Help: stuck ball in traditional percussion lock

LiverEatingJoe

Button Buck
After hunting with my 50 Hawken Woodsman, I normally go home and just unload by firing into a backstop.

Today I got rained on quite a bit, and when I got home I tried 4x with caps but could not get it to fire. (maybe my powder got wet?)

Haven't tried the ball puller which I have because everyone tells me its near impossible. Others recommend CO2 discharger but I don't know here to get the right one.

Its leaning up against my wall driving me crazy.
 

roundball

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
After hunting with my 50 Hawken Woodsman, I normally go home and just unload by firing into a backstop.

Today I got rained on quite a bit, and when I got home I tried 4x with caps but could not get it to fire. (maybe my powder got wet?)

Haven't tried the ball puller which I have because everyone tells me its near impossible. Others recommend CO2 discharger but I don't know here to get the right one.

Its leaning up against my wall driving me crazy.
Ball pullers work fine.....just need to be sure you have a rod with strong leverage...like a T-handle screwed on the end, etc.
Always pulled my loads after each & every hunt, dumped the powder, kept things clean & dry.

Worst case, a grease zerk fitting screwed in place of the nipple, then just use a grease gun to force the load up the barrel out the muzzle...wipe out the grease, clean the bore with hot soapy water like normal, etc.
 
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DarrinG

Six Pointer
I just use a ball puller with a good stout range rod. Never had a problem. Usually helps to have someone help hold the rifle and the other pull the range rod. I usually load and if I don't shoot, I leave the load in the gun, cap off, hammer down, until my next hunt. If season is over I'll just fire the shot the last day. I use a patched round ball and use TOW Mink Oil for patch lube and it doesn't seem to affect the powder load even after being on top of the Goex powder a week or longer. However if you were in the rain and your powder is damp, youre gonna have to get it out...a ball puller usually works well for me.
 

Clifford66

Button Buck
Try 1 Shot's approach. After removing the nipple, use a toothpick or straightened paper clip to try to get some of the old powder out, then put a pinch of new powder under the nipple, replace nipple, cap and fire.
 

DarrinG

Six Pointer
Good deal! Glad you got it out easy enough. I shoot black powder a lot. If you shoot enough with traditional style smokepoles, you'll eventually "dry ball" a round. I did so while shooting with a buddy back in the summer....talking, chatting about guns and such while loading. Lubed a patch, centered the round ball and pushed it home....and my range rod went deeper than it should have....then realized that I wasn't paying attention while talking and didn't load any powder but pushed a patched roundball home....dry-balled! I'd like to say that was the only time I ever dray-balled a round but its not. I've yet to have a good ball puller and a stout range rod not get it back out. Usually need a buddy to help hold the rifle or pull the rod, but it hasn't failed me yet.
 

adkarcher

Six Pointer
Dry balled one for the first time this summer. Bought a good range rod and able to pull it out pretty easy, thankfully...
 
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