could be blocking the nipple. But you poured boiling water down the barrel and it came out. So, I think were clear here.

Interesting thoughts.

'Loose

 

[Loosenock]

edggy you mentioned that was a .45 cal Kentucky. I would think that has nipple drum instead of a patent breech. You should be able to remove the nipple and then unscrew the drum. That will give a bigger hole to look into and put you very close to the patched ball. You would even be able to see your ramrod pass by and maybe even put a mark on it to see how far your going. If it is a drum and nipple the ball could be deeper than we might imagine.

'Loose

 

[edggy]

Yes) The ramrod does travel just pass the drum and nipple but not quite to
the end. the worry I have is the ML is a early model and trying to take anything off or loose will be a challenge. Other than (Maybe) the stuck ball the ML is in very good shape for the age.

 

[sltm1]

edggy, get a small magnet at a hardware store(I just bought 6 round rare earth magnets with plastic caps like push pins, they're refigerator magnets), glue it to a thin dowel, then wrap the around both pieces with some masking tape, till it's just shy of a snug fit in the barrel. Push it to the bottom and see if it sticks, yes, steel, no, lead.

 

[brairpatch]

Get a breech plug scraper and see if you scrape any lead. Maybe even try to see if a .50 will fit down the barrel since the middle of the ball may be missing.

 

[mykeal]

The magnet may not provide a positive answer if it doesn't stick - the breech plug may not be magnetic steel. Need to check it on the outside with the magnet first.

 

[edggy]

I'am just a little puzzle why our worm screws are coming out with blunt tips.
We did drop a ball down the barrel and you can clearly see it. We'll try
the magnet tonight. My Dad is thinking he thought, but never did load a
patch ball. But he still says he did.

 

[Shultzhaus]

Maybe you should try one of those CO2 devices, that are supposed to clear a barrel of a stuck ball. Or - get a thin (1/8)" alluminum rod at your hardware store, and insert it down the barrel. If you see the end of it through the clean out port - you've got nothing in there. 1/8" should also go through a patent breach hole.

 

[BHP FAN]

I think if water pours out the nipple hole,we're done...

 

[CAMPBELL49T]

If you put powder and a ball. Over the ball that still in it. If it is still in there.
if there is a ball in it you might up mess the barrel, By walnuting it. What I would do. Is take the nipple out. Fill it with 4f, put nipple back on. Put a cap on it, and fire. Point it towards the ground. If anything comes out you are done. If nothing comes out. YOU ARE IN TROUBLE!!!!!!!!!!!! iF There is a ball stuck in the barrel it will be gone.

HAPPY SHOOTING

 

[edggy]

CAMPBELL49T) The Ball And Patch ( if there's really one) is beyond and past
the drum and nipple and at the very base of the barrel.We have used a
air compressor (140 psi) and boiling water to make sure that there's no obstuction between the muzzle and the nipple. We were going to fire the rifle
but now my brother said's he can see a ball. We did use the magnet but
we just cannot be sure (35" barrel) if its sticking or not. We have also used
a musket ball screw (You guess it) the tip came out blunt. Next its the scraper.Has anyone taken or know how to take the breech plug off. I don't even see a plug of any kind on this barrel.

 

[Cosmoline]

Well you can get it out if you can unscrew the breach plug, but on some guns that's all but impossible.

There is another last-ditch method I've used for a really really horrible block. You can turn the barrel into one huge inertial bullet puller. You take the barrel out and bang the crown end on a wool rug placed on a hard basement surface. You keep your arm stiff so that the barrel and arm make an "L" shape, then bang away. This may end up hurting the barrel, but it worked fine with mine. Eventually the bullet works loose and drops out. The first inch is the toughest, esp. if you've mashed it in there good.

 

[alistaire]

After you file the pice enough powder will get into the threads of the breach plug that it will never come out.

If you can remove the nipple, you should be able to probe inside with a bit of wire and determine if the is a ball there. Also if you put the ramrod in you should see it through the nipple hole if there is no ball in there.

 

[arcticap]

I like cosmoline's advice to move the ball forward a little bit if there even is one. And then a grease gun and grease zerk can be used to push out the ball by pumping grease in behind it which is a method that's been successfully used by many others.

http://www.toolprice.com/category/assortmentkits.greasefittings/

Considering that it's dryballed, placing a few grains of powder under the nipple may work to gently shoot it out too.

 

[CAMPBELL49T]

atricap, I like the grease gun and you know it just might work. If you guys think there is a ball stuck. Find out what the spec's are on the rifle. When you get them, it will tell you how long the barrel is from the muzzle to tang. Take your loading rod. If it measure out the same. It is good. If it dont figure how wide your round ball is. .see if there is one or two, ..if only one ,nipple off 4f packed in nipple hole. point toward the ground cap it and blow that ball. I realy don't think you have a ball in there. Lead will not screw up the threads on ball puller. But the breach plug would.

Good Luck
I'll be at the gun show tomorrow. Dressed 1800,s with a couple other guys. Trying to get new people for our club. We also get in free. Good night