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how to pull a ball

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golden sky

40 Cal
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Got a fouled barrel me thinks, can't get the charge to light off, tried cleaning out the ports and nipple and various other caps, nothing.. what's the general set up for yanking out the ball from the barrel?
 
A couple times that it has been necessary I have been able to pull both a PRB and a conical using a threaded ball puller on the end of a ramrod.

Never tried but have heard you can use a zerk fitting and a grease gun...or the same zerk fitting hooked up to your air compressor. Just use low pressure if you use an air compressor...😨
 
A couple times that it has been necessary I have been able to pull both a PRB and a conical using a threaded ball puller on the end of a ramrod.

Never tried but have heard you can use a zerk fitting and a grease gun...or the same zerk fitting hooked up to your air compressor. Just use low pressure if you use an air compressor...😨
and be sure where the muzzle is pointing! have dented things that were better not dented!
OP, did you try a trickle of powder under the nipple? generally works for me with a stubborn charge. even stuffing ffff into a vent on my flintlocks works most of the time.
if the ball is penetrated it makes things more complicated sometimes. i have pumped a ball with a hole through it out with the grease gun method.
there are epistles of posts on this subject but i for one think we are overdue for a new one! evolution and all you know. new ideas, old ones rehashed.
 
i tried my ball puller ended up striping it out
Before you drill a hole thru the ball, STOP. Without a hole thru the ball and the ball not completely seated, you have some options. A CO2 discharger. A compressor. Or the grease gun I method mentioned a few posts back. Either of the first two COULD work, but the grease gun WILL work.
 
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Follow Idaho Ron's video. If you don't have a hole through the ball, the grease will push it out. You may have to retread the ball puller in the hole to block the hole so pressure from the grease will move the ball.
i'll check it out
 
They don't call me "King Dryballer" for no reason! One thing that you can do, is to use a ball puller. Screw the ball puller in (not too much or else the ball will expand) and pull that sucker out of there! If you're using a flinter, you can put a small amount powder near the touch hole and you can tap it in and shoot it out. If you're using a percussion gun, remove the nipple and pour powder through the bolster and tap it in and you can shoot it out. Mark's video explains it perfectly.
 
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Use a proper ball puller like these that TOTW sells, one you will NEVER go through the ball, two it will go in to the center of the ball without harming the barrel or pulling on the side of the ball.

Use the proper tools.
 

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