Black powder / flintlock -- accidents / safety

[pharmvet]

Three things caused me to post this question

1) Recent post on accidental discharge
2) Im brand new to flinters and need all the help with safety I can get
3) Hunting season coming on and it seems that all could benefit from safety tips, first hand experiences ect.

I have always been fascinated with flintlocks, and only recently purchased and began to shoot one, quite honestly without much regard for the "special" safety considerations flintlocks / muzzleloaders involve. I began to think about misfires, hangfires, eyes (flint sparks and pan ignition) hands (placing charge and projectile with ramrod) powder horn explosion etc. Here is what I would like to get out of this post:

I would like for those of you who have been playing this game for quite a while to give me and anyone else who is interested some good safety advice (laced with as many real life experiences as you can offer) For example, I want to hear about the freak occurances as well as the common ones associated with muzzleloaders / flintlocks so that I can better avoid them.

Now dont get me wrong, I am interested in the normal gun handling procedures (muzzle in safe direction at all times, treat every gun as if it were loaded, etc) but I would like for the meat and potatoes of this advice to deal directly with the "special" safety condiderations involved with muzzleloaders / flintlocks. thanks a million

 

[Grenadier1758]

These are the steps I take when shooting my flintlock.

1. Keep it as safe as possible. After firing, I will always keep the lock down and the pan open. Often I will plug the vent.
2. I try to check my flint after every shot and if I need to knap the flint I do it before I load the gun.
3. I wipe the bore between shots with a damp patch. This will extinguish any embers that may exist at the breech.
4. I will only prime my gun when I am ready to fire at the target range.
5. I do like to have my horn hanging behind me so my body is between the horn and the gun.

Once, when my smoothbore didn't fire on the line, I cleaned the pan, plugged the bore and did some maintenance on the flint. I decided to check the action for sparks, and the gun went off. I sure don't consider that to be an accident, I did everthing on purpose and I knew that it is decidedly possible for a gun to fire even with no powder in the pan. I sure proved it.

 

[musketman]

When you clean the edge of a flint off (either in the gun or on the work bench), use a rag, I still have scars where the flint cut my fingers... :winking:

Remember, flint breaks sharp, knapping the flint will make little knives to cut you with...

When placing the flint in the jaws, lower the cock (hammer) to see if the flint is going to hit the side of the barrel or the bottom of the pan, either/or will break the flint...

Always raise the hammer to the half-cock position, lowering the hammer to half-cock will cause the sear to ride on the edge of the notch and will not fully engage the slot, this could slip and cause the hammer to fall... Yes, the main spring will have enough force to fire the gun at half-cock... If at full-cock, lower it past half-cock and then raise the hammer to the half-cock notch...

Do not over fill the priming pan, a full pan will slow the main charge ignition down as the powder will act like a fuse until it reaches the vent, you want the priming powder level just to, or slightly below the vent... (touchhole)

Keep the vent clear, use a pick (tooth pick, wire, feather's quill) to open the passage, care must be taken not to break off the pick in the hole...

Anything to the right of the vent (3 feet ot less) stands a good chance of being set on fire or burnt, I once set a bale of hay on fire while using my musket near it...

This will get you started... :thumbsup:

 

[robinghewitt]

Don't get paranoid about it or you won't have any fun, flintlocks are safe. There are just two things I do.

First is obviously muzzle awareness.

Second is avoiding anything that might set off my powder flask or priming flask.

Favorite source of ignition are your own lock and someone else shooting.

There is also the mythical cook off, supposedly caused by smouldering embers inside the bore. I'm not sure if it happens but I always blow down the barrel just to be safe.

- Waits for the howls of protest :crackup: -

 

[soggy]

I always blow down the barrel just to be safe.

:what:.. NO;, NO,. NO...NEVER :nono: :nono:...... :imo:
Soggy

 

...I always blow down the barrel just to be safe.

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

EVERY time I pull the trigger. Been doin' it for 20 years. :hatsoff:

 

[Grenadier1758]

Blowing down the barrel is one of those situations where the theory is sound, the moisture in the air extinguishes any embers and gently pushes air through the touch hole so you can see by the trace of smoke that the vent is clear. The practice is not nearly as sound. You have the safety hazard of a round that is waiting to cook off is down the barrel or an ember will flash the powder as fresh powder is poured down the barrel. The wiping with a damp patch will put out any embers, push air through the touch hole and will take fouling out of the bore. You do have to be careful and use a fairly loose jag and patch combo so fouling is not packed into the breech, but that is another topic.

 

[musketman]

Favorite source of ignition are your own lock and someone else shooting.

Smoking while filling the pan is a bad idea as well... :nono: :crackup:

No one should smoke while using black powder, period...

 

:hmm:One though that will bring up some question remarks, NEVER! load direct from powder horn, you might get one big bang!

 

[musketman]

When afield, carry extra flints, more than you need... (I recommend at least 5, sometimes new flints don't last more than a few shots)

You can prime with FFg, FFFg and FFFFg, in case you loose your priming powder or leave it at home...

Do NOT use FFFFg as the main charge, in case you leave your flask of FFg at home, the pressure is too high...

Take your ramrod out of the barrel before shooting, laugh if you must, people do shoot their ramrods...

If you are shooting a double barrel and only shoot one barrel then decide to reload the empty tube, unprime the live tube, priming powder/cap cost less than your life...

Also, make sure that you load the empty side of a double... :winking:

 

[benvenuto]

1) always protect your eyes...
all it takes is one bit of flint and your target shooting days are over
2) if you have a missfire or flash in the pan, keep the muzzle downrange, count to ten slowly, then with the muzzle in a safe direction, clear your vent /reprime and try again
3) with a persistant misfire, count to thirty then flood the charge before pulling the bullet out (or using one of those new fangled CO2 things)

 

[Stumpkiller]

Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...I always blow down the barrel just to be safe.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EVERY time I pull the trigger. Been doin' it for 20 years.

Now there's an oxymoron. "I stick the muzzle of a gun in my mouth just to be safe." :crackup:

Rule #1: Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.

Rule #2: Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.

If you can't understand those two, how can we trust you for anything else to do with firearms?

Back to special flint safety considerations:

If you have a failure to fire, even without a pan flash, wait 15 seconds before lowering the gun, and assume it is going to go off at any time thereafter. Flintlocks can hang-fire better than most.

Be careful whenever you lower the cock or snap the frizzen closed. A flint that is long or forward/twisted in the jaws can contact the frizzen and cause a spark without needing the trigger pulled.

Keep the powder away from the vent. Flintlocks shoot a blast of burning gas and residue out the vent. Not what you want making contact with an open can of powder or a neighbor's pan as he is priming hims rifle or pouring a measure full from his horn.

For the same reason, you should be mindful of an onlooker standing to your vent side.

Buy plenty of flints and powder, and keep a plentyful supply of lead or cast balls on hand at all times. If you run out, you