Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Unloading

Yes. The easiest method is to simply shoot it, but...

My Warden neighbor just had the misfortune of pinching a couple muzzle loading violators. Their units were loaded and capped at the time. The caps were removed, but the state office folks would like to extract the slugs and powder while the units are held in their evidence locker. With knowledge that my home is filled with all kinds of similar goodies, he stopped by for some help. I suggested simply firing them, but then one is saddled with a thorough cleaning before any sort of extended storage. He agreed that's the easiest, but our oversensitive state is concerned about liability issues. I.e. what if one blows up or something?

I'm aware of the CO2 systems for clearing muzzleloaders, but do not own such. My real question is: Does the typical shop air compressor, at maybe 100psi, have enough "umph" (a technical scientific term) to clear the barrel? If not, a local tire shop can do 250 psi. Thoughts and/or experience?

Thanks in advance,

What kind are these? Do they have a breach plug? If so, just remove the breach plug. The powder will fall out and the projectile can be pushed out with the rod.

quick breech.

What kind?

Replica Hawkins

A screw jag on a a ram rod to pull the bullet up and out

I don't think a compressor will work. A quick google search says 850+ PSI for a CO2 cartridge.

I have never been successful with a ball puller, I wind up with hollowpoint round balls instead.

Tom

If I load a ball without powder, I just pull the ball with a ball worm. I clean the barrel with a damp patch, then apply bore butter. My loads are tight, and they pull out pretty easily. I use a T handle rod so that give me a good grip.
The local gunshop owner gave me the hint that cleaning a lube helps a lot. He has the CO2, but he always manages to get them with a worm.

Maybe a dumb question but how does the po-po prove they were loaded with powder and ball if he can't produce either?

By dropping the ramrod in the bore and noting how far it goes in.

I got that but all it shows is there's "something" in the barrel. Might be an oil rag, a couple of round balls, a dead gerbil?? Has to be propellant and projectile under the cap to be illegal far as I know.

Compressed air will most likely not get it done - you'll need the CO2 adapter. You're also going to blow the powder/powder substitute out with the ball/sabot/minnie - you may need to catch the amount of powder if the legal system is that jacked up.

I've had the same issue with the pullers, ended up with nice hollow-point round balls and minnies, the pullers don't work as well as advertised. You're on Oregon, so I'll assuming they used lead ammo, and not a sabot.

The easiest is going to be firing them. If the police are worried about the liability, take them out to the range, bungie them to a tire and set them off with a long piece of string.

I shot roundball out of my Hawken for years. With soft lead balls it was fairly simple to get the bullet puller jag to catch the ball and pull it out. I'd pour water down the barrel first to ensure the powder wasn't going to do anything. I had to do this about 3 times in 20 years. The only problem is that it takes about several minutes of turning while applying steady force to get the puller to catch.

. . . but that was with soft lead patched ball. If they're shooting anything else, say a jacketed bullet, that's a whole different animal.

G R O A N!!!!!!!!!!

Fire the dang things, run a grease mop down the bores then tape the muzzles, easy.

Yep

Sorry, I should have responded sooner. One of the local references I furnished did indeed have a CO2 unit. All is well with the world. Thanks,

On my 54 Hawken with patched round ball, the CO2 system works as does simply using an air compressor. Caution: at 100 PSIG that ball comes out with enough speed to kill.

ON my CVA inline: Nothing I've tried works. I just remove the 209 primer and leave in the gun case. Will shoot it at end of season if needed.

I have a CVA Inline and if it has a removable breach just unscrew and push the sabot out the breech end. I pull the primer for overnight storage but if I haven't fired it in a week or so and worry about moisture I just spin the breech out and put a longer extension on the rod and tap out the powder and sabot/bullet.

These are getting hard to find, but I just got one off of e-bay. They work well and yes, have it pointed in a safe direction as the projectile will come out with force!

http://www.cabelas.com/ensemble/Shooting/Black-Powder/Black-Powder-Accessories%7C/pc/104792580/c/104701680/sc/104218380/Cabelas-CO2-Load-Discharger/4225.uts

I have been unloading my inlines, cap locks and flintlocks with compressed air for years. I use an off-the-shelf small chuck over the nipples of the cap locks and another chuck with a small 4 inch long tube for unloading the flintlocks. No need to disassemble any guns except for T/C Scouts. My compressor is set at about 100psi. I put the muzzle in a clean plastic bucket and recover the slug and most of the powder.