An important safety practice

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

On another board a member described an accident at a range, a BP shooter apparently put his long gun away from last season without clearing it then "forgot" it was loaded, loaded it again at the range and BLAM ! Several members said they mark their ramrods to show correct seating depth for their favorite loads and can tell immediately if their guns are loaded.
At RevWar and Civil War events at the end of a battle unit commanders perform a safety check. Participants dump powder, empty pans-not sure if Civil War reenactors fire caps. Paper is not used in reenactments. Troops are the instructed to "Spring rammers!" The ramrod is held in the right hand in the bore of the musket.The inspecting officer comes before each participant who drops his rammer, if the inspectors hears the ping of metal against metal he knows it has been cleared properly.

 

[gtrgy888]

Any damage to the gun?

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

It was wrecked, another shooter hit by shrapnel.

 

[hawg]

I never saw the need to mark a ramrod although I see it mentioned all the time. I can tell by looking at mine whether they're loaded or not and if the balls/bullets are seated on the powder.

 

[gtrgy888]

It was wrecked, another shooter hit by shrapnel.

Dammit, that’s a worse case scenario! Thanks for the PSA.

 

[Some_Mook]

I never saw the need to mark a ramrod although I see it mentioned all the time. I can tell by looking at mine whether they're loaded or not and if the balls/bullets are seated on the powder.

Just curious, by "looking" to see if the weapon is loaded, or that the projectile is fully seated on the powder charge, does this mean that you are potentially pointing a loaded gun at your head?

if so, I would not want to dissuade you from doing so, you are obviously very experienced and know what you are doing. I would however, not recommend this practice to anyone else. To others I would only mention that sometimes experience is the knowledge one gets right after they could have really used it to obtain a better outcome.

 

[woodnbow]

Just curious, by "looking" to see if the weapon is loaded, or that the projectile is fully seated on the powder charge, does this mean that you are potentially pointing a loaded gun at your head?

if so, I would not want to dissuade you from doing so, you are obviously very experienced and know what you are doing. I would however, not recommend this practice to anyone else. To others I would only mention that sometimes experience is the knowledge one gets right after they could have really used it to obtain a better outcome.

@hawg may have been born yesterday, but he was up all night… “a peepin Tom turkey with x-ray eyes”

 

[Mark_Mark]

On another board a member described an accident at a range, a BP shooter apparently put his long gun away from last season without clearing it then "forgot" it was loaded, loaded it again at the range and BLAM ! Several members said they mark their ramrods to show correct seating depth for their favorite loads and can tell immediately if their guns are loaded.
At RevWar and Civil War events at the end of a battle unit commanders perform a safety check. Participants dump powder, empty pans-not sure if Civil War reenactors fire caps. Paper is not used in reenactments. Troops are the instructed to "Spring rammers!" The ramrod is held in the right hand in the bore of the musket.The inspecting officer comes before each participant who drops his rammer, if the inspectors hears the ping of metal against metal he knows it has been cleared properly.

I heard that you clear a stored or old gun with a cap. Cleans the nipples and dry the chamber or whatever it’s called.

 

[JohnKSa]

Generally speaking the first step in loading a BP percussion cap gun is to clear the nipple channel by snapping a cap or two.

 

[hawg]

Just curious, by "looking" to see if the weapon is loaded, or that the projectile is fully seated on the powder charge, does this mean that you are potentially pointing a loaded gun at your head?

if so, I would not want to dissuade you from doing so, you are obviously very experienced and know what you are doing. I would however, not recommend this practice to anyone else. To others I would only mention that sometimes experience is the knowledge one gets right after they could have really used it to obtain a better outcome.

I meant by looking at the ramrod. I thought that would be obvious.

 

[desmobob]

We have a split black powder season where I live... one week before normal rifle season and one week after. I often found myself leaving mine loaded. I used to tie a piece of surveyor's tape around the trigger guard as a reminder. (I find it easy to differentiate between the sound of a ramrod hitting a lead ball or steel breech plug, but I also marked my ramrods with an "empty" line.)

Then, one year, at the end of the second half of the season, my Hawken was still loaded with a round ball load. I decided to try the ball puller screw that was on the long fiberglass ramrod I keep at home. I was surprised how easy it was and now, I don't hesitate to unload my rifle that way.

 

[noelf2]

I do mark my ramrods. Helps to ensure I have the proper load and it's seated properly. When I put a loaded muzzleloader rifle or shotgun in my safe, I set a little flag in the muzzle saying so.

