Need help....Have a cva hawken rifle with ball stuck in it,,,

[dan101955]

Will be test firing it tomorrow .... Caps only first then powder.... If all goes well will be firing it. 30Gr.3f .010 patch .530 ball.

 

[dan101955]

tried 2f in my 50 Hawken.... had hang fire. switched back to 3f and no hang fire...go figure....

 

[UndeadPoet]

Button, breech, hook breech, the "innards" are still the same. Did you measure to see if it really has a ball in it?

I have a cva 54 that is very finnicky about crud. It it isn't fairly clean, you don't rap the butt on the ground after you you load the powder, it will hesitate ever so slightly after the cap goes off before the bang.

Agreed on the innards.

 

[Okie Hog]

None of this muzzleloader stuff approaches rocket science in it's complexity.

Seat the ball, remove the nipple, work a few grains of powder into the flash channel and under the nipple, install the nipple, cap and shoot it out. No ball puller, ramrod, grease gun, grease, CO2 thingy or other stuff needed.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Have you blown air through the barrel? Can you push a pipe cleaner in from the nipple seat to the chamber and see it with your endoscope? I'm beginning to think there is no obstruction. There may be a buildup of oil at the breech. Try running a wet alcohol patch to clean out any oil in the flash channel. Once you have verified that you can blow air through the flash channel from the nipple seat to the powder chamber, then you can try firing a few caps to verify that the flash channel is open before loading up to take a shot.

 

[earlwb]

See my post above. Not sure I would try it myself, but would probably try to find an experienced professional (unless of course, you are one). I have attached a CVA photo of a crosssection of the breech plug. I believe the main problem is you have the bolster as a screwed in integral part of the screwed in breech plug.

I see what you mean now. I stand corrected. A job for a good gunsmith is needed.

 

[dan101955]

So, it is a button breech from 1988.

My $.02 worth gents. Regarding post #5 above, not meaning to step on any toes chorizo, I'd suggest to any of you to get grease fittings with longer necks than the standard short necked ones shown. They are available in most sizes. The short ones will fit a lot of guns, but not all, I know because one of mine has a snail instead of a drum, and I can't get my grease coupling to snap onto a standard short fitting on that gun. Regarding the use of a ball puller, having one is a great accessory to have on hand, for sure. The rub is that some have a screw that is much longer than ball diameter. A longer screw than your ball is not a good thing! If you go completely through and pierce your ball, then the grease fitting method will not work at all later! I'd recommend making a collar of some sort to fit over the too-long-screw part which limits the screw length to about 3/4 of your ball diameter, that way you can't pierce the ball all the way through which leaves the grease fitting method still a viable last resort alternative. Good luck!

Just had another thought whilst typing this reply. There could have already been a dry PRB down in the barrel from before dan101955 got the gun. dan101955, to my knowledge, hasn't said that he poured powder down the barrel as it was and then seated a PRB on it, obviating that it would not fire. He only said that it "Just would not shoot right." So, until cleared up otherwise by dan101955, there is the possibility that there is a viably charged PRB sitting atop a dry ball. Gotta be real careful if that is the case.

I now think there was no ball stuck but possibly a very crudded up area by the drum.

 

[dan101955]

Have you blown air through the barrel? Can you push a pipe cleaner in from the nipple seat to the chamber and see it with your endoscope? I'm beginning to think there is no obstruction. There may be a buildup of oil at the breech. Try running a wet alcohol patch to clean out any oil in the flash channel. Once you have verified that you can blow air through the flash channel from the nipple seat to the powder chamber, then you can try firing a few caps to verify that the flash channel is open before loading up to take a shot.

I believe you are correct, What I thought was a ball was most likely a very fouled chamber.
I will clean the barrel with alcohol and take another look at it before shooting it.

 

[French Colonial]

Looking at your pictures I would agree that this is not a stuck ball, what that blob on the side of the rifling is however is a mystery for now.

There are those who say not to use a brush in the bore as it will get stuck, this is true if you are not careful, I have found that by spinning the brush as it enters the bore you can get the bristles to lay sideways and it will pull back out. I would try a brush on the blob and then take another look. Spin spin spin or you will have a brush stuck in the bore as well.

If it is still there try a scraper of some sort close to bore diameter and see if it will come loose or you can pry whatever it is away from the side of the barrel (or maybe try this first).

If you can get it cleaned up it will most likely shoot just fine.

 

[dan101955]

Looking at your pictures I would agree that this is not a stuck ball, what that blob on the side of the rifling is however is a mystery for now.

There are those who say not to use a brush in the bore as it will get stuck, this is true if you are not careful, I have found that by spinning the brush as it enters the bore you can get the bristles to lay sideways and it will pull back out. I would try a brush on the blob and then take another look. Spin spin spin or you will have a brush stuck in the bore as well.

If it is still there try a scraper of some sort close to bore diameter and see if it will come loose or you can pry whatever it is away from the side of the barrel (or maybe try this first).

If you can get it cleaned up it will most likely shoot just fine.

Totally agree with the you.
I always use a brush when cleaning .


Thanks

 

[dan101955]

I believe you are correct, What I thought was a ball was most likely a very fouled chamber.
I will clean the barrel with alcohol and take another look at it before shooting it.

Thanks

 

[dan101955]

Have you blown air through the barrel? Can you push a pipe cleaner in from the nipple seat to the chamber and see it with your endoscope? I'm beginning to think there is no obstruction. There may be a buildup of oil at the breech. Try running a wet alcohol patch to clean out any oil in the flash channel. Once you have verified that you can blow air through the flash channel from the nipple seat to the powder chamber, then you can try firing a few caps to verify that the flash channel is open before loading up to take a shot.

Thanks

 

[dan101955]

Thanks for all the help..

Dan

 

[Mike in FL]

Over the years I've found a heavy dose of WD40 down the barrel aids tremendously in pulling a ball.Give it a MI it's to soak the patch.

 

[deermanok]

I have a small hand held steam cleaner. It really helps to loosen up any crud in my muzzleloader barrels.

 

[Little Brother]

Just pushed a ball that had been stuck 8n a barrel for over a year. I used a grease gun. It took about 30-45 seconds. I used 1/4 x 28 grease fitting. It is a TC Hawken

 

[dan101955]

Baby shooting it and cleaning the sh__tski out of it.
As robski from another board would say.
I have cleaned it and can now see a pipe cleaner when put down the drum going to the barrel.

Again thanks to everyone for all the help.
Dan

 

[dan101955]

Baby shooting it and cleaning the sh__tski out of it.
As robski from another board would say.
I have cleaned it and can now see a pipe cleaner when put down the drum going to the barrel.

Again thanks to everyone for all the help.
Dan

Not baby but by ....lol
Dan

 

[chorizo]

I now think there was no ball stuck but possibly a very crudded up area by the drum.

Huh? Imagine that.

 

[gunpa]

Very simple test, maybe it's already been said. Drop the ramrod down the barrel. No big bounce and it ain't steel.