Muzzle Loader Question.....

[old and tired]

Measure how much of the barrel is clear, yard stick might do it... compare to the outside to see if it's loaded. Or do you know it's loaded?

 

[Richard]

99% sure it's not loaded. Doubt it's been fired in 40 years. Heavy to lift alone. Had to do that three times. Standing it vertical would take some creativity. (Use 1,064 for getting a backhoe)

I've got couple ideas, including compressed air

Thanks for ideas on powder.

 

[Richard]

Ball is about 10 inches from lip of barrel

 

[JethroB]

At first glance of the thumbnails I thought “hey, I have one of those”. Not quite.
Mine is .45 caliber I think. It was a Christmas gift 40 years ago and came as a kit. Never had the balls to fire it. That’s probably a good thing.

 

[k0ua]

Soak it really really good with WD040 or other favorite spray lube. Let it set for a day and turn your air compressor up to maximum and give it a try. It might work. It goes without saying don't stick your head in front of the muzzle. Then if that doesn't work, it is time to try the hair spray down the touch hole and see if that will get it.

 

[dodge man]

Sounds like gasoline and a hold my beer moment. I volunteer to go out about a 100 yards with a catchers mitt.

 

[k0ua]

Sounds like gasoline and a hold my beer moment. I volunteer to go out about a 100 yards with a catchers mitt.

I dunno... That might not be such a good idea.

 

[Richard]

Might not be a good idea, but it was funny.

 

[Doughknob]

2 things:
1). Look up black powder muzzle loader data for amount of powder for given rifle ball size. Then scale that up for your size.

2). In Army i fired an artillery piece once. Cant recall details but powder packs were like a hockey puck in looks but thickness/depth was about = to bore diameter. We used 2-4 packs depending on range needed. So I'd start with a depth of powder (others told of new equivalent to blk pwdr) = diameter. Certainly will not be too much for a trial. Worst case is a squib round and u have to extract it again.

 

[3gunr]

From what i can see it looks like a deck gun off a ship or a wall gun from a fort wall . Looks like a 3 inch bore . As some have said i would use lots of solvent to try anloosen the round up , Since it is so close to the muzzle i would get a long drill bit and drill a hole in the ball run a long lag bolt or some type of threaded rod into the hole and slowly work it out. I pulled many a musket ball during my reenactment days by using a screw end on my ramrod.You will need cannon powder or 1F to fire that, If that is an original cannon it would be worth quite a bit, I would not want to damage it.