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Got a cleaning jag stuck....

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Joined
Feb 10, 2023
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Location
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I lost my metal cleaning jag earlier this week and had to use a plastic one today while out hunting. Well, it got stuck. I tried everything to get it out but eventually had to unscrew my ramrod just to get my rifle to fit in it's case to legally transport it home. Any tips on how to get it out? I'm going to try and screw the ramrod back onto it and get some pliers and pull like hell but so far I haven't been able to get it to screw back on. I shot it twice today so it will need to be cleaned ASAP. How long do I have before the powder residue in the barrel does damage? Something tells me getting it out wont be quick or easy.
 
Take it back to the range, put a few grains of powder in the breech/chamber and pull the trigger.

No more obstruction.

If you live away from people, you could do it your basement or your backyard. But I'm not suggesting you do that.

A few grains of powder ain't that loud.

You could easily muffle the sound, but I won't go into detail here. Get creative.


PS: Clean the bore as far as the stuck jag will allow and oil it.
 
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Take it back to the range, put a few grains of powder in the breech/chamber and pull the trigger.

No more obstruction.

If you live away from people, you could do it your basement or your backyard. But I'm not suggesting you do that.

A few grains of powder ain't that loud.

You could easily muffle the sound, but I won't go into detail here. Get creative.


PS: Clean the bore as far as the stuck jag will allow and oil it.
Been there. Done that. Lost my jag, downrange somewhere, though ;)
 
I had this happen with a traditions Crockett several times. There was a troll of some sort in the breech that grabbed jags often. It had an aluminum rod . . . It also had a hole in the tip . . I stuck a finishing nail in the hole . . . placed it in a location where the nail was up against two metal unmovable objects (on a weight machine once , and a vice another time ) then pulled like heck on the rifle and it came out.
 
Mine got stuck on the range i took the barrel out of the stock and poured water down the barrel from a drinking bottle and let it set for about 3 minutes and the i was able to pull the cleaning jag out with ease.
 
Let us know what specific rifle you were shooting. Does it have a chambered breech? If the jag got stuck, were you using a dry patch to wipe the bore? As @64Springer observes, "Everything is better when wet."

Based on what one has available, first choice is getting powder through the touch hole and shooting the jag out. Second choice is the CO2 discharger which can send a higher burst of pressure through the touch hole. Third and fourth choices will depend on what rifle @Undertow has the patched jag stuck in the barrel.
 
I had luck using compressed air in the touch hole when it happened to me.

If I didn't have it on me, I'd have put some powder in the touch hole and tried shooting it out. You risk bursting the barrel there, though. Depends where it's stuck and how much powder you put in the touch hole. Large amount of powder with an air gap between the charge and the barrel obstruction makes a pipe bomb.

Use a small amount!

Best of luck!
 
If you can get the rod threaded back on the jag, pour a little oil (olive oil will do) down the bore, let it sit while you get some stout cord. Tie the cord to the rod, timber hitches are good, then tie the other end of the cord to a rafter or strong branch above your head (the less cord between muzzle and tie off the better) now you cab pull down on the gun using your body weight and gravity.

If this fails,,,,, air compressor,,,,, make sure muzzle is pointed in a safe direction.
 
I lost my metal cleaning jag earlier this week and had to use a plastic one today while out hunting. Well, it got stuck. I tried everything to get it out but eventually had to unscrew my ramrod just to get my rifle to fit in it's case to legally transport it home. Any tips on how to get it out? I'm going to try and screw the ramrod back onto it and get some pliers and pull like hell but so far I haven't been able to get it to screw back on. I shot it twice today so it will need to be cleaned ASAP. How long do I have before the powder residue in the barrel does damage? Something tells me getting it out wont be quick or easy.
Push as much 4f through the touch hole as possible and fire it out!
 
If you have a touch hole liner that can be unscrewed, you could get a lube fitting to screw into the touch hole and then pump the jag out with lube grease. Messy, but works 100% (don't ask how I know) and is completely safe and completely legal.

If you need instructions, there are YouTube videos that detail how-to.
 
I had this happen about a year ago and ended up trickling enough powder through the touchhole to shoot it out into the dirt - never did find it!
I shoot them out but haven't tried it with a flinter? There is very little noise . I have done it in a city neighborhood with no problem with the neighbors.
 
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I got it out. I posted on here and read 64Springer's response. I then watched duelist54's YT video on getting a jag out and had a plan for today. My wife and I were in the blind this morning, she had an unmentionable looking for a doe and I had my shotgun looking for a turkey. After the hunt I I got the flintlock out and worked powder into the touch hole. The first shot worked the wad/jag 3/4 up the barrel. I worked a decent amount of powder through the touch hole and pushed the wad/jag back down the barrel tight into the powder. The second shot sent it flying. I put a plastic cup over the barrel and like duelist's video the jag blew a hole through the bottom of the cup. I just finished cleaning it and now I'm watching the Wolverines struggle with Bowling Green. Thanks everyone for the advice. Go Blue!
 
I shoot them out but haven't tried it with a flinter? There is very little noise . I have done it in a city neighborhood with no problem with the neighbors.
It's not so much the neighbors' complaints about noise I'd be concerned about. Your city probably has municipal code worded somewhat the same as my city's code, which says, "No person except a peace officer, as defined in ....(code ref), shall fire or discharge any firearm, slingshot, or pellet or BB gun within any area of the .....(city name)."

It's that one neighbor who just happened to be looking out the window, saw someone "discharging a firearm" (never mind any kind of a reason), and decided to call the police .....
 
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