Getting Cleaning Jag stuck in my barrel...

Total Noob question here. I have been getting my brass cleaning jag with patch stuck in the breech area of my TC Seneca 36. It is a new Jag. Is my cleaning patch too thick? I also noticed that the jag now has the end eaten up like a file was roughing on it. Any thoughts would be great. By the way, I finally had to use pliers on the other end of the ramrod to get enough force to get it out.

Lest anyone gets the wrong impression, the jag did not pull off the ramrod. It felt like it was hook in the breech. I could move it up and down slightly. I don't know exactly has these percussion breaches are designed on the TC, but seems to me that there much be a lip that the tip of the jag is catching on. Would it be advisable to go with a smaller jag (32 cal?).

Sounds like it is entering into the chambered portion of the patent breech and getting wedged. I would bevel/taper the end of the jag slightly on a belt sander or chuck it in a drill and and use a file, to see if that helps.
That's my guess based o what you've told me.

edmelott said:

Lest anyone gets the wrong impression, the jag did not pull off the ramrod. It felt like it was hook in the breech. I could move it up and down slightly. I don't know exactly has these percussion breaches are designed on the TC, but seems to me that there much be a lip that the tip of the jag is catching on. Would it be advisable to go with a smaller jag (32 cal?).

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Sounds like a button jag, when you reverse direction patch material wedges behind the jag.
Try a different jag or smaller patches.

You can reduce your jag size by chucking it in a drill and using sandpaper or a file. It doesn't take much.

Another trick to prevent jags sticking at the bottom is to reverse direction before you reach the bottom several times and change the patch before you finally bottom out.
I assume you are swabbing every shot ? if not consider it.

Carbon 6 hit the nail on the head. The jag is getting wedged in the patent breech area. Put a taper on the jag as already mentioned, or use a .32 jag and patch.

There's only one thing I hate worse than a stuck jag, and that's a lost patch.

I had the same issues with my 32 and 36. I made it taper and had no issues since.

A close up view.

Thanks guys, I am going to do a little filing on the jag and will give an update.

T/C sold stepped jags with their muzzleloaders. Like LeverFred showed, the lower half was reduced diameter.

I think mostly so you had to buy their jags. ;-)

Stumpkiller said:

T/C sold stepped jags with their muzzleloaders. Like LeverFred showed, the lower half was reduced diameter.

I think mostly so you had to buy their jags. ;-)

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Never thought about that. I just googled it and found one of the originals unopened for 10 bucks shipped. Looks like it will work much better.

99% of the time a cleaning rod gets stuck in the breech are of the barrel it is because they are using a DRY PATCH on a bore with fouling. A squirt of water will dampen the patch and it will come out like magic! I have two .36 Seneca rifles and their is no way a .36 jag is going to enter into the breech chamber. Using the right size and thickness of cleaning patches is half the formula for wiping the bore. the other half is the correct amount of moisture in the patch. Let the wiping patches dry out on the bench and soon you will get your cleaning rod stuck in the breech.

So true. Even with the T/C style jag a firm fitting dry patch is getting stuck.

In my years as the first Sargent of a CW company stuck ramrods were my nemesis!
I addressed the issue with our loaner rifles by turning the jag section of the ramrod down a bit, but every event someone would get a dry patch stuck. I always brought my “ladies legs” and a bottle of 10% bollistol in water to soak the stuck patch.
Some of those would take three men and a boy pulling to get those rods out.
Fun times.

Maybe you guys are right, but I still don't know how the brass end of the jag is chewed up like I took a rasp to it. And when I say stuck, I mean it seems hooked on something, in that, I can move it somewhat to a clearly felt ledge (for want of better term).

Also, let me add, this was not a fouled barrel but one that had just been completely cleaned. I was sending a few dry patches down to dry the bore.

edmelott said:

Also, let me add, this was not a fouled barrel but one that had just been completely cleaned. I was sending a few dry patches down to dry the bore.

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Wet your drying patch with Windex or alcohol. It will get the water and dry out pretty fast. I use windex at the range to wipe with and have zero issues with it. If you feel there is an issue with the barrel, get a cheap borescope off ebay. plugs into your phone or computer and then you will know what's down there.

Ok guys, I just took a coat hanger and straightened it out and put a slight hook on the end. I am attaching two pictures that show that the hanger is getting into the breech plug. It gets hooked and will move just like my jag.

That first pic shows how far it goes into the barrel. the second shows the size of the hook in relation to a 36 cal. jag.

I am attaching another picture that shows how far a jag on the ramrod without a patch with go into the breech.