did something stupid, please help

[bcompton35603]

I was going to clean my .45 TC Hawken, was using one of those 3 piece Outer's rods, and the rod broke off about 8 inches inside the bore. Took the barrel off and was really hoping the breechplug screwed out but the hook breech seems to be all one piece. Any suggestions how to fix this?

 

[Zonie]

The breechplug is a separate piece but it is not made to be removed. Removing it will nullify the TC Warranty and will very likely scar up the barrel and the breechplug.

Assuming you had a wet patched jag on the cleaning rod the first thing to do is to pour or spray some WD40 down the barrel to drive any wetness that was on the patch away from the bore.

Remove the nipple (if it isn't already removed) and spray some WD40 in there too.

Take your barrel to a service station (that actually works on cars) and ask them if they would use their air compressor with a rubber tip on the nozzle and blow the jag/patch/cleaning rod out.

If that doesn't work they can screw in a grease fitting by hand only into the nipple hole and use a grease gun to fill the bore with grease. It might cost you some money and getting the grease out after it's done is a pain but at least your obstruction will be out of the gun.

If neither of these ideas suits you, you can buy a CO2 powered device which is made to blow out patched balls. That option will cost a bit more and during the time it takes to get it you should make sure the bore is kept very oily to protect it from rust.

If the cleaning patch on the jag was dry you should still oil the bore to protect it.

 

[Mike Payne]

Push the rod down almost to the breach. If it is a cap lock unscrew the nipple and put as much powder in the drum as you can and still get the nipple back in. Replace the nipple put a cap on and fire the rod should come out. If it is a flint same as above but work some 4f powder in to touch hole and fire. Hope this helps!

Mike

 

[boydusmx]

Wow! Those are both excellent suggestions! Personally, I would try the "blow it out" option first, since it is the easy and cheap solution, not to mention the problems you might have if the barrel were full of grease. However, if that failed, the grease option sounds pretty fool-proof if you have a grease nipple that happens to fit. Good luck, and please let us know how this turns out!

 

[Zonie]

The grease fitting is called a zert or something that sounds like that. They are pretty standard parts and they come in 1/4 inch thread sizes.
That's why I stressed that the fitting must be installed with finger pressure only.

Even if the fitting that is available isn't exactly the right thread pitch, finger tight will be strong enough to hold it in place while the grease is being pushed into the barrel but it won't be so tight that it will damage the breeches threads even if they are not the same pitch.

The idea of shooting the jag/rod out is a good one but only if the rod is made out of aluminum or brass. If it is a steel rod it could gouge the bore when it is shot.

For the newcomers to muzzleloading, the idea of putting a small powder charge under the nipple, reinstalling the nipple and a cap and shooting the gun is an old trustworthy standby for someone who rammed a patched ball or a bullet without first putting the main powder charge down the bore.
It works well if this happens to you but if you do this, make sure the gun is pointed in a safe direction. Even 5 grains of powder can propell the ball or bullet with enough velocity that it will hurt someone or poke a hole thru your houses drywall.

 

[Tom Compton]

use the air compressor. Using powder has several possible problems.

1 is that you were cleaning and the powder gets wet so nothing happens.

2 is that you get too much powder and bulge or rupture the barrel as ram rod and jag weigh how much? More than 128 gr?

 

[Problem Child]

I'm new to this so this is just an idea......Make sure the patch is well lubed with WD 40.If you have a ball puller maybe you could screw it into the broke end of the Outers cleaning rod?

 

[lonehunter]

Zonie nailed it as usual! :bow: If you choose to use powder to blow it out, get about 5 gr in the breech and seat the rr jag right on top of it like it was a roundball, it will not hurt your barrel. But be warned it may travel up to 40 or 50 yards when it comes out of the barrel, best done in the woods or at the range. :v

 

[Marc Adamchek]

Did the rod "break" or did the last section of the 3 sections come unscrewed? If it just came unscrewed you can still point the fist 2 sections into the stuck 3rd piece, turn it until it screws back on and the pull out. This happened to me with someones compact breakdown cleaning rod once and that worked.

 

[nkbj]

I'd try a little bp, post hole diggers and an old extension cord before showing those folks in Huntsville how to launch.
Is Trinity still the sleepy little burg? Liked that town.

 

[redwing]

The big Co2 discharger as sold by Cabelas will blow those rods out. It is best to wet the patch on the rod first. This will form a seal. I have removed a number of rods for shooters on the range with this method. The discharger is a good tool to have around anyway. :thumbsup:

 

[bcompton35603]

I had a brass cleaning brush on the end of the rod, and the rod broke, not became uncrewed. I was wondering if I would be able to shoot it out, would the brass cleaning brush have a tight enough seal

 

[m-g willy]

I had a brass cleaning brush on the end of the rod, and the rod broke, not became uncrewed. I was wondering if I would be able to shoot it out, would the brass cleaning brush have a tight enough seal

A ball puller tip might bite into the broken off ram rod enough to pull it out.
Or if you can unscrew whats left of the ram rod with a rod with a flat brass screw driver tip to where just the brush is in the barrel.
Then a dowel rod with a fish hook taped so the hook is extending enough to pass through the brush will pull it out.

 

[bcompton35603]

I usually use the ramrod from my CVA inline as a cleaning rod, I grabbed this one because it was handy. What a cheap POS these Outers and Hoppe's kits are

 

[moose30273]

If you have a brush stuck in there, a piece of rigid tubing slipped over the broken off ramrod and over the brush might capture the brush inside the tubing. Then you could pull everything out at one time. Read that somewhere, never had to try it. Maybe 3/8th copper tubing?

 

[Tom Compton]

Brush sure changes things. is the broken rod that is looking up hollow? iIf so use an appropriate sized sheet metal screw on another rod. Might cut the head off and jb weld it to something.

 

[MikeChapin]

I had a brass cleaning brush on the end of the rod, and the rod broke, not became uncrewed. I was wondering if I would be able to shoot it out, would the brass cleaning brush have a tight enough seal

I had a brush break off in a Mountain Rifle years ago. I was a noobie then and had no idea how to clear it. I took it to the range on the chance I could blow it out. The first try didn't do much but I felt the gun recoil a little which meant something moved. I put some more powder in the breech and the second try popped it out about 10 yards down range.

 

[Maven]

One comment and another suggestion: It's a "zerk" or "zerk fitting" that you want. Second, if you still wish to use a sectional cleaning/range rod, why not clean the threads and use blue Loctite to keep it together? A heat source can be used to easily separate the sections.

 

[Leatherbark]

A standard automotive "Zerk" fitting has 1/4X28 threads just like a T.C Hawken or any other T.C sidelock.................Bob

 

[bcompton35603]

I used that rod because it was close at hand rather than digging though hunting gear to find the cleaning brushes for the ramrod, which is what I should have done. Those aluminum rods are ok for .22s and hunting rifles, but I knew better to use it on a muzzleloader but did out of laziness