# fixed my muzzleloader



## shawn dooley (Feb 16, 2013)

i finally got the stuck round ball out.i drilled a hole in the breech plug and pushed it out with a ram rod .will that make the gun unsafe to use .any suggestions on how to fill in the hole i made .


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## JustUs4All (Feb 16, 2013)

You will have to replace the breech plug.


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## HillbillyJim (Feb 17, 2013)

I would not make any attempt to repair a drilled out breech plug.  Just buy a new and go shooting.


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## dawg2 (Feb 17, 2013)

shawn dooley said:


> i finally got the stuck round ball out.i drilled a hole in the breech plug and pushed it out with a ram rod .will that make the gun unsafe to use .any suggestions on how to fill in the hole i made .


Yes.  Take out the old one and put it in the trash.  Install the new one.


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## harryrichdawg (Feb 17, 2013)

Sounds like a flintlock or caplock, not an inline.  If so, then the breech plug is directly in front of your eye when in firing position.  If you value your sight, please don't attempt to repair that breech plug.  A weld or something might hold up just fine for 50 shots and then blow out on shot number 51 and blind you.


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## FrontierGander (Feb 17, 2013)

why the heck would you do that? They sell ball pullers.

If that doesnt even work, if its a sidelock, remove the nipple, dribble powder in and make sure the ball is seated, fire.


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## trial&error (Feb 18, 2013)

A little air pressure will push it out too, just point in a safe direction.  but for now I agree with replacement not repair.


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## donald-f (Feb 18, 2013)

FrontierGander said:


> why the heck would you do that? They sell ball pullers.
> 
> If that doesnt even work, if its a sidelock, remove the nipple, dribble powder in and make sure the ball is seated, fire.





trial&error said:


> A little air pressure will push it out too, just point in a safe direction.  but for now I agree with replacement not repair.



Read the post again! The bullet is OUT. The breech plug has a hole in it. Only thing you need to do is replace the breech plug and it will be ready to go.


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## FrontierGander (Feb 18, 2013)

if it had a removable breech plug, why would he drill through it?


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## donald-f (Feb 18, 2013)

FrontierGander said:


> if it had a removable breech plug, why would he drill through it?



Good question. If the plug was drilled out, it is scrap. It has to be replaced.


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## dawg2 (Feb 18, 2013)

FrontierGander said:


> if it had a removable breech plug, why would he drill through it?



I have no idea on that one either.


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## NCHillbilly (Feb 18, 2013)

My question is why not just pull the bullet if it's a trad muzzleloader, or take out the breech plug and push it out if it's an inline?


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## chadeugene (Feb 18, 2013)

I'm so confused.  So if the breech plug was removable, why didn't you just remove it instead of drilling a hole through it?  If it isn't removable, why would you drill a hole through your gun?


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## Dr. Strangelove (Feb 18, 2013)

NCHillbilly said:


> My question is why not just pull the bullet if it's a trad muzzleloader, or take out the breech plug and push it out if it's an inline?



Wild guess here - he was unaware of the existence of bullet pullers but did have a drill handy.  And a 12pk.


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## stabow (Feb 19, 2013)

Question: was powder under that ball as you were drilling ?


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## trial&error (Feb 19, 2013)

donald-f said:


> Read the post again! The bullet is OUT. The breech plug has a hole in it. Only thing you need to do is replace the breech plug and it will be ready to go.



did read and agreed with replacment I was giving recommendations for others who searched for this type problem.


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## Davexx1 (Oct 7, 2013)

What muzz gun do you have?

Dave


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## 7Mag Hunter (Oct 7, 2013)

I would guess the breach plug was rusted and he was not able
to get it out.....Now that powder and ball are out, you might be
able to remove plug by heating with torch and unscrewing it !!!!!

Post some pics, so we have more info....


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## REB 73 (Oct 9, 2013)

Sounds like the breech plug was trash to start with an had to be replaced thats why he drill it out. jmo


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## Bernard goldsmith (Oct 9, 2013)

Some breach plugs do screw out, after you remove the nipple an the drum from the barrel. CVA bobcat must be done this way. Most of the time you'll have to replace the barrel. The drum locks the breach plug in the barrel
Bernie Goldsmith
Field Rep NMLRA


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## Devildog2591 (Nov 13, 2013)

Dr. Strangelove said:


> Wild guess here - he was unaware of the existence of bullet pullers but did have a drill handy.  And a 12pk.



that was funny


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## tv_racin_fan (Nov 14, 2013)

As I recall he tried a ball puller, they do not always work so well. I believe he also tried compressed air, the ball puller had made a hole such that the compressed air did not work either. I believe he put oil in the bolster to make the powder more or less inert as well, tho it might have been water. As I recall the gun in question was a sidelock rifle and I believe he broke the lug off the breech plug trying to screw it out (don't think he understood at the time that on his particular rifle the bolster screws into the breech plug).

Right at the moment I do not recall what brand rifle this is BUT I believe that the solution now is to find a replacement barrel or a gun smith familiar with this type of rifle. Track of the Wolf sometimes stocks replacement barrels that can be made to work depending on particular rifle, Green Mountain does some as well. Indexing a breech plug isn't as simple as some would have you believe as it needs to bottom out so as not to leave a groove for fouling to accumulate and rust thru.


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## watermedic (Nov 14, 2013)

Hang it over the fireplace and go buy a new one!


Lesson learned!!


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## GunnSmokeer (Nov 28, 2013)

*powder?*

So, as a previous poster asked, was there powder under that "stuck" ball when the O.P. drilled through the breech plug?

I don't think I would have done that. 

Steel drilling through steel with an explosive powder on the other side ????

Not without somehow deactivating the powder by soaking it in water with the nipple removed or something like that.


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## mmarkey (Dec 10, 2013)

Shawn Dooley,
Somehow I think you're pulling our legs, because you haven't posted back. But if you're on the up-n-up with this question, my advice is take the rifle to a competent gunsmith to have it fixed correctly. You obviously don't know what you are doing, and by trying to make this a do-it yourself-project could only end with you or someone else seriously injured. 

Black powder weapons are not toys or jokes. Treat them with the respect that you would any modern weapon. If you don't know how to fix-em, DON'T TRY!


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## Kawaliga (Jan 5, 2014)

Maybe ya'll got on him too hard.


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## Redleaf (Feb 17, 2014)

Give him a chance,  he'll probably reply as soon as he gets out of ICU and buys a brail keyboard.


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