[dteed4094]

I have been offered a friends 50 cal Hawkin Flintloc for what seems to be a very reasonable price. I am not at all familiar with Muzzle loaders except for a cheap ball and cap pistol I had for a very short time 30 years ago. The problem is; it seems there is a brass tip off a cleaning rod stuck all the way in the barrel. There is about 20 grains of powder behind it.
What would be the safest way to remove the brass tip? He took it to a Gander Mtn. gunsmith and he couldn't remove it. Would water render the powder unfireable? Could I braze an end mill onto a brass rod and mill it out?Should I pass on the gun completely?

[stalkingbear]

Why not just shoot it out? The brass won't hurt the steel barrel.

[dteed4094]

Was reluctant, The piece is jammed sideways, I suggested that but the owner was scared.

[BillM]

Does it have a removeable breechplug? Most do. Kill the powder with oil or
water through the touch hole. Remove breech plug and push it out the
back end.

+1 on shoot it out, if it is down solid on the powder. Tie it down and use
a long string.

Just curious---what chain of events led to a broken ramrod tip jammed on
top of 20 gr of powder in a 50 cal gun? 20 grains is not much of a
charge in a 50. A ramrod tip without a bullet under it is kind of weird.
Were large quantities of adult beverages involved?

[dteed4094]

It was a cleaning rod tip. The man left his son borrow the gun, after using it he was cleaning it and inadvertantly the tip came unscrewed from the rod. I don't know if it was because of rifling twist or if he twisted it. If it had a breech plug I would think the gun smith at Gander Mtn would have done that.
Thanks for the ideas. Ill let you know what happens after he gets back from deer hunting and I get a chance to look at the gun myself.

[TXnorton]

They sell CO2 unloaders for issues such as this:

Dixie Gun Works muzzleloading, blackpowder and rare antique gun supplies.

[BillM]

Originally Posted by dteed4094

It was a cleaning rod tip. The man left his son borrow the gun, after using it he was cleaning it and inadvertantly the tip came unscrewed from the rod. I don't know if it was because of rifling twist or if he twisted it. If it had a breech plug I would think the gun smith at Gander Mtn would have done that.
Thanks for the ideas. Ill let you know what happens after he gets back from deer hunting and I get a chance to look at the gun myself.

Ahh. I mis-read the OP, thought it was a ramrod tip. SOOO----where did
the 20 grains of powder come from? "Cleaning the gun" with powder in the
barrel sounds like an audition for a Darwin award.

[dteed4094]

He told me he got it in through the flash hole

[BillM]

OK.

Shot rifle.
Cleaning rifle and rod tip comes unscrewed.
Pull plug and work some powder in through the flash hole.
Have second thoughts about shooting it out.

Dang---that sounds just like something I would do.

Is there a patch wrapped around the rod tip? If so you might try
a worm. Pour some Kroil down the barrel, let it soak a day or so,
and try to pull it out. If the tip is brass, try freezing the barrel
before pulling.

Your endmill idea wasn't all that far off. If you want to cut it out do this:
Turn a 4" piece of drill rod to JUST fit in the bore.
Bore one end 1" deep to leave a .025 wall. Bore other end 1" deep to 3/8".
On the .025 end, cut a series of saw teeth. File or dremel, doesn't have
to be pretty. not ^ teeth--you want the cutting face vertical.

"set" every other tooth "in" just a bit. Leave the rest straight.
Harden/temper the toothy end. Silver solder the other end to a chunk
of 3/8 round stock.

Now you have a long hole saw, that's "safe" on the OD. Lot's of
oil, turn it fairly slow, clear the chips often.

[dteed4094]

Thanks for the instructions. We will try to fire it out with the powder that is there, if that doesn't work we are going the roto-rooter route. will be slow but sure. sounds like you've done this before. Either way the more success we have, the more he will want for the gun. I really don't need the gun but I will still try to help the guy out.
Will let you know how it works out.
Thanks again