# breech plug stuck in muzzleloader



## OEFOIFvet88

I have a cva optima pro, and i have a problem. I hav not used it in about 4 years, and my dad had kinda forgot to oil it and grease up the breech plug so it has probably rusted in there. Is there anyway to get it out? I dont want to have to buy a new barrel because i mean i can get most of the rust off the inside and should shoot straight. thanks for the advice


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## sghoghunter

Go to the parts house and buy you an easy out.Dont buy the one that is square or the one that is round but get the one that looks like a torx bit.Stand it up in the corner and spray pb blaster down the barrel and let soak for a few days then drill in the middle of the plug drive in the torx lookn easy out and back it out if it will.Mine was the same way last year and with a lil time and work it came out.


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## tv_racin_fan

Soak it in KROIL for at least 24 hours. You might take the barrel off and put some KROIL in a pot that you can heat over fire and soak the barrel in heated KROIL.


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## specialk

i've heard of some folks putting it in a freezer for 24 hours then trying to turn it...i've never tried it though...


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## Underclocked

After soaking with Kroil, use a torch to heat the plug area of the barrel (not too hot, no color or temper change wanted) while someone applies torque to the plug.  It would help if you clamped the barreled action in a vice before making this effort, protected by some soft pine board or similar.

If manual torquing doesn't work, sometimes they'll break free using an air impact wrench.


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## Judge

Can you get an air wrench and socket on it?


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## shortround1

never, ever put a plug into your firearm without using grease. once stuck, its stuck.i use to use oil threading like in iron pipe plumbing to free it. have 2 that can't bee free by gunsmiths.


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## ChristopherA.King

Had the same thing happen to me a few years back. Forgot to clean the thing at the end of the season. It was really stuck what I had done was filled the baroll with some sort of penatrating oil and let it sit for a couple of days finally it broke loose and all was fine the plug wasn't even damaged. Good lesson learned though


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## yellowhammer

*frozen breech plug*

Yep,oil`em,and DON`T put them in tight,just snug.they`re not going anywhere in just a few shots,and you`re going to clean the gun after every shooting spree.


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## Underclocked

On most breech plugs, I use a single layer of pink Teflon tape on the threads (slightly overlap the nose of the plug and fold it in over the rim toward the flash hole).  I add just a touch of Slick50 One grease or Amsoil food grade (white) grease to the surface of the tape on the threads at the nose end of the plug.

That method has never failed me. 

But not cleaning a muzzleloader is always a recipe for disaster.


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## one_shot

Spray ether or starting fluid is what I used! 
Try not inhale much or you will get sleepy or a bad headache.


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## jdrawdy

industrial strength anti seize will keep them from sticking and is cheaper than the anti seize put out by tc.  i have had the same problem with the plug geting stuck and i have always had good luck by soaking the barrel in hot water in the bath tub and using a piece of 12 inch pipe as a cheater bar on the plug wrench.  If you decide to heat it to get it out, be very careful not to get the barrel hot.  i would try to heat the plug only.  I work in on farm equipment all the time and this is how we break bolts and such loose.  Again just be careful b/c heat can damage the barrel.


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## kvistads

Why worry with it - leave it in there.  I've been shooting and custom building muzzle loaders for many years and I have not had the need to take a breech plug out ever.  As long as you can change the nipple when it goes bad or the flash-hole liner on a flintlock.  I use a flintlock most of the time unless when I'm playing soldier re-enacting.  Find yourself a good stainless steel range rod and get the appropriate sized jag fitted for it and clean from the muzzle end.  That's the only way it was EVER done back when they had nothing but front loaders.  Relax and leave the breech plug alone.   Just because it may be an in-line doesn't mean a thing.  They all load from the front and can be cleaned the same way.  If you need ANY help, I'll be happy to assist in any way I can.


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## Skyjacker

I have found that regular gun oil doesn't necessarily work unless you regularly clean the breach.  I used a type of grease that T&C sold in a small yellow tube.  It has the characteristics of aeronautical grease and I've never had an issue.  You can fire that thing all day long, not clean it (which I don't recommend especially if you use real blackpowder) put it on the shelf for a couple of years, and it will still be removed.


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## kvistads

Again, I can't emphasize enough to leave the breech plug alone!  I just as soon have mine WELDED in place.  If you get something stuck in the bore, then use a ball/bullet puller screw and pull it out from the muzzle end.  If you can't get it out no other way, you can always unscrew your nipple and push some 4F into the hole and replace nipple - then fire.  It should be enough to kick out the projectile.  I've done it many, many times.  Why else would you need to remove the breech plug but to clean or remove a dry load?    Good luck.


