Stuck Cleaning rod

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GraveSquirrel

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Greetings all,

I'm a bit lost on how to dislodge an entire cleaning rod in my .32 Pedersoli frontier rifle. I was using a copper bore brush when it became stuck with about 4" protruding. After many attempts at pulling it out the wood snapped, now left with 3' of hickory in my barrel. I have tried air compression and grease nipple trick to no avail. Fluids simply move around the rod with no sign of movement.

I'm unsure about removing the breechplug but seems like that's the only way.

Any other tricks of the trade or how to find good gunsmiths that can work a muzzleloader barrel?

Thanks
 
Can you slip some kind of tubing, metal or plastic, down over part of the broken shaft? If so, you could pour some epoxy into the tube to secure it onto the shaft and hopefully get enough traction to pull everything out. I hope.
 
Before removing the breech plug (may damage the gun .. not sure about Pedersolis), remove the nipple and dribble 3F powder in. It won't amount to much. Replace nipple, cap and fire. The piece will probably go flying out the end of the barrel. Make sure you are outside and point it in a safe direction.

Good luck.
 
Armored farmer has described what I would try first. In the future I would consider the use of a camming ramrod puller, or even just a leather strap which can be wrapped around the rod and attached to a solid object. Either of those methods normally prevent ramrod breakage.

For what it is worth, I no longer use wooden ramrods unless I am woods walking and do not want to carry a one-piece steel wiping rod. This is the one I use at home and at the range.
 
I would second the last two suggestions.

The problem is that the copper bore brush is gripping the inside of the barrel. You might try pouring some copper-dissolving solvent down the barrel and letting the gun stand upright for a few days. (Plug the nipple with a toothpick.) The copper bore brush does not have to be completely dissolved. All you need to do is weaken it so that you can pull it out.

The wedging of bore brushes in the bore is normally not a problem with breech-loading rifles. You simply push the brush through in the same direction. But with muzzle loaders, you have to change direction at the end of the stroke. That's what wedges the bristles into the bore. The moral is never to use oversize bore brushes in muzzle loaders.
 
Story about that yesterday.
Some time ago, a shooter went to swab out his barrel with a large rag patch in a loop jag. It stuck fast.
So he trickled some powder in behind it, aimed downrange, and fired. As the teller of the story put it; "the ramrod took off with the patch like the fletching on an arrow. It is still somewhere in the woods beyond the target."
 
Using a stiff nylon brush along with a steel, delrin, or fiberglass rod will remove the possibility of repeating the situation. (Note: fiberglass is abrasive and can wear away the inside of the barrel after many cleanings.)
 
My rifle occasionally will get a patch on the ramrod stuck if I don't swab it out about every 3rd round. I would first try what Armored farmer said but for me I just fire a cap and the rod will pop out. I don't think that will work for you with a brush in there.
 
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Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm thinking the grease and other chemicals I've pumped through the barrel have saturated the wooden ram rod. Akin to the glue trick I screwed in a 3in screw and tried pullling it out- no luck. Even using 200psi air it blew back out the nipple. I'd assume at this point not even some grains of FFFg would dislodge it without bulging the barrel. Safe to assume the wood is swelled up but at least there is grease to prevent the bore from rusting out.

I might try the copper solvent next then try the grease method again.

expensive lesson learned: buy a .32cal but make sure to break the wooden ram rod outside the barrel and throw it away. replace with delrin or brass rod
 

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I get the impression not much if any of the wood is protruding out of the muzzle. The hollow brass tube sounds real plausible and an idea I’m filing away in my memory banks. The 32 caliber bit don’t leave much room. 1/4 in copper pipe???
 
Do you trust yourself to pre-drill a hole in the center of the wood rod and screw a 3” deck screw into the rod?

You’d want to select a bit with a diameter between the max thread diameter of the screw and the screw shank diameter. Too small a drill bit and the screw will act like a wedge. To big bit diameter and the screw won’t have much bite. Leave the head of screw out far enough so you can grab and leverage the rod out.
 
Ru4real said:
Do you trust yourself to pre-drill a hole in the center of the wood rod and screw a 3” deck screw into the rod?

You’d want to select a bit with a diameter between the max thread diameter of the screw and the screw shank diameter. Too small a drill bit and the screw will act like a wedge. To big bit diameter and the screw won’t have much bite. Leave the head of screw out far enough so you can grab and leverage the rod out.
Click to expand...

I tried with the deck screws, and it definitely did the wedge, and then I hit it with 200# air- still nothing. I think the bore brush is biting too much, so I'll have to dissolve it and try again with above methods. Worst case I might have to send it to a gunsmith and have him remove the breech plug (I lack the space and tools in a studio apartment)

Crazy as it sounds, if I had some termites, they'd eat the barrel clean ;)

As for gunsmiths, will most of them know what they are doing- or are they used to dealing with centerfire rifles?
 
