Just about fed up…

SeaBee133 · Oct 17, 2024

.54 GPR yet again failed to fire. Clean and dry bore. Nylon brush through the fire channel. Popped a couple caps, paper moved.
90gr Swiss 3F, fresh CCI #11 Magnum cap (went off fine), t-shirt patch with T/C T-17 blue goo lube, .530 round ball. Tapped the stock to get powder into the channel.
Cap fired like it should. Not so much as a hang fire. Cost me a nice eating sized feral sow that was going to be given to a family that actually needs the meat.
And yet, the ROA that has been loaded and untouched for (where did the time go) 3-4 years? Went off like it had been loaded this afternoon.
Going to try again next week, have to work F/Sa/Su. Had to vent…

Phil Coffins · Oct 17, 2024

You have strange problem, best I can offer is let me figure it out for you. Bring it by and I’ll get right on it.

wiscoaster · Oct 17, 2024

I'd go along with the above recco by @Phil Coffins because it sounds like a really atypical malfunction that can only be diagnosed and fixed by someone who knows what they're doing and with actual hands on.

snakebit · Oct 17, 2024

SeaBee133 said:
.54 GPR yet again failed to fire. Clean and dry bore. Nylon brush through the fire channel. Popped a couple caps, paper moved.
90gr Swiss 3F, fresh CCI #11 Magnum cap (went off fine), t-shirt patch with T/C T-17 blue goo lube, .530 round ball. Tapped the stock to get powder into the channel.
Cap fired like it should. Not so much as a hang fire. Cost me a nice eating sized feral sow that was going to be given to a family that actually needs the meat.
And yet, the ROA that has been loaded and untouched for (where did the time go) 3-4 years? Went off like it had been loaded this afternoon.
Going to try again next week, have to work F/Sa/Su. Had to vent…

Can I ask how wet are your patches? Not familiar with that lube either? Tell me about that too.

Banjoman · Oct 17, 2024

Are your patches wet enough that they’re fouling the powder?

Frontier's · Oct 17, 2024

Blue lubed patches are most likely a tc or Thor bullets product.

Keep it simple, index on a patch or plain water. Most likely you are soaking your breech.

snakebit · Oct 17, 2024

Banjoman said:
Are your patches wet enough that they’re fouling the powder?

That's what I was thinking too Banjo. And loose knit cotton from a T shirt patch will be like a wet mop.

SciAggie · Oct 17, 2024

It’s an anomaly for sure. Once you figure it out it will make sense. My .50 GPR has always been as reliable as your ROA

jdw276 · Oct 17, 2024

Banjoman said:
Are your patches wet enough that they’re fouling the powder?

90 grains of swiss 3f is a lot of powder to contaminate I would think. Load after popping cap, do not swab after popping cap, just enough gunk from cleaning hung up in the fire channel to restrict 3f from going into the powder chamber but enough to move grass with a cap? Is this a one time thing or multiples? IE bad luck with a sow in sights? Heck sorry to mention thw bad words on here but a dryball?

SeaBee133 · Oct 18, 2024

jdw276 said:
90 grains of swiss 3f is a lot of powder to contaminate I would think. Load after popping cap, do not swab after popping cap, just enough gunk from cleaning hung up in the fire channel to restrict 3f from going into the powder chamber but enough to move grass with a cap? Is this a one time thing or multiples? IE bad luck with a sow in sights? Heck sorry to mention thw bad words on here but a dryball?

Powder went in the barrel. I use one of the clear, swinging funnel top plastic measures. Tapped as it is filled to settle the powder and hold more. Funnel tip into the barrel once full. Powder cainster also has a funnel cap for filling the measure.
Has been firing fine until yesterday. Same powder, caps, patches, lube, ball.
Patent breech cleaned with a 9mm brush and swabbed with a patch on 9mm jag. Flash channel cleared after via stiff bristled (flexible wire core) nylon brush. Caps popped against hanging sheet of paper (it moved).
Rifle and loading components stored in a no hvac part of the house. No rain since Hurricane Helene out riders in September.

nchawkeye · Oct 18, 2024

After you load, remove the nipple and see if you have powder there.

Rawhide67 · Oct 18, 2024

Years ago, I had a TC new Englander that was inconsistent. Every once in a while, for no reason, it wouldn't fire. I finally started pulling the nipple and sprinkling a few grains of powder in the nipple channel if I was headed out to hunt with it.

loflyr55 · Oct 18, 2024

Does your bolster have a clean out screw?

Eric Krewson · Oct 18, 2024

I ran into a problem on a GM drop in barrel that I didn't like, the flash channel was only drilled part way under the nipple.

When I brought this up, everyone with a similar barrel said this was standard for a GM barrel and it worked just fine.

I wasn't fine with me, I used a Dremel and a round diamond bit to remove all of the metal you see blocking the fire from the nipple to the charge, I cut the excess at a 45-degree angle to direct the flash toward the main charge.

One of the nay-sayers was adamant that I would damage the nipple threads with my Dremel. I have years of experience using a Dremel as a power decoy carver as well as collection of bits to do almost any job that comes up, the only metal I cut was the excess in the bottom of the hole.

Do you have any excess metal in your flash hole under the nipple?

smoothshooter · Oct 18, 2024

SeaBee133 said:
.54 GPR yet again failed to fire. Clean and dry bore. Nylon brush through the fire channel. Popped a couple caps, paper moved.
90gr Swiss 3F, fresh CCI #11 Magnum cap (went off fine), t-shirt patch with T/C T-17 blue goo lube, .530 round ball. Tapped the stock to get powder into the channel.
Cap fired like it should. Not so much as a hang fire. Cost me a nice eating sized feral sow that was going to be given to a family that actually needs the meat.
And yet, the ROA that has been loaded and untouched for (where did the time go) 3-4 years? Went off like it had been loaded this afternoon.
Going to try again next week, have to work F/Sa/Su. Had to vent…

As a patent breech hater, I always suspect fouling buildup or oil in one of the reduced-sized internal passages first.

PathfinderNC · Oct 18, 2024

You got to meet up with other BP shooters who know about this stuff. Trying it on your own is killing the fun out of it and hate to see that happen.

nhmoose · Oct 18, 2024

Try a squirt of brake cleaner through the nipple wait a couple of minutes and run a dry patch down if it comes back dry load and fire. I hate pattern breeches. frustration. I solved it with the brake cleaner.

rp77469 · Oct 18, 2024

nchawkeye said:
After you load, remove the nipple and see if you have powder there.

I learned the hard way a few decades back I needed to have the drum rotated so the powder flowed down into it when tapping. Make sure you don't have a clinker partly blocking the path. That is one the reasons my last cleaning step is a shot of 100 PSI compressed air before replacing the nipple. Good luck. Let us know when you figure it out!

You are awfully close to DGW. Somebody there should be of help.

rrebuck · Oct 18, 2024

Did anybody ever try a few drops of rubbing alcohol, starter or lighter fluid through the nipple in cases like this?

nhmoose · Oct 18, 2024

Yes but the brake cleaner is a whole lot quicker and has propellent spray. I use the little tube that comes with it , right into the nipple till spray comes out the muzzle.

Just about fed up…

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