Pulling bullets

M

mrappe

New member
I went to the range today and was loading my 1860 Army and as frequently happens someone came up to me to inquire about the guns. I usually when i amd loading I put the powder in and immediately put a wad on top of it, then go back around and load the balls. While talking to this person, i must have put 2 charges in the cylinder before the wad and the ball. When I was pressing the balls I noticed that one of them would not seat all of the way down. I could not rotate the cylinder passed this ball so I pulled the barrel and cylinder off and and set it aside. Since I haden't capped yet I pointed the cylinder down range and worked at pulling the ball with a hooked dental instrument that I happened to have in my bag. I managed to get it out and removed the compressed powder with a popsickle stick. I was wondering if there is a better way or tool to pull a ball from the cylinder if this happens again?


Mike
 
I've never actually had to do it, but my "plan" if it happens is to remove the nipple (carry a nipple wrench) and push everything out (carry a dowel) from the rear.
 
I have an 1860 and have wondered about this too. My idea is the same as Wobble's. Take out the cylinder, remove the nipple, dump out the powder (if any) and push the ball out the front from the back of the cylinder.
I hope it never happens though.
 
What about one of those screws you use to pull a lead ball from a ML rifle on the end of a cleaning rod?
 
If it were me

If I double charged a Bp, I would take out the cylinder, take out the nipple tip out about half or a little more of the powder, put the nipple back in, cylinder back in.... press the ball in and see if it is about the same level as the others, and continue shooting. :D

If you havent got a nipple wrench with you, take out the cylinder and poke in the nipple hole with anything you can find... paperclip, toothpick, jewellers screwdriver to loosen the powder, keep shaking/picking out powder til the ball is about level with the others. If it is a teeny bit higher, dont worry, just shoot it out.

A caution tho with the first idea, removing the nipple, clean any powder off the thread of the nipple and the thread in the cylinder, put the tinyest smear of oil on the thread of the nipple before screwing it in, and then just screw it in enough (dont try to tighten it completely yet) if there is any dry powder in the thread of the nipple/socket and you try to tighten the nipple completely, the powder might crush and ignite (pipe bomb) which could prove interesting :eek: Thats also why I say put a tiny bit of oil on the thread, so it will dampen any powder in the thread, but not enough to wet the powder in the cylinder or in the nipple hole itsself.

After you have shot the ball out, tighten nipple :D
 
One thing I did do, for future reference,

was forget to put powder in one cylinder :eek: I put a tiny bit of powder down the nipple hole (ball was right down the bottom, so couldnt fit much) :eek:..... I capped it and fired down range..... looked again, the ball was up to where it normally sits in the cylinder when loaded, the cap & tiny bit of powder pushed the ball half an inch :D. then I waited so there was nothing smoldering in the cylinder to ignite the next bit of powder I put in thru the nipple hole, forced about a quater of a normal load down the nipple hole (took about 10 minutes) and pressed in the ball, capped then fired that down range..... made a small bang, and you could see the ball go, but it was out :D.... Whew! :o

Just thinking about it, I wonder if you could find a piece of fairly soft (pine?) wood and bang the cylinder on it like using a Kinetic hammer? If not to get the ball out, but to make room for some powder? Might try that next time (if it happens)
 
The old, "Distracted by talking to someone while loading the muzzleloader at the range."
I had a beautiful Civil War Zouave replica.
Got distracted talking to someone at the range while loading.
I loaded the big round ball with the short starter, but forgot to use the ramrod.
When I fired, the gun went POOOOOFFFFF.
The ball sailed out about 25 feet, landed on the ground, and rolled 5 feet in the dust.
Bulged the barrel, all except the last 6 inches, not too accurate after that.
 
through the nipple. i have a 7/8 socket in my range box.
remove the nipple.
dump the powder
put the cylind on the socket with the ball down in the socket part
take a long nail i have the end filed down already.
put the nail in the nipple and tap it out

comes out pretty easy.
 
if you have ever seen a kinetic bullet puller for a cartridge, you could examine it and make one for a BP revolver cylinder

it basically looks like a plastic hammer, that the hammer head comes apart, you put a cartridge in with primer facing up, screw the top on, and hit a wooden block or table with it, until the bullet pops out and powder falls inside- then unscrew the top, and dump it out

it pulls bullets very effectively in about 5 hits or so

if you made one large enough to hold a BP C-B cylinder, you could remove the caps first by hand, then hit it and the balls would all fall out, along with the powder
 
Dingoboyx said:

take out the cylinder and poke in the nipple hole with anything you can find... paperclip, toothpick, jewellers screwdriver to loosen the powder

In the past when I took the nipples off the powder was compressed into a pellet sit to get it out you have to loosen the powder. I would not want to use anything that would be made of ferrous metal so I would use a small wooden stick or brass punch.
 
I did that once with my 58, i just took out my
pocket knife and cut it flush with the top of the
cylinder and put it back in the smoker and pull
the dam trigger simple as that :cool:
 
I must recap on this , you did not state what powder
you was loading? so haveing said that if its real bp ok
BUT NOT 777 if t7 put a dry wall screw in the ball and
a set of grips walla.:D
 
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