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## jmwoffshore

*If you get it out*

if you get it out leave it out between the times you use it and it won't happen again.


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## Washington95

Soak it with penetrating oil, let stand several hours.  Freeze it, then use propane torch or whatever and quickly/heat barrel around plug, while applying pressure to remove.  Might have to have friend help.  If it doesn't work, soak again with penetrating oil, repeat.  Heat evenly around barrel, but don't over do it.  You just want the barrel metal to expand enough to release the plug.


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## Jkern

same thing happend to my CVA. We sprayed the crap out of it with WD 40 from both ends. let it soak. We used the wrench that came with it, took a pcs of wood and held it at the end of the wrench, while my dad tried to turn it i hit the crap out of the wood pcs with a happer, trying to break down the rust. After about 5-6 GOOD hits it broke loose.


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## buddylee

KROIL KROIL KROIL. I use it everyday at work to break stuff loose that is rusted together.


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## pcsolutions1

Kroil is fantastic.


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## torrente1

Why would you want to remove the breech plug?


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## Doyle

torrente1 said:


> Why would you want to remove the breech plug?



To remove the crud ring that builds up just in front of it.  777 is especially bad about building a crud ring.


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## miles58

Take the barrel off(one screw).  Put it in a vice, muzzle down.  Kroil it (or any other decent penetrating oil) around the plug.  Give it a day or two to penetrate.  If it won't come out clear the flash hole with a pick or wire, load it and fire it.  Kroil it again for a day or so.  It will come out now.


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## Eric Lewis

*choke tube lube*

PB blaster works but it really stinks 
 Once / if you get it out use choke tube lube or SYNTHETIC grease on the threads.

Good luck


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## OEFOIFvet88

Well got the plug out and discovered another problem, the barrel was extremely rusted. Went to Home depot and got some naval jelly, took most of the rust off, but there is still some in there. Now do you think the gun will be ok to shoot with the little bit in there?


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## miles58

Yeah, why not?  It might shoot just as well as before.


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## OEFOIFvet88

just was not sure if the rust would do anything to the flight of the bullet or anything like that


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## Dead Eye Eddy

My 2 CVA's are rusty as Hades.  They shoot just fine.  I gave up trying to clean the bores to a shine years ago and just accepted that muzzleloading propellants are highly corrosive.  I usually run 2 wet patches through them, then 4 or 5 dry patches, then spray them with RemOil and put them in the cabinet until the next season.  I ALWAYS apply a liberal amount of Anti-Seize lubricant to the breech plug before reinstalling it.  I also use the AS lube on my shotgun choke tubes.


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## polaris30144

kvistads said:


> Again, I can't emphasize enough to leave the breech plug alone!  I just as soon have mine WELDED in place.  If you get something stuck in the bore, then use a ball/bullet puller screw and pull it out from the muzzle end.  If you can't get it out no other way, you can always unscrew your nipple and push some 4F into the hole and replace nipple - then fire.  It should be enough to kick out the projectile.  I've done it many, many times.  Why else would you need to remove the breech plug but to clean or remove a dry load?    Good luck.



 Inlines are designed to have the breach plug removed for proper barrel cleaning and cleaning of the primer pocket. Cap locks and flint locks are a whole different story. You are talking apples to the OP's oranges.


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## stevetarget

kvistads said:


> Again, I can't emphasize enough to leave the breech plug alone! I just as soon have mine WELDED in place. If you get something stuck in the bore, then use a ball/bullet puller screw and pull it out from the muzzle end. If you can't get it out no other way, you can always unscrew your nipple and push some 4F into the hole and replace nipple - then fire. It should be enough to kick out the projectile. I've done it many, many times. Why else would you need to remove the breech plug but to clean or remove a dry load?  Good luck.


 if you had to put 4 f in your gun to remove the load then maybe you should consider cleaning the breach plug.
 If you have a inline muzzle loader you should take the plug out and clean out the flash hole. A lot of older front loaders with side nipples were never meant to have the plug removed those I agree with not even trying to take it out but, inlines need cleaning and you cant just stuff some 4F in nipple to remove a load.


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## YankeeRedneck

I store mine in the off season with the plug out so theres no chance of it ceasing up. I'm a scardy cat of getting it stuck.


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