Anyone ever experienced burning embers in your barrel after a shot?

[Sidney Smith]

Not once and I've been shooting muzzleloaders for at least 30 plus years. And I do not blow down the barrel between shots.

 

[deerstalkert]

there have been times i have seen wisps of smoke coming from the vent after a shot, as i set the butt down for a reload. i introduce moist air into the barrel and watch the vent. just for s&g's.

 

[ohio ramrod]

While I have not noticed any burning embers in a barrel, I have often noticed burning embers on the ground after shooting the smooth bore on humid days. So it is likely that some embers were burning in the barrel!

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

Nope, never. 50 years and counting. Don’t blow down the barrel or swab between shots. Never been a concern.

 

[tenngun]

I do recall an historic reference of a young man who shot himself because he failed to blow down the barrel

 

[Josephg]

Nope, never have. I don't shoot cannons.

 

[Mwal]

Started muzzloading 40 + years ago have not had it happen nor seen it happen.
Mwal

 

[deerstalkert]

shot my thirteen colonies salute today at noon. it was so hot i was afraid of a cook-off. the barrel was almost to hot to touch before a shot was fired. when i dumped my charge i saw dust i guess and it gave me a start after all this thread!

 

[Widows Son]

I have had 2 experiences of a chain-fire in a cap and ball revolver, several years apart, but I blame myself because I wasn’t using any lubricant whatsoever and the caps probably were not tight on the nipples. The phenomenon is well documented with revolvers.
I was referring specifically to long guns.

 

[Art Caputo]

Been shooting muzzleloaders for 40+ years….Never had it happen.

 

[TexiKan]

No. BP only shooter who has been shooting since 1975 when I joined a local club. However, a club member did have a charge go off while loading at a monthly shoot. He had a theory as to how and why it happened and wrote about it.

Regardless, I am glad you asked the question because we often hear stories about "someone" and never know exactly who that "someone" is that prompted this and such that were reasons to no longer blow down the barrel.

 

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

I struggle seeing the logic in how blowing down the barrel would put out burning embers. Wouldn't you be just as likely to fan them?

 

[Ian Straus]

Has anyone ever had an accident or seen an accident due to burning embers after a shot? (Excluding cannons)
Personally I’ve been shooting side lock muzzleloaders, flint and cap, for 40 years and have never experienced it or seen or heard of anyone else having experience of it.
I am not deriding any safety procedures here! I’m really curious.

Yes, I have seen it happen twice, both with rifled muskets:

Once in a skirniish shoot,: The shooter was and is a much better shot than I and always treats his guns well, so I don't believe the gun was cleaned badly. He was loading, poured his powder down and it flashed, It burned his hand, which was made worse by the synthetic shooting glove he was wearing. The glove melted on his hand, very painful, and it cost him $400 at the hospital.

Once in a reenactment: The same thing happened but he was loading correctly,with fingers to the side, so the burns were minor. Shook him up though.

If I recall correctly both times were on humid days. I couldn't prove that humidity has anything to do with it, It is probably more significant that in both situations we were loading and firing quickly.

 

[Ian Straus]

seems we have established that it does happen, now what is the real cause? patch shred smoldering? crud ring still burning? inquiring minds want to know! i only have a short time to know and i won't go to the yonder mountains until i know!

Both times I saw flashes were with rifled muskets, one firing blanks and the other with Minies. People don't clean during firing in those circumstances, so the only way to get a smoldering patch thread would have been in cleaning before the event. I would think that if it was a smoldering thread, the flash would have happened on the second round, rather than after many rounds. So I don't think that was it.
This is not to deny that i avoid cleaning with patches that have threads hanging off of them.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Hello I sent your forum to a friend who has just joined a ML uk club. His email back

The burning embers thread is interesting. I've never seen it happen, but one of the muzzle loaders at the Wattisfield range had a loading rod go through his hand when a charge ignited as he was loading the patched ball. It was sometime last year so I don't have any details on it.

