Man Died From Muzzle Loader Accident

[arcticap]

In Jan., 2020., an Ohio man accidentally shot himself while removing a loaded .50 muzzle loader from the trunk of his car.
He had been hunting a couple of days earlier.
He was described as being an experienced hunter who loved hunting and fishing.
While details are lacking about which type of muzzle loader it was, it appears that the gun was left fully loaded in the car trunk.
He was still alive when he was found next to his car bleeding from a shoulder wound.
The round had exited through his back causing massive damage.

Be safe everyone!

RIP Michael Ray Rosecrans 1963 - 2020



Short news articles:

https://chroniclet.com/news/187189/muzzleloader-accident-kills-amherst-man/

https://www.morningjournal.com/news...cle_7e28d916-3714-11ea-9255-1f5ccb190b25.html

Obituary:
https://www.eastmanfuneralhome.com/obituary/Michael-Rosecrans

 

[Captain*kirk]

When I'm done hunting for the day I generally discharge the ML into a safe backstop or pull the ball...uncapped, of course.

 

[Fyrstyk]

I leave my muzzle loaders loaded through out the season if I am unlucky enough not to get any shot at game. I remove the cap on my caplock guns and put a spent 22 RF short casing over the nipple and lower the hammer down on it at the end of the day. For my flint locks, I empty the pan and place a round tooth pick in the touch hole and close the frizzen down on the pick at the end of the day and also put a frizzen stall on the frizzen.

 

[.38 Special]

Conspicuous violation of rules one and two, which of course apply as much to muzzleloaders as to any other firearm.

I hope the gentleman, who most likely was an old hand gone complacent, rests in peace.

 

[Jim Watson]

Same deal, Dave Higginbotham, proprietor of Lone Star rolling blocks, shot himself by pulling a rifle out of a vehicle by the muzzle.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Sad news on both fronts. Don't let yourself get complacent.

 

[Alex Clayton]

That is a VERY strange one. Of all the guns that would seem to be very hard to have this kind of accident with it's hard to think of anything more bizarre. One of those things that would be really interesting if it was somehow caught on tape.

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

Remember folks, it's best to learn from someone else's mistakes then your own.

 

[cdahl383]

I’m still new to guns, so maybe this is a dumb question. Why would you store your firearm loaded in your car?

I was taught to always treat every gun as if it were loaded, and then ensure it’s unloaded, nothing in the chamber, safety on, action open.

I feel bad for the guy and his family. Very tragic.

 

[alsaqr]

Sorry the gentleman was killed.

Why would you store your firearm loaded in your car?

With muzzleloaders the definition of "loaded" differs from that of cartridge firearms.

Percussion muzzleloaders containing powder and a projectile are considered "unloaded" when the cap is removed. Flintlock muzzleloaders are considered unloaded when powder is removed from the pan and the touch hole is stopped.

In OK transporting a capped muzzleloader is illegal. i watched as the Fort Sill game warden stopped hunters vehicles and issued tickets to several hunters whose muzzleloaders were capped.

 

[cdahl383]

Sorry the gentleman was killed.



With muzzleloaders the definition of "loaded" differs from that of cartridge firearms.

Percussion muzzleloaders containing powder and a projectile are considered "unloaded" when the cap is removed. Flintlock muzzleloaders are considered unloaded when powder is removed from the pan and the touch hole is stopped.

In OK transporting a capped muzzleloader is illegal. i watched as the Fort Sill game warden stopped hunters vehicles and issued tickets to several hunters whose muzzleloaders were capped.

I see. I’ll have to read up on muzzleloaders.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Percussion muzzleloaders containing powder and a projectile are considered "unloaded" when the cap is removed. Flintlock muzzleloaders are considered unloaded when powder is removed from the pan and the touch hole is stopped.

In OK transporting a capped muzzleloader is illegal. i watched as the Fort Sill game warden stopped hunters vehicles and issued tickets to several hunters whose muzzleloaders were capped.

Same in CO. No caps on nipples or primed flash pans in vehicles while hunting.

 

[jmorris]

A few weeks ago I woke up at 2:00am and couldn’t go back to sleep because I couldn’t remember clearing the chamber of the rifle before I got out of the stand. Once I got up and confirmed I did, I was back to sleep in short order.

I am always around dangerous equipment and machines, as well as know lots of people that have been hurt and a couple even killed. Always worries me when I feel myself becoming complacent.

 

[Offhand McFlan]

When I'm done hunting for the day I generally discharge the ML into a safe backstop or pull the ball...uncapped, of course.

I cant imagine not doing that. It might be a lot easier to accidentally leave a round in a repeating rifle...but a muzzle loader? Really too bad about the loss of life. It's a shame. But that guy really was terribly negligent of simple safety. And is it against the law have a loaded muzzle loader in a vehicle? It is with a"normal" rifle. Are muzzle loaders exempt?

