HELP, stuck bore brush.

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And your doing all that work (copper tube, leader,fish hook) in a 1/2 inch diameter barrel, 1/2 inch isn't all that big especially down a long barrel.

Lastly what is all that work doing to the barrel surface?
 
I have removed for others, stuck bullets,balls, and broken ramrods from the hooked breech type rifles by removing the breech plug in the said rifles.
T/C makes or has made a device to fit around the plug and between the wrench jaws.
Of course, a heavy duty jaw protected vice is needed.
I wouldn't advise "routine" breech plug removal however because sooner or later the threads will become streched and the flats will be misaligned at final tightning.
 
Something to think about

If this plugged barrel ever gets cleared will it be safe to shoot? It must be suffering from all kinds of stress. May have been something going on beforehand that caused the brush to get stuck in the first place like an internal pitting, split or bulge.
 
If this plugged barrel ever gets cleared will it be safe to shoot? It must be suffering from all kinds of stress. May have been something going on beforehand that caused the brush to get stuck in the first place like an internal pitting, split or bulge.
Click to expand...

Sure. On these barrels there is always a sharp edge where the actual barrel ends and the powder chamber begins.
There's often a powder fouling ring builds up.
That's where things like brushes and jags seem to get caught.
Always a good idea to use a carbon scraper down there to keep it cleaned out.
 
Stress??? Chances are the stresses involved are much less than the firing of 60 to 80 grains of black powder behind a patched round ball or a regular bullet.
 
My original thinking was that the Green Mountain barrel did not have a powder chamber because I coulldn't see it. However, after I tried the rod idea, and it didn't work. The reflections in the barrel were differnt and I was able to see it. The brush was on this side of the chamber to start with, but thanks to me it is now in the powder chamber. A good gun smith has the barrel. I am going to be a bit hesitant to use a bore brush from now on. Here's one for you, my .50 cal. bore brush was a friction fit, and my .22 cal. bore brush is pinned. lol
 
How about a update on the barrel. Did the smithremove the brush, was the barrel stressed and is it now scrap?

Or all's well -bore clean - ready to shoot?
 
The last I spoke with the gunsmith, he was soaking the barrel, incase there is corrosion in the threads. He has a day job, so I think it's a matter of how much gun work he has, and how much he feels like working on guns. The soaking idea does make sense. I don't want to bug him, but...., I'll call him again tomorrow. He hasn't called me with bad news, so that is good. :) 'am getting antsy, though.
By the way, Rod Doc, I do like that tool you made. Looks like it would work good. What I came up with was close, but not close enough. I only ppushed the brush deeper. Plus I ended up hitting against the powder chamber that I didn't think was there. I am definatelly going to make sure bore brushes are pinned, instead of just crimped together. Gonna ask the gunsmith about the size of the powder chamber on this barrel and see if I can get a brush that will work in it. And skip using a brush on the barrel.
 
A flexible pickup tool (search it on google images if you don't know what it is) works wonders on broken brushes and such. You can get one in a dollar store.
 
Garak: I have one. Not long enough, and the fingers won't grip tight enough. The brush is stuck enough that the connecter pulled off the center wire that holds the brissels. Just a crimp fit, not pinned, like my .22 brushes.
 
spoke to the gunsmith, he said he was planning on working on the barrel this weekend. Hopefully, will get the good news tomorrow. I asked him about putting teflon tape on the threads when he put it together. He said, not good. Won't handle the heat. He uses high temp grease.
 
Here is an update: Still soaking, having trouble getting it apart. Now it is going to get interesting. My last call to the gunsmith, I told him that I found the only two things that got stuck down there. The brush and patch puller had been shot out, and I found them on the ground. He says he used a bore scope and there is something still in there. I don't know what it could be. Told hime to scope it again, because I didn't put more than the two things down there. (that got stuck).
 
Most gunsmiths would have removed the breech plug, it's not rocket science!
Nit Wit:banghead:
 
OK. Finally... The gunsmith didn't charge much, and he did find and clean some but not all of a build up in the powder chamber. He was worried about removing metal too. I'm gonna see I can find something to soak down there to hopefully desolve some of the build up. See if I can find a bore brush the right size for a 54 cal powder chamber, that's pinned together, not just crimped. Thank you all for your concern and helpful advice. This seems to have gotten a lot of views, so IMHO it's worth repeating, get a bore brush that is pinned together, not just crimped. I still find it interesting that my .54 cal brush was only crimped, while my .22 cal rimfire brush is pinned.
 
