Keith, you may find a thread on the Lefever forum that addresses breaking the ball loose. The screw is much easier to address than the spanner holes. I built a punch that I have used to shock the front end. After soaking with whatever, a couple of good hits with my punch has always broken things loose until that 16 gauge. If Miller can't give you some advice, send it to Buck Hamlin. I never tried just shooting the gun for a few boxes. Next time I'll use that technique. The truth is that I've only owned a couple of Lefevers that needed adjustment, so I don't have much experience with turning the ball.