 

[Offhand McFlan]

A few weeks ago I woke up at 2:00am and couldn’t go back to sleep because I couldn’t remember clearing the chamber of the rifle before I got out of the stand. Once I got up and confirmed I did, I was back to sleep in short order.

I am always around dangerous equipment and machines, as well as know lots of people that have been hurt and a couple even killed. Always worries me when I feel myself becoming complacent.

I tend to second guess myself too. I'm one of those guys who always stands by the door with it half open while getting ready to go out...with a terrible feeling that I'm forgetting something. I might go back in twice or more before I'm satisfied. I'm usually wrong, but better safe than sorry.

 

[Stevel]

One day when I was using the "discharge at the end of the day" method I decided to test the "a flintlock is unloaded without powder in the pan" concept. I dumped the pan and wiped it out. Cocked hammer, pointed in a safe direction. Click, spark, BOOM.....

Be intentionally careful out there my friends.

 

[brewer12345]

I cant imagine not doing that. It might be a lot easier to accidentally leave a round in a repeating rifle...but a muzzle loader? Really too bad about the loss of life. It's a shame. But that guy really was terribly negligent of simple safety. And is it against the law have a loaded muzzle loader in a vehicle? It is with a"normal" rifle. Are muzzle loaders exempt?

As noted above, illegal in Colorado. Foolish, too. I know from experience exactly how easy it is to set off a capped rifle, would not want one in my truck. Even after I pull the cap, watching where the business end is the same as a modern rifle. Be careful out there...

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Muzzle loader or otherwise, I'm trying to picture why/how anybody with an ounce of brains would allow a firearm to be pointed at his person when handling it. This isn't even a case of being "swept" by someone else's muzzle.

If nothing else, this serves as a warning that any lapse in judgement when handling firearms may end tragically.

RIP, Mr. Rosecrans.

 

[woodnbow]

That’s a shame. This is a dangerous pursuit if you’re at all cavalier about safe gun handling practices. And even potentially if you’re not.

I cant imagine not doing that. It might be a lot easier to accidentally leave a round in a repeating rifle...but a muzzle loader? Really too bad about the loss of life. It's a shame. But that guy really was terribly negligent of simple safety. And is it against the law have a loaded muzzle loader in a vehicle? It is with a"normal" rifle. Are muzzle loaders exempt?

as noted previously, in Colorado a muzzleloader is considered unloaded if it is not capped or primed.

 

[792mauser]

R.I.P. sir.

I also get worried when I feel myself getting complacent.
Only had a couple of oops but nothing too serious.

 

[earplug]

Its not the loaded chamber that is the issue here.
Unsafe handling of a firearm and pointing it at yourself or others is the issue here.
Unfortunately this is a common occurrence with deadly results.
Treat them as always loaded all the time.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I’m still new to guns, so maybe this is a dumb question. Why would you store your firearm loaded in your car?

I was taught to always treat every gun as if it were loaded, and then ensure it’s unloaded, nothing in the chamber, safety on, action open.

I feel bad for the guy and his family. Very tragic.

Good question, also, why would you not have the gun in a case? I wouldn't want any of my rifles rattling around in the trunk of a car. That kind of indicates a disregard for the firearm. And of course, if the rifle was accidently left capped, in a case the hammer would not catch on anything when taking it out of the vehicle.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

One day when I was using the "discharge at the end of the day" method I decided to test the "a flintlock is unloaded without powder in the pan" concept. I dumped the pan and wiped it out. Cocked hammer, pointed in a safe direction. Click, spark, BOOM.....

Be intentionally careful out there my friends.

Yep, "they" say a flintlock will fire once out of twenty tries with no priming in the pan. You beat the odds! I'm sure that the better one's rifle sparks, those odds improve. And of course, "once out twenty" does not mean that "once" comes after 19. Could be #1, #6, #12, etc.

 

[mushka]

Never let the pointy end of a gun be in your direction when handling them. It's a loser situation. Complacency with guns probably kills and injures more hunters than anything else in the field. I've had negligent discharge with a gun and I'll tell you that is a scary thing.

 

[.38 Special]

Yep, "they" say a flintlock will fire once out of twenty tries with no priming in the pan. You beat the odds! I'm sure that the better one's rifle sparks, those odds improve. And of course, "once out twenty" does not mean that "once" comes after 19. Could be #1, #6, #12, etc.

My flintlocks tend to have thinned and enlarged touch holes, and I ensure that powder from the main charge is visible before I prime the pan. On a bet, I once fired my best rifle four times in a row without priming the pan, and I suspect the misfire on the fifth go-round would have been avoided if I'd touched up the flint.

To me, a flinter is considered loaded unless I have the ramrod in the bore and the "empty" mark flush with the muzzle!