 

[paul harm]

Hawg, maybe Some Mook is not an experienced BP shooter. I had to laugh. Kind a hard to look straight down on the end of a ram rod to see the fine line cut around the ram rod, Or, " if just looking " you also couldn't tell too much by looking straight down on the end of it . Either way the rod in the gun would have to be pointed about a arms length away.
General speaking, the first step is to make sure it isn't loaded by dropping the RR down the barrel. Then you could run the RR with a patch on it down the barrel removing any oil. The second/third step is to snap a cap in a safe direction, like muzzle point at the ground, fairly close to it so the dirt will fly a bit. Now you know it's unloaded, and everything should be oil free and all channels clear.
I'm with noelf2, because I have six different rifles I mark the RRs. I have also marked the barrels with my own serial number seeing how I made all of guns. I stamped the ball diameter and powder charge all as one long number. In my 54 I have 53595. No one but me [ or you guys ] knows what it really means.

 

[Mark_Mark]

I do mark my ramrods. Helps to ensure I have the proper load and it's seated properly. When I put a loaded muzzleloader rifle or shotgun in my safe, I set a little flag in the muzzle saying so.

Why do you pre-load your muzzleloader and put it in the safe? very curious

 

[hawg]

I never store mine loaded. If I'm going back out in a day or two I'll leave it loaded in the truck. If I think it's going to be a week or so I'll fire it before I take it inside.

 

[BullRunBear]

Good advice. Since I don't hunt anymore (the years catch up with a guy) I never need to leave a gun loaded so this isn't a problem. My range rod is marked and I always run a few wet patches down the bore before leaving the range. Full cleaning gets done at home.

BUT

When folks new to muzzle loading ask for help getting started, marking the ramrod is one of the first things I tell them. It's basic safety. Even experienced smokeless powder shooters have to get used to not being able to see if a gun is loaded after a hiatus.

Jeff

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

Generally speaking the first step in loading a BP percussion cap gun is to clear the nipple channel by snapping a cap or two.

Not trying to be argumentative, but IMO that's just a waste of valuable caps.

 

[mcb]

If I put my muzzle loader away with a load in the gun the ramrod goes into the barrel to remind me it's already loaded.

 

[woodnbow]

I heard that you clear a stored or old gun with a cap. Cleans the nipples and dry the chamber or whatever it’s called.

That’s always been my buddy Dan’s procedure. Point it at a tuft of grass or leaf or whatever to ensure that the bore and fire channel is clear. Once he forgot that he’d left a charge in the rifle the week before with a predictable result. Because he is a stickler for muzzle control, the rifle discharged harmlessly into a clump of grass. Pretty sure the recoil bruised his ego but that all the damage that was done. Be careful out there…

 

[noelf2]

Why do you pre-load your muzzleloader and put it in the safe? very curious

I load up on my way to the hunt. If I don't shoot that day, it goes into the safe (cap/primer removed) for the next hunt. I only unload at the end of the season, if necessary.

 

[hawg]

Not trying to be argumentative, but IMO that's just a waste of valuable caps.

Sometimes oil gets in the nipple. Not a really big deal if you're just target shooting but it becomes a big deal if you're hunting. Before I load mine for a hunt I fire a blank charge to burn everything out of the bore. I just pour the charge in and light it up. I don't tamp it or bump the butt on the ground or anything. Point it at the sky and pull the trigger.

 

[noelf2]

I never store mine loaded. If I'm going back out in a day or two I'll leave it loaded in the truck. If I think it's going to be a week or so I'll fire it before I take it inside.

I used to do that as well, but I know my safe is a constant temp with no moisture. Several days and nights going cold to hot in a vehicle can play tricks with some powders. as much consistency as possible is more reliable, from my experience. I also don't like leaving my guns and rifles in a car or truck, ever. That's just me.

 

[hawg]

I don't have a safe and where I was living at the time was 12 miles out in the boonies with only my wife's family living on our 10 mile stretch of road. I didn't worry about it too much.

 

[Mark_Mark]

I load up on my way to the hunt. If I don't shoot that day, it goes into the safe (cap/primer removed) for the next hunt. I only unload at the end of the season, if necessary.

very intriguing how people keep their guns. I got a buddy that keep every gun in his safe chambered and full.

To each his own.

I’m way to paranoid that UFO’s will sneak into my safe and kidnap me.

 

[hawg]

very intriguing how people keep their guns. I got a buddy that keep every gun in his safe chambered and full.

To each his own.

I’m way to paranoid that UFO’s will sneak into my safe and kidnap me.

All of my cartridge guns are loaded and chambered. Like I said earlier, I don't have a safe. I don't have room for them and I would have to have two 48's. I don't think these wood floors would do well under that kind of weight. Plus getting them into my gun room from a narrow hallway would be a booger. I have a closet and I have various guns scattered around the house. Not that I need that level of preparedness it's just the way I was brought up.

On another note if you Identify a UFO it's a FO. If it lands it's just an O.