Ugly Sauce
Member
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2020
- Messages
- 6,208
It’s my understanding that any black power firearm that requires an external means of ignition is not “loaded” if the source of ignition is removed, the proper term would be charged.
So with that in mind I wouldn’t think there would be any safety issues. In fact in my state one can transport such a fire arm legally.
The issue would be long term storage and it’s effect on the propellant. JMO.
Washington State has that same "technicality", if it's not primed it's not loaded. However, to my mind, the rifle is very much loaded. And as you know, a flintlock will often fire un-primed, if a spark finds it's way into the touch-hole. I've heard the odds are around one-in-twenty.
My family knows that if there's a wad of paper towel between the flint and pan, with the pan open and the cock resting on said wad, it's loaded. But, for sure, if I croak a Darwin-award contestant in the future could certainly fire the weapon "accidently" by just dry-firing the weapon with an empty pan.
I had a friend that used to clean his rifle by first popping a cap, and then cleaning it. One time he thought he had "fired the rifle into the crick bank" after hunting, but he hadn't. To not startle his family members he was in the habit of holding a rag over the muzzle when he popped the cap. Yep you guessed it. Blew off two of his fingers, and startled his family members. !!!