A fellow reenactor got his steel ramrod stuck at an event. Got out my ramrod clamp, gave it several twists, then he pulled one way and I pulled another. Or a pipe through the trigger guard, wedge in a doorway.
 
Jim Watson said:
Story about that yesterday.
Some time ago, a shooter went to swab out his barrel with a large rag patch in a loop jag. It stuck fast.
So he trickled some powder in behind it, aimed downrange, and fired. As the teller of the story put it; "the ramrod took off with the patch like the fletching on an arrow. It is still somewhere in the woods beyond the target."
Click to expand...

There’s a nice little sage flat not far from the house and we go there to shoot quite often. 30 years ago a friend launched the ramrod from his Seneca .45. He had loaded and capped the rifle and I saw what was about to happen but couldn’t get the words out quick enough. The experience soured him with the whole idea of muzzleloaders, “too much crap and too much to worry about!” so he sold me the rifle.

We replaced the ramrod with a new one from T/C and my wife claimed the little gun and she’s still shooting it now. Every so often when I’m up there shooting I’ll poke around hoping to find what’s left of his ramrod. No luck so far,
 
Armored farmer said:
Unscrew the broken rod with needle nose pliers.
Borrow or buy a good steel t-handle range rod and thread it onto the jag.

The proper way to remove a stuck rod is to hold the rifle upside down,, stand on the end(vice grips if necessary), and grip the rifle and pull upwards.
Click to expand...
If you go this route, after screwing on the steel or brass range rod give the rod a good twist to bend the bristles of the cleaning brush and pull. The brush should come out. If not, the soaking method with a strong copper bore cleaner will weaken the brass bristles enough so you can get the brush out.
 
GraveSquirrel said:
I was using a copper bore brush when it became stuck with about 4" protruding. After many attempts at pulling it out the wood snapped, now left with 3' of hickory in my barrel.
Click to expand...

Patocazador said:
Before removing the breech plug (may damage the gun .. not sure about Pedersolis), remove the nipple and dribble 3F powder in. It won't amount to much. Replace nipple, cap and fire. The piece will probably go flying out the end of the barrel. Make sure you are outside and point it in a safe direction.
Click to expand...

OK so IF you cannot shoot it out...,
IF it's a copper brush, buy one of the solvents used to remove copper fouling from a modern gun barrel. Remove your barrel from the rifle and remove the nipple. Take a large steel can (a used can of vegetables may be enough), and make sure the breech end of the rifle is about 4" below the rim of the can if you put the barrel breech end down into the can. Now fill that can holding the barrel with the copper solvent, and set it aside for 24 hours. The solvent will travel inside the nipple hole to reach level, and will dissolve the copper of the brush. THEN you should be able to invert the barrel muzzle down and the remnants of the rod should come free, OR carefully using a long wood screw, attach that long screw to the broken end of the ramrod and extract it.

LD
 
GraveSquirrel said:
As for gunsmiths, will most of them know what they are doing- or are they used to dealing with centerfire rifles?
Click to expand...

You could be better off sending the barrel to a specialty muzzle loading shop that specializes in removing breech plugs.
If the breech plug is stuck or damaged, they can drill it out and fit a new one.
Fitting a new breech plug is more involved than the jobs that most centerfire gunsmiths take on.
A regular gunsmith may be fine unless there's a problem, a specialist would be able to handle a worst case scenario.
You may only need to send in your barrel unless they run in to a problem.

For example, the services page of the The Muzzle Loading Shop LTD in Arkansas, lists removing a stuck breech plug and refitting a new one if necessary as a standard service. --->>> https://www.muzzleloadershop.com

There's a bunch of reputable muzzle loading shops across the country that offer services.
It just depends where you want to send it to, if one is closer to you than maybe you can deliver it personally.

Some forums have many members who build guns from scratch and could help you out with some even living in your area.
One forum in particular is the American Long Rifles forum.
Many craftsman there are willing to help others.
Just post a new thread like you have on THR asking if anyone can help.--->>> https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php

Shops to ask about services.
Dixon's in PA --->>> http://www.dixonmuzzleloading.com
Log Cabin Shop in OH --->>> https://www.logcabinshop.com
Lodgewood MFG. in WI --->>> https://www.lodgewood.com/General-Repairs_c_93.html

You can find local muzzle loading shops by Googling "Virginia Muzzle Loading Shops".
Back Creek Gun Shop in Winchester, VA is well known.--->>> https://blackpowderva.com
 
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