Jag stuck in flintlock rifle

[TGPN56]

I don't know anyone and the issue with living in Commiefornia is if I go to a facility someone is probably going to call the police on me for having a firearm in public.

 

[Crewdawg445]

Patch was dry and possibly oversized as mentioned above.

You have many methods that others have already brought forth at your disposal, give them a try.

Also, per ATF regs a muzzleloader is not considered a "firearm". Yet California must always change the rules(glad I don't live there!), so federal regulations may not apply...

 

[TGPN56]

So, when I am drying my bore I should use patches with spit on them? And yeah, I don't want to risk a run in with the police in California.

 

[TGPN56]

Going to do the powder trickle method as I'm going to BLM lands to shoot tomorrow.

 

[Crewdawg445]

No, make sure the patches are cut to the right size, that's why it's stuck. Or the material your using for patching is to thick.

 

[TGPN56]

What would you recommend as a thickness for a .32 caliber rifle?

 

[TGPN56]

I'm using patches for .22-.27 caliber. Shouldn't that not cause issues?

 

[TGPN56]

Here's the weirder thing. When I first got it I tested putting the cleaning jag all the way down the barrel, for whatever reason if I pushed at the end of the barrel too hard, it would get stuck and I would need to use pliers to help pull it out, any idea why? Should I not be pushing my jag and patch that hard down the barrel?

 

[pa woods roamer]

Sounds to me like an oversized Jag being used? This, along with a big patch , will allow the patch to be easily inserted but bunches up rather quickly on the way back up !! Very fustrating sport, at times !!

 

[Kansas Jake]

Using that small of patch shouldn't cause a problem in a 32. I have to be careful with my 32 & 36 that I don't use a large cleaning patch that can bunch up around the ramrod. It will then stick. Also, both of my small bores are Traditions and have their breech plugs with the patent breech that likes to stick the ramrod and patch. I make sure I don't push hard when i get to the bottom of the bore when cleaning.

I have stuck the ramrod in them several times. One is a capper, so I pulled the nipple and added a few grains of powder and shot the jag out it took several tries to get it out. I was outside and never did find it in the grass when it finally came out.

 

[TGPN56]

I think it's a too big jag.

 

[mooman76]

A pinch of powder is not going to ruin or damage the barrel. The jag too big is fairly common. You can put it on a drill and sand it with Emory cloth or sand paper to get it smaller. Ideally you want the patched jag to go down the fouled bore fairly easy that way when you pull jab back up, it bunches up and pulls the fouling out rather than push it into the breech. I usually use old T-shirts cut up to clean/mop with. They are fairly thin and best of all free.

 

[tecum-tha]

Ok, this is a small caliber. The patent breech area will not have a much smaller boring than the bore, but probably just slightly oversize to the diameter of your jag. The sharp part of your jag then goes a little into the breech boring and hooks up there.
I see this happen several times a year at a local outdoor store with inline rifles. The end of the barrel just has the right diameter to get the jag hooked. Really good. Like, no way to pull it out anymore. Normally you have to pull the breech plug with these modern muzzleloaders.

I suspect something similar happening with this Pedersoli rifle (the reason I never buy another rifle of this brand is that they do not have a flat flint breech but the patent breach with a touch hole bored from the side.
I think you should try a grease gun threaded tight into the touchhole and then press it out with grease. That is the correct way to get out barrel obstructions on modern firearms, too.
The grease is easily cleaned out with very hot water. I think it will also lubricate the area between the jag and the bore.
Before I would shoot again I would definitely work on that jag (thinner jag, thicker patch).
Would change to a jag with more grabbing grooves but would grind down the first groove t not get it stuck.

 

[Brokennock]

Try using a .30 caliber brush as your jag. It's plenty undersize and the bristles have some give to them.

 

[don hepler]

If you use a shorter patch or a longer jag, the patching material will not bunch-up behind the jag, when you reverse the direction, to pull it out of the barrel. Kansas Jake, was correct.

Sometimes the breech plug can have a gap between the end of the male threads and the bottom of the female threads. If built properly, there should be no gap.

I have felt a ruff spot where the breech plug and bore meet.