It's very simple. STOP PUTTING BORE BRUSHES IN YOUR BARREL!!
In 50 years of shooting all kinds of muzzleloaders I have never put a bore
brush in one. After all of this trouble I would have thought you would have
learned not to do it again, not go right back and put another one in??:banghead::banghead:
 
Mustanger
I forget -does your rifle have a patent breech-the chamber is smaller diameter than the bore size?
If so, you`ll need a brush that`s sized to fit the chamber not the bore.
Maybe if you just keep flushing it that gunk will loosen so you can clean it out.
You could get a plastic bottle of rubbing alcohol. when its empty, get some clear plastic tubing that fits the OD of the rifle`s nipple. Drill a hole in the cap,same size as the OD of the tubing. Insert tubing through the cap,so it`s just a hair above the bottom of the bottle. Then drill a very small hole in the cap.
Fill the bottle with solvent or hot soapy water, screw the to onto the bottle. attach the other end of tubing to the nipple. Wet one patch, then start running ramrod up & down.If made properly, it creates a suction action and you can see via the clear tubing,if it`s working. You`ll start seeing some dark liquid thru the tubing, -that`s GOOD -means it`s working .
 
Thor: It does have a patent breach, or powder chamber. It is harder to see than in an Investarms rifle. Appears to be shorter.
I have some CLP by breakfree in there now. I'm going into town, so I'll look around and see if I can find something specifically for loosening hard bp residue. Otherwise I'll try the alcohol, or probably try that too.
 
I think you said someplace you had a T/C .50 caliber.
The chamber on them is around .38, or just call T/C to be sure.
Then get one of these:
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_102_501&products_id=1244
Quit messing around with brushes.
And forget the alcohol. All that's used for is to absorb moisture that still might be down the bore, it won't do anything to the burned in carbon deposits.
Keep pouring warm water in there and let it soak.
Stick the breech end in a bucket full of warm water and get to pumping with a patch on a jag.
 
Water dissolves bp combustion byproducts.

ThorinNNY's idea is theoretically sound but a bit overdone. Just remove the barrel, submerge the breech end in water (bucket, basin, even a toilet bowl) deep enough to cover the nipple, wet a patch and run it down the bore as described. The hydraulic action will work that way too.
 
I'm not surprised that the tubing slipped over the bristles didn't work. And there is just not a hope that a fish hook or those slips of cable will get down and grab onto anything with enough force to actually pull out a bronze bristle brush.

Keep in mind that if the size is correct that all those bristles are angled back towards the muzzle at this point. Each and every one is working just like a chair tucked up under a door knob to wedge that brush in place. Copper solvent left in there long enough may dissolve the bristles. But other than that I can't see any other way to get this brush out other than removing the breech plug and pushing it out that way.

Mustanger, your last post on the topic seems to suggest you still think that you can use a brush. Please change your mind on this aspect. Or if you MUST use a brush again then don't use one which is a tight fit. Instead get a loose fitting one which actually will rattle down the bore. Then kink it in the middle so only the two ends and the middle actually do any brushing action. At least a brush modified to use that way will not be able to get stuck.

In any case do NOT use a "proper" fitting brush in any barrel where you can't push the brush right on through the other end before pulling it back. Even a nylon bristle will stick well enough that you're risking pulling off the end. And pinning it still isn't enough. The force needed to flip all the bristles around is just too high to gamble with. It may work for a .22 but the bigger sizes seem to wedge all the tighter. Don't gamble with sticking any more such brushes in the bore.

As for the CLP you mentioned using I suggest you keep it away from your black powder guns. BP fouling is not at all like smokeless fouling. The CLP not only won't loosen the deposits but it'll actually make things worse.

And if you shoot the gun with a petroleum based oil in the barrel at all it turns into a nasty tar like substance which is hell to clean away. Could this be the source of your present crusty barrel deposits?

Instead of normal gun oils there are two that you can use which will not cause such fouling. One is Ballistol and the other is some sort of cooking oil. Either of these options will not cause the sort of hard buildup like you have now. For short term "day use" where I'll be shooting the gun(s) again within a week or so I've used Canola oil with excellent results. For longer term storage I stick with wiping down with Ballistol after cleaning with the hot water or hot soapy water mentioned already. In any event keep regular gun oils or any other petroleum based oil away from your black powder guns. Or at least limit such oils to lubricating pivot points in the action only. Stick with Ballistol or, for short term use, a cooking oil for the barrel or chambers in the case of a revolver.
 
BC: Thank you for clarifying something for me. I was assuming that gun oils were not petrolium based or that they were more purified. eeeeek!! Ballistal is not sold locally, but will be on the look out for. I had better go back through and get my bpguns cleaned, and coated with cooking oil, 'till I get the right stuff.
 
Cooking oils will work for short time storage(very short) they are drying oils. In a long time storage the cooking or vegatible oils will dry to a varnish like coting that will almost impossible to remove. I found that out when I used a whale oil substitute. I used the stuff in the lock work after a while the lock slowed down as the veggy oil dried.

Use regular oils to protect from rust and just before taking your guns to the range wipe the bore out with a clean patch.
 
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