ORIGINAL: ENCOREMAN
cayugad,
This sounds like a job for "Kroil Oil" It's the best penetrating oil I know of.
Trying to blow the ramrod out with an air compressor is a very good idea. If he can get that nipple off and attach a 1/4-28 air fitting to the nipple threads, he just might be able to blow the dang thing out.
The last resort is to add a trickle of BP under the nipple and touch off a #11 cap, but you'd want to make sure the barrels in a vice and pull the trigger with a string. Nothing like a bomb going off to upset the neighborhood
Your right... that Kroll Oil I just bought might be just the ticket. It says it helps to get out rusted stuck parts. Might actually have that figured out there Encorman. The air compressor should blow it out but I worry since he claimed to get some soap and water working through there just how air tight it is.
Shooting out the obstruction could be real dangerous if there is a load in the rifle. Plus if there is any hope of saving the barrel and there is a load in the rifle they would have to seat the projectile and everything else down as far as possible, but it might work.
Another out would be to send the barrel to Thompson Center with a
WARNING about the possible load in the barrel and the over all condition of it. They could pull the breech plug and then push the entire load out. Maybe even a local gun smith could do the same thing...