I use a steel rod, with a protective brass muzzle guard, for cleaning. This is much stronger than the regular ram rod.

You can find center-fire jags that are 1" or longer and adjust the cleaning patch thickness.

I realize it's still stuck, but I'm giving ideas for the future, based on my dealings with .32 bores.

Good luck...the .32's are fun.

 

[Billnpatti]

Lots of good advice. So, here's my take on the situation. If you have put any oils or solvents into the touch hole, you have thereby eliminated the possibility of shooting the jag out with a pinch of powder. Any oil or solvent will simply ruin any powder that you put in there. You say that you don't have access to any high pressure compressed air so the idea of blowing it out with compressed air is out. If you wanted to invest in a CO2 device that is designed for exactly this sort of situation, that would be an excellent choice for you. You can find them online at The Log Cabin Shop http://www.logcabinshop.com/catalog.php?path=search&filter=CO2 discharger. However, a method that hasn't been mentioned yet is using a grease gun to force out the stuck jag. Here's how that trick works. You go to the auto parts store and find a zerk grease fitting that has exactly the same threads on it as your touch hole. Replace your touch hole liner with the zerk fitting and use a grease gun to pump grease into the bore of your rifle. You can use one of those inexpensive hand pumped grease guns such as this http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/...Search_grease+guns_-1_-1&keyword=grease+guns.
there are probably cheaper ones at places like Wal-Mart. The pressure of the grease will force out any obstruction. Then all you have to do is clean the grease out of your bore.

If you can't find a zerk fitting with the same threads as your touch hole liner, just order a new touch hole liner and use the old one to make an adaptor. To make the adaptor, just drill and tap your touch hole liner to accept a zerk fitting. Then screw the zerk fitting into the touch hole liner, screw the thouch hole liner into the barrel and you are ready to apply some grease pressure. When you are done, take the zerk fitting and its home made adaptor out and put in your new touch hole liner. Put the adapted zerk fitting away for another day. The next time you have an abstruction, such as a dry ball, just whip out your zerk fitting and its adaptor and pump out the obstruction. It's a bit messy but it works like a charm.

 

[stevenjay1]

This thread on another site may give you additional insight with what you are dealing with.
You do need to register as a user to see the thread.
http://traditionalmuzzleloadingass...&t=20630&sid=53c722f36e688d082275651423cf7322


In case this link does not work this is on the Traditional Muzzle Loading Association site the subject is the "Patent Breech"

 

[Zonie]

To all:

The Muzzleloading Forum's Rule # 28 says,

"Do not post links to sites that contain Muzzleloading Forums."


This explains why the MLF's computer is set up to block links such as the one above.

 

[stevenjay1]

Oops, sorry. I obliviously did not read the rules. I'm a bad boy! I could not edit to fix the post and now I’m off to read the rules.

 

[Grenadier1758]

From the Powder Plug in barrel thread that describes problems with a Pedersoli Pennsylvania 32 caliber rifle:

diego_m Said:
The mystery has finally been solved! Thanks to a insightful neighbor the problem turned out to be... the touchhole vent was too long! It extended far enough into the barrel so that what seemed like a stuck ball problem was actually the bullet puller screw getting caught on the vent edge. Of course no amount of pulling would extract the vent!

I have since replaced the factory touchhole stainless vent with another vent made of brass that is the correct length. Pedersoli should use better quality control!

Thanks to all of you who gave me great advice!

I think you are having a touch hole vent liner that is too long and your patch and jag are getting caught up on the part of the liner that is protruding into your bore. Once you get this jag and patch out, you will need to shorten the touch hole liner. Try removing the touch hole liner and if you can catch the threads you may be able to pull the jag and patch out.

You want just enough liner to reach the bore. Any extra length will just cause problems.

How long do you need to make the touch hole liner? Once you get the jag out or even now with the jag caught at the breech, remove the touch hole liner and from the barrel flat measure to just touch the jag. Measure the length of the touch hole liner. Shorten the length of the liner to be slightly shorter (0.01") than the measurement from the outside of the barrel to the jag.

You can learn a lot from some of the other posts on this forum.