Utter disappointment !!

[Pete44ru]

I bought a T/C .56 cal. Smoothbore percussion off of Gun Broker. Guy said it was in unfired condition. Got the Gun Today and as always got a Flashlight and checked the Bore. Staring back at Me was a Ball and Patch!! Pulled the Nipple and Yep, It is loaded !!On the outside the Gun looks like it has never been shot and was thinking since they haven`t made these guns in Years and if I can get the ball out will the Barrel be ruined ?? I E-mailed the seller, it was a Gunshop in Rhode Island, about getting My money back, no answer yet. I just checked and it was as is, no return so I might be Screwed !!Beautiful wood on the Gun but dand, am I dissapointed !!

If you bought it from Bullseye, you may be S.O.L. on getting a return/refund - especially since it's most likely un-necessary.

I would either pull the load, or remove the nipple and dribble a little powder in there before re-installing the nipple & shooting the load out.

If it's outside looks like new, it's entirely possible that it hasn't been shot much at all.

The beauty of those babies is that a 28ga shotcup can be loaded for small game and/or birds.


.

 

[azmntman]

I would NOT shoot it out unless yer 110% sure it is either dry balled or has a load of BP under it. Be a shame to set off a load of smokeless and lose a body part or two (or worse :shocked2: ) and then have a ruined bad deal.

 

[bpd303]

I second that DO NOT shoot out a ball with unknown powder under it. Thankfully the OP got the ball out and I bet everything will be fine.
Enjoy your new smoke pole. :hatsoff:

Now if you want to read an unusual story take a look at this one.
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/290886/post/1427756/hl//fromsearch/1/

 

[bigted]

I agree 100% with the DO NOT SHOOT it out ... however it be a moot point as he got the ball out already with the puller from TOW. great news!!!

I hope you got a nice shiny chamber and bore with an otherwise great rifle/smoothbore. always wanted one of those but ... not yet anyway.

 

[necchi]

Guy's,, sometimes it pay's to read the thread;

Got the Ball out after soaking overnight with Oil and,the Missus idea, Dawn Dish liquid !!

 

[pa woods roamer]

The Ad had an As Is, no return on it and that should have throwed up a Black Flag . But, The Ball is out and can`t feel any rough spots. Took a couple Hours of soaking and Steel Wooling and will shoot it Tomorrow. I learned My lesson on checking for loaded Guns when I loaded up a CVA .50 Caliber and touched it off. It was loaded with a Maxi-Ball and I put another load on top !! Dang near spun Me around. The Target had a Round Ball Hole in it and a sideways Maxi Ball Hole !! Live and learn , I guess ??

 

[jethro224]

can`t feel any rough spots.

:thumbsup: Should be good to go.

 

[azmntman]

Got the Ball out after soaking overnight with Oil and,the Missus idea, Dawn Dish liquid !! Can`t brag enough about the Ball Pullers Track of the Wolf sell, they work !! Gonna watch the Steeler`s game and then go see if the barrel is ok.....

Steelers before barrel? :shocked2:

LOL

 

[Cowboy]

You got the ball out and you didn't feel any rough spots in the bore. Do you have a bore light that you can look into the bore? Respectfully, cowboys1062.

 

[AZbpBurner]

Just for the aggravation & extra work needed to pull the loaded ball, contact your Credit Card & dispute the charges, mentioning expected 'unfired' condition and also the actual situation, and what a reasonable dollar amount would be.

After you get a reply from your CC, contact the seller to let them know your CC was notified,charge has been disputed, and that you want to renegotiate price on an item not as it was described.

Even if it's only $25 difference, I'd make the seller accountable.

 

[swathdiver]

I bought a T/C .56 cal. Smoothbore percussion off of Gun Broker. Guy said it was in unfired condition. Got the Gun Today and as always got a Flashlight and checked the Bore. Staring back at Me was a Ball and Patch!!

Seller may have told the truth, it was loaded once at least and never fired. Kinda like them brand new ARVN M16s, loaded once, dropped once and never fired.

:rotf:

Glad you got it working again, let us know how she shoots.

 

[Rat Trapper]

I bought a TC 56 here a while ago and found the barrel had some pits in it. got the seller to refund me a little and then shipped the barrel out and had it recut to 20 GA. Makes for a more useful gun anyway.

 

[crockett]

I have a small wood dowel with a mirror glued on the end- slide it down the bore and turn on a flashlight and you can see most of the bore very well. Depending on the drum. etc. you might be able to use a small flashlight- tape it up so the only place the light goes is in the screw out hole of the drum and in a dark room- might be able to see the breech plug area.
Black powder is NOT corrosive, it is the residue after it is fired. The breech area might be fine.
The black powder solidifying into a hardened mass- that is normal. No worry. The gun may very well be okay.

 

[Rick Boylan]

As I learned here from a few members, a useful bore light is to go to a local fishing store or fishing department of a sporting store and buy a bobber light. It's small and you can drop it down the bore of the gun and it shines good so you can see the condition of the barrel from the inside. They are cheap too.

See the helpful stuff you can learn here. :thumbsup:

 

[coloradoclyde]

I wonder how it shot ?....

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I am always skeptical of the condition of guns listed on line. Some of the more creative folks will say "looks unfired" or " as if unfired" or similar weasel wording. In unfired condition may or may not be unfired. or perhaps, "as unfired"

Sometimes I can tell that the seller has no clue what he has. Those who advertise a percussion as a flintlock, or a percussion gun as 18th century.

I guess I have known too many used car dealers and real estate agents who have amazingly creative ways to represent things.

 

[Scota4570]

"Just wondering why no one recommends navel jelly"

Because it will ruin your gun. It attacks the steel too leaving a grey rough Naval Jelly finish. Naval Jelly has no place any where near a gun. Evaporust or the molassiss trick are good. Neither bothers the good steel.

 

[Urban Coyote]

I've had mixed results buying muzzleloaders on Gunbroker. In one case I bought an early .45 T/C Hawken in "mint condition" that has two bulges in the barrel. This is but one of the dishonest condition descriptions I've had to deal with. Some sellers have accepted returns, the bulged barrel guy did not and was quite a jerk about it. On average I'd say I've batted about 75%, be VERY careful when buying on Gunbroker.

This being said I've made two buys here, one good and one a rip off. I bought a Al Hunkeler gun, a good find for a NW black powder shooter, here described as having a perfect bore that was full of rust. The seller wouldn't take it back because he was "selling it for a buddy". I'd asked a question about a sticker on the butt stock and was told it was from a "divorce inventory", it turned out to be a price sticker so I assume the gun couldn't be sold elsewhere due to the bore condition. To add injury to insult FedEx damaged it in shipping. NEVER AGAIN! Sorry honest sellers.

I'm sympathetic to your experience. One would hope there should be honor amongst our clan. If you're one of the honest ones, and you know who you are, no offense intended.

 

[bigted]

dishonest folks have very little scruples or non. it is the money grubbing heavy that buys n sells hoping for profit that is mostly the culprit of these dishonest descriptions of guns.

don't know any way around 100% of them except to be able to set eyes on the piece before the buy.

 

[bigted]

I am in your camp here as well ... wonder how she shot too !!! :bow: