How to clear a obstructed muzzle loader barrel
This morning I picked up a Cabellas Hawkings .50. Overall it is very good shape with a few stock bangs and such, but there was one little problem. Someone had managed to break off the end of the ram rod in the barrel, almost at the breech plug. I had to clear the barrel if I wanted anything more than a wall hanger.
The cap nipple is 6mm x.75 thread, which just happens to be the same thread as a metric grease zerk fitting. I removed the barrel and nipple, installed a metric grease zerk and grabbed the grease gun and went to town. In less the 5 minutes, the end of the rod and patch were pushed out of the barrel by the grease, a quick blow out of the barrel with compressed nitrogen and a good washing out with brake cleaner and a barrel brush and it is good to go.
Here is the thing that caused all the problems
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...PICT1621-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...PICT1623-1.jpg
The gease zerk in place of the precussion cap nipple
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...PICT1624-1.jpg
the tools I used
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...PICT1626-1.jpg
and here it is, ready to go to the range and let the world hear it's roar.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...PICT1627-1.jpg