Jager breech plug removal and picture of what I found!

[stevenjay1]

I picked up another jager 44 caliber flintlock Kentucky rifle for a song and a dance. I can’t sing or dance so it was real cheap. Anyway, it is loaded and the flash hold is so plugged I can’t get any powder in the barrel to shoot the ball out. Ball puller won’t move it. Plan B is to remove the breech plug and get everything cleaned up. My question is…has anyone removed a jager flintlock breech plug. I assume it is threaded in but I want to make sure before I try to unscrew it. Looking for direction. Thanks, Steve

 

[stevenjay1]

Ok, I figured the breech pluck was just screwed in. I put a witness mark on the barrel and breech plug and it easily unscrewed. Yep, there was a load in the barrel and at the bottom of the load and covering the flash hole was a cleaning patch. No wonder
It wouldn’t fire. It’s all back together how and no worse for the wear. Bore really looked nice. Here is a picture of what was in the bottom of the bore.
Ball, patch, powder and cleaning
Patch.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Great job. Glad you got the problem resolved.

 

[64Springer]

And recyclable too.

Who says gun owners aren't green.

 

[Flint Striker]

Looks like you could almost reuse the powder too!

 

[smo]

Sometimes when swabbing the bore it creates a vacuum that will suck the cleaning patch back into the barrel…
If you don’t notice it missing, then what you just experienced can happen..

I’ve fished them out more than once with a worm attacked to the cleaning rod..

 

[longcruise]

And that probably explains why you got the good deal. Poetic justice!

 

[stevenjay1]

And that probably explains why you got the good deal. Poetic justice!

Yep

 

[alcessapiens]

Had the same problem with a jager (1830~Suhl Germany ). Got a great deal on it (lots of lovely engraved German silver) but the dopey guy said it doesn’t fire. Lock was plenty strong but I didn’t trust firing a gun that old without a good inspection (good thing too). Co2 wouldn’t move it and ball puller couldn’t grab it. Poured dexron2 automatic transmission fluid into the barrel, used a livestock syringe to load up the breech and nipple. Capped it with rubber and let it sit for a week. Used a compressor at 110psi and spit the ball and charge right out. The ball had been cored out with a puller and the charge looked like 80-90 gr. Red dot shotgun powder. Good thing it hadn’t fired when the last owner tried it . Of course a head wound isn’t so bad when you’re missing a brain. Bore was superb, if dark. .60 cal with deep rifling. Beautifully accurate and dropped a deer at about 125m right at the base of his skull (eyes were better then). Shooting it at the range a guy had to have it and threw a pile of guns my way (probably could have gotten his soul to boot). He shoots a buck a year with it. Nice to know a hunting rifle was still hunting almost 200 years.

 

[M. De Land]

I picked up another jager 44 caliber flintlock Kentucky rifle for a song and a dance. I can’t sing or dance so it was real cheap. Anyway, it is loaded and the flash hold is so plugged I can’t get any powder in the barrel to shoot the ball out. Ball puller won’t move it. Plan B is to remove the breech plug and get everything cleaned up. My question is…has anyone removed a jager flintlock breech plug. I assume it is threaded in but I want to make sure before I try to unscrew it. Looking for direction. Thanks, Steve

A one piece range rod with a screw in ball puller would have pulled the ball for you. I use one regularly for my many dry ball pulls made necessary when talking while shooting!
A screw in ball puller should have a course, heavy thread or will often pull out, hole the ball and now your screwed to even blast it out with air or the charge.