Regards Gordon ha ha Ps
Life is hard for me trying to learn guitar at 78. And the wife don’t like my flintlocks across the window

 

[Crow-Feather]

Has anyone ever had an accident or seen an accident due to burning embers after a shot? (Excluding cannons)
Personally I’ve been shooting side lock muzzleloaders, flint and cap, for 40 years and have never experienced it or seen or heard of anyone else having experience of it.
I am not deriding any safety procedures here! I’m really curious.

A true story. A fur trapper on horseback wounded a buffalo and was riding after said buffalo. He decided to reload while on his horse and placed his powder horn to the barrel. The resulting explosion took all of the hair off the trappers face and head, and left his skin a cherry red. It was several weeks before the trapper fully recovered.

 

[JCKelly]

Early 1980's I spent a little time with a man who had a scarred right index finger. He had been in some Civil War musket match where the score included how fast they could reload. BOOM! Somehow the ball and ramrod mostly missed his hand, though did leave some marks on that finger.
Couldn't have bothered him too much, because he had come to buy my almost-new matchlock rifle I had been shooting.

 

[RicM]

Interesting thread indeed. Me being new to muzzle loading having an 1863 Springfield percussion rifle and an Model1842 Austin Johnson perc cap pistol, both originals in prime shape and both shoot well. ( Will be looking for a Kentucky Long Gun or something of the Revolutionary War period as soon as I can bribe my wife regarding the cost lolol ) Though it seems very rare on a cook off, I do take the cautions seriously as on occassions some do get struck by lightning.

From posts like this and past posts on this site I read and learn. After my first shot, I religiously leave the spent cap in place with hammer still remaining down, taking the time viewing the target, and loading and ALWAYS keep the muzzle angled down field when loading. When its all loaded up I then cock back the hammer and replace the cap. I'm no expert by far, so speed loading has not come into play with me and most likely never will. I just love shooting them and savor every moment of enjoyment of them. I also have a slew of brass casing rifles and handguns and my shooting buddy always cracks jokes on how time at the range he blows off maybe 2 dozen rounds with his '03 Springfield or his 1911 Colt pistol and he looks over in that time, I only fired say around 8 muzzle loaded rounds. Heck I tell him its not only fun and challenging, but during an ammo shortages I end up spreading the time saving on my regular brass loaded rifles and handguns.

 

[ord sgt]

I have experienced a "cook off" while practicing for an upcoming regional N-SSA shoot. I fired a shot and grabbed the new round from my cartridge box. Pulled the minie from the tube and poured 44 grains FFFg into the barrel. As soon as some of the loose powder hit the breech, a bit of burning carbon lit the new powder. My right hand was at the muzzle, still pouring powder when I saw flames flash between my fingers. I had the tube in my fingers before the flash. After the flash, the tube was gone. I never found the plastic tube. I stopped the loading procedure, left the rifle at the bench and found some water to cool the burn on my hand.
Also, I saw another shooter have a "cook off" while on the firing line in the middle of the relay. Although his hand was burned, he continued to load and fire until the relay was over. This was an experienced shooter.

 

[tenngun]

I struggle seeing the logic in how blowing down the barrel would put out burning embers. Wouldn't you be just as likely to fan them?

Light a piece of char cloth. Cut it off so you you just got the glowing spot. Blow on it, it flares up bright then goes out. It’s burned up all its fuel with one little puff.
I blow down the barrel to make sure the vent is clear. I do it because it’s habit, and it’s historical.
I have never once in near fifty years not known if my gun was shot.
Maybe you might miss a little flintlock going off. A .32 or .36 with a tiny powder charge. I don’t know.
So one gets a hang fire that last long enough for you to ground the gun and it go off just when you put mouth over a barrel.
I don’t buy it.
Maybe?
Anyway. Is there any advantage to blowing down the barrel. No, none that I can think of. I swab tween shots, and that would do the same thing as blowing down the bore. But it remains what I do.