# How to unload a flintlock?



## boneboy96 (Mar 8, 2010)

Took my flintlock down to WAR this past weekend and had Nicodemus check it for me.   Turns out that puppy's loaded.   No body wanted to be the one up close and personal to unload it or fire it.   How should I address this issue?     This thing could have been loaded up years ago for all I know...I don't have a clue because I picked it up in some transaction or another and never have fooled with it yet.


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## Washington95 (Mar 8, 2010)

Pull the bullet or remove breech plug.  Think I might soak it down with wd40 and try a bullet puller screw on end of ram rod.


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## Jim Thompson (Mar 8, 2010)

although I dont shoot a flintlock, I would say to get a bullet puller and pull the ball out


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## tv_racin_fan (Mar 8, 2010)

50 cal sir?  I'll come show you the technique for pulling with ram rod n ball puller. Better even than that is to use air to blow it out. Either a discharger Co2 style or a shop compressor with rubber nozzle. OR we can try to fire it if you would prefer.

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/default.php?cPath=22_99_322&osCsid=9336eb28ece55f096422b50c42f4fe2d


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## boneboy96 (Mar 8, 2010)

45 cal


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## Nicodemus (Mar 8, 2010)

Bob, just on the chance that it is not loaded, it was not cleaned after it was shot. There is a tremendous amount of fowlin`, and other unmentionables down in there.


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## tv_racin_fan (Mar 8, 2010)

HHMM

Do you have a ball puller then? Nic is right, if it was loaded for hunting it's probably cool but if someone was a shootin and then left it loaded or just not cleaned it means it weren't cleaned an it could be all sorts of gunked up by now.

Good as excuse as any to get a good range rod and the tools needed for keepin er clean and ready to go on a moments notice.


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## boneboy96 (Mar 8, 2010)

wouldn't surprise me to either be dirty or loaded Nic!   Sunday was the 1st day it's ever seen daylight and been held.   I'm not a big BP fan except for my cannon!


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## Bernard goldsmith (Mar 8, 2010)

Send it to me, i could use some excitement. If it goes bang an i'm not ready that sure will get my blood moving!!


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## SASS249 (Mar 8, 2010)

What type of flintlock is it?  If you really think it might be loaded then one of the CO2 unloaders is about the safest.  That being said I have pulled plenty of balls, not really difficult or particularly dangerous if you are careful.  You do need a good rod and ball puller.  If you want to PM me and bring it down to Vinings I will be happy to assist.

Absolute worst case is pulling the breech plug, which is not that big a deal.


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## Flintrock (Mar 8, 2010)

Ball removel options in order that I would try.
1) Pull the ball with a ball puller
2) Point the rifler down range and pull the trigger with a long string
3) You can try the co2 discharger but they dont work well with a flinter.
4) Pull the breech..You will have to figure out if the barrel has a removable touch hole liner.If so, make sure that it does not cut into the breech plug. If it does you will need to back off the touch hole liner or you will brake off the breech plug trying to get it out. 
(The  touch hole for a flinter goes horizontal to the breech with the back side of the threads overlapiing the threads of the breech plug)


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## dawg2 (Mar 8, 2010)

Try and pull the ball and see if there is one in there.  If the screw doesn't lock into anything, just turn it around and loosen up what ever is down there.

Use a worm to bust up the packed powder.  Then scrape it real good with a fouling scraper.  http://www.octobercountry.com/search.php?phrase=fouling+scrpaer&searchtype=standardsearch

AFTER the above is completed:  You can also remove the breech plug and shine a light in ( use a fiber optic attachment on a mini mag to shine in there and look down the barrel and get an idea of how bad it is.


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## Darkhorse (Mar 11, 2010)

What type/brand flintlock is this? Be aware modern ones with the patent breech do not always take kindly to having the breech plug removed.
Take your ramrod and let it down the barrel till it touches the obstruction. Now mark exactly where the RR enters the barrel. Remove the RR and lay it alongside the barrel with your mark on the end of the barrel, and see where the other end falls. Often you can tell in this fashion if it's loaded or not. Do this without a jag because generally a RR is a smaller diameter than the patent breech.
I wouldn't try to screw in a ball puller until I did this check. If it's not loaded you could start a hole in the breech plug, not much of one but enough to catch fouling.
Sometimes old powder can be unstable and if indeed the rifle is loaded you might want to try this; pour a little water into the touchhole to wet the powder. Then pull the ball.
Can't really say what I'd do until I had a look at the rifle or knew more about it. But if the breech plug could be removed I would do that and wash out the old powder, then push out the ball from the back.
Be warned removing a breech plug without proper knowledge can get your rifle all scratched up bad.


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## boneboy96 (Mar 11, 2010)

ramrod was how it was determined that it's most likely loaded.  I haven't had a chance to look at it since getting back from WAR this past weekend.


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## Hoyt (Mar 18, 2010)

I would do like Darkhorse mention..pour water down the barrel and let it saturate a long time. Then pull the ball.

First one I built I tied it to an old tire behind a big tree and tied a string to the trigger. Then hid behind the tree and pulled the string.


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