Stuck Muzzle Loader Breech Plug

Well, I can't believe it happened, but it did.

I clean my muzzle loaders after each and every use. I remove the nipple and remove the breech plug once a year or so, lube them, and replace them -- same as my shotguns.

I shot my Knight Bighorn stainless steel in-line 50 caliber yesterday to sight in a new scope. I went to clean it today. The nipple came out fine. The breech plug won't budge.

I tried "Liquid Wrench" by spraying the breech plug down and standing the barrel vertically for about 30 minutes. No dice. Knight has a special tool for removing the nipple and plug with holes in it for "extra torque" if needed. I used an Allen wrench in the hole -- no movment. Rapped on the Allen wrench with a wood 2x2. No movement. I then bent the Allen wrench by putting an extension on it. Still no movement.

I then tried WD-40 for 30 minutes. Same steps, same deal. Bent a different slightly thicker Allen wrench ... the thickest I could get into the "extra torque" holes Knight provided. No movement.

GRRRRRRRR. When my buddy bought a used 10-gauge and we found the choke tube stuck when we got the gun home, these techniques loosened it up.

Now I am letting this thing soak overnight in WD-40.

I finally found a round this gun likes and it is shooting 5-shot nearly-one-hole groups at 50 yards. I want to keep it.

Anything else I can try?

I should mention the first 2 "soaks" I stood the barrel muzzle down. This time I sprayed the WD-40 from the muzzle and stood it muzzle up. I am trying to attack this breech plug from both ends.

I had Traditions and the same thing happened - the local shop used a very small torch to heat it up and it came out. Had to be extremely careful though to not melt the composite stick. I don't know if this is the best way to do it. I think that I would call Knight...this is not an uncommon problem with muzzleloaders. I was told that it is actually pressurized gas in the threads that causes them to lock up. I think that the early Omegas were very prone to this as well.

[lwfloors]

I prefer CRC for stuck bolts, but I cannot comment on muzzleloaders.

>I had Traditions and the same thing happened - the local
>shop used a very small torch to heat it up and it came out.
>Had to be extremely careful though to not melt the composite
>stick. I don't know if this is the best way to do it. I
>think that I would call Knight...this is not an uncommon
>problem with muzzleloaders. I was told that it is actually
>pressurized gas in the threads that causes them to lock up. I
>think that the early Omegas were very prone to this as well.


Well, I did call Knight. They said after my additional 90-minute soak (soak #3) if it didn't come out, that technique was not going to do it.

They suggested if that failed, to pour boiling hot water over the barrel around the breech plug. On the third pour (with that area of the barrel now too hot to hold), putting the Allen wrench back in the "helper hole" in their breech plug tool, putting the end of that Allen wrench in special "helper" holes I have drilled into my work bench, putting on elastic rubber gloves to help me grip the barrel, I was able to JUST BARELY start the barrel turning. Then it got easier after one full turn and came out.

Knight had said if that didn't work, they or a gunsmith could get it out with an "Easy Out" tool -- basically drilling it out.

I called them back to tell them their technique worked and to thank them. I got a different rep (but also very helpful as was the first rep also). The second rep told me to remove, clean, and re-grease the plug every 15 rounds or so when shooting. He said the grease slowly leaks out during non-use and then burned powder takes its place when you shoot the gun. Indeed, I found nearly NO lube on the plug despite my maintenance and the plug was covered with chunks of partially burned powder. This was after firing 50 rounds at the range yesterday. The rep said it was good I stopped shooting when I did, because they have seen barrels come back for the "drill out" last-ditch recovery step severely stuck. He made it sound like some of them could not even be saved with that step.

Well, I learned something new. I have been shooting muzzle loaders since 1993 and the only maintenance I did was after shooting. Sometimes I went several years without shooting and never lubed the plug and nipple before I went to the range. From now on, I will!

Well, I can't believe it happened, but it did.

I clean my muzzle loaders after each and every use. I remove the nipple and remove the breech plug once a year or so, lube them, and replace them -- same as my shotguns.

I shot my Knight Bighorn stainless steel in-line 50 caliber yesterday to sight in a new scope. I went to clean it today. The nipple came out fine. The breech plug won't budge.

I tried "Liquid Wrench" by spraying the breech plug down and standing the barrel vertically for about 30 minutes. No dice. Knight has a special tool for removing the nipple and plug with holes in it for "extra torque" if needed. I used an Allen wrench in the hole -- no movment. Rapped on the Allen wrench with a wood 2x2. No movement. I then bent the Allen wrench by putting an extension on it. Still no movement.

I then tried WD-40 for 30 minutes. Same steps, same deal. Bent a different slightly thicker Allen wrench ... the thickest I could get into the "extra torque" holes Knight provided. No movement.

GRRRRRRRR. When my buddy bought a used 10-gauge and we found the choke tube stuck when we got the gun home, these techniques loosened it up.

Now I am letting this thing soak overnight in WD-40.

I finally found a round this gun likes and it is shooting 5-shot nearly-one-hole groups at 50 yards. I want to keep it.

Anything else I can try?

I should mention the first 2 "soaks" I stood the barrel muzzle down. This time I sprayed the WD-40 from the muzzle and stood it muzzle up. I am trying to attack this breech plug from both ends.

I had Traditions and the same thing happened - the local shop used a very small torch to heat it up and it came out. Had to be extremely careful though to not melt the composite stick. I don't know if this is the best way to do it. I think that I would call Knight...this is not an uncommon problem with muzzleloaders. I was told that it is actually pressurized gas in the threads that causes them to lock up. I think that the early Omegas were very prone to this as well.

[lwfloors]

I prefer CRC for stuck bolts, but I cannot comment on muzzleloaders.

>I had Traditions and the same thing happened - the local
>shop used a very small torch to heat it up and it came out.
>Had to be extremely careful though to not melt the composite
>stick. I don't know if this is the best way to do it. I
>think that I would call Knight...this is not an uncommon
>problem with muzzleloaders. I was told that it is actually
>pressurized gas in the threads that causes them to lock up. I
>think that the early Omegas were very prone to this as well.


Well, I did call Knight. They said after my additional 90-minute soak (soak #3) if it didn't come out, that technique was not going to do it.

They suggested if that failed, to pour boiling hot water over the barrel around the breech plug. On the third pour (with that area of the barrel now too hot to hold), putting the Allen wrench back in the "helper hole" in their breech plug tool, putting the end of that Allen wrench in special "helper" holes I have drilled into my work bench, putting on elastic rubber gloves to help me grip the barrel, I was able to JUST BARELY start the barrel turning. Then it got easier after one full turn and came out.

Knight had said if that didn't work, they or a gunsmith could get it out with an "Easy Out" tool -- basically drilling it out.

I called them back to tell them their technique worked and to thank them. I got a different rep (but also very helpful as was the first rep also). The second rep told me to remove, clean, and re-grease the plug every 15 rounds or so when shooting. He said the grease slowly leaks out during non-use and then burned powder takes its place when you shoot the gun. Indeed, I found nearly NO lube on the plug despite my maintenance and the plug was covered with chunks of partially burned powder. This was after firing 50 rounds at the range yesterday. The rep said it was good I stopped shooting when I did, because they have seen barrels come back for the "drill out" last-ditch recovery step severely stuck. He made it sound like some of them could not even be saved with that step.

Well, I learned something new. I have been shooting muzzle loaders since 1993 and the only maintenance I did was after shooting. Sometimes I went several years without shooting and never lubed the plug and nipple before I went to the range. From now on, I will!