Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Stuck patch and jag

The neighbor lost his jag and patch down the barrel. It is too tight to pull out. He was going to load it through the flash hole and hammer the jag down to shoot it out. I discouraged this, and suggested using lighter fluid to burn the patch out. Anyone have a better ideah?<BR>7mmbuster

I did exactly what he's planning to do.<P>Lost the jag though. A little too much powder. And I didn't select a very good landing zone for it.<P>He might just try snapping a few caps and see if that does it.<P>Tell him to watch where the barrel's pointed when he does it. It could be surprising.<P>2D<P>

The gun's a flinter. Not being a brave sort, when involving potential bombs, I suggested that if we resorted to that, i'd stick it in an old tire, and fire it by a string. To tell the truth, though I was more concerned of dammage to the barrel. Is that likley, or am I just paraniod?<BR>7mmbuster

I had the same problem with a Thompson percussion rifle. Pulled the nipple and put in about 3 grains of 3ff power and everything came out. Never found the jag though. Just don't use over a few grains and you should not have a problem. That assumes of course you can get a couple of grains down the flash hole. TM

try this first, put some soapy water down the brl. About 2 tablespoons ought to do it.<P>Wait a few minutes (5 or so) and pull or push out as desired.<P>I have done this several times I usually just add soapy water and out it comes! I alway have some soapy water in an eyedropper bottle with me. Works every time! Most of the time I get a patch and jag stuck is when I use a dry patch! I usually wet mine with spit or soapy water. Just enough to make it damp.<BR>Best of luck.<p>[This message has been edited by blammer (edited April 22, 2001).]

Been there, done that too. I only managed a grain or so through the nipple. It wasn't enough to fire the jag out, but it sufficiently burned the patch enough that I could get the jag out.

If his jag came off a wooden ramrod, then fill the barrel with water and fit the ramrod down the barrel until you can feel it click into the end of the jag. Now let it sit for an hour or so while the wood swells and the jag becomes tight around the ramrod.

I've removed broken plastic jags by burning them out with a red-hot steel bar. I'm not sure that the lighter fluid way would work, I'd think it'd be hard to get any oxygen down the bbl so that it could burn...<P>If it's a muzzleloader, maybe the old grease gun method would work - I've removed bearings, rusted-shut brake caliper pistons and even engine pistons that way. It's all a matter of getting a good seal at the back and then just pump it out.<P>-- Mats

Hi, this is 7mmbuster's son, as most of you know. We just shot the patch and jag out of the barrel. We recovered the jag cuz we shot it into a horseshoe pit. <BR> I wish to thank you all for your advice, and have a great day and good luck when you hunt. Once again thanks!

As the boy said, it popped right out. This brings me to another question. What should the diameter of a .50 cal jag be? This one measured 0.470 on my reloading caliper. My own measures 0.438 inches. Whats nominal here? With a cleaning cloth his fills the bore, and if it binds on you, your SOL. I told him to get another jag, but what is the regular size?<BR>7mmbuster<P> BTW, Thanks all, for the advice!<p>[This message has been edited by 7mmbuster (edited April 28, 2001).]

What kind of cleaning cloth are you using? Mine are cotton, measure .015 thick and are no larger that the OD of the barrel.<P>Wall

His were .0015 thick, but very large diameter. Looked to be 2" cotton. I use the same, but as stated, my jag is only .438".<BR>7mm

Not all guns are the same, but the jag on my 50 cal. TC's are interchangable and measure .475. The patch he is using with that jag is way too big. You can buy precut 50 cal cotton patches, or make a cutter out of a 1 1/4" hole saw drillbit.<P>Wall<p>[This message has been edited by Wall (edited May 04, 2001).]

OK, will do. Thanks to all for the guidence.<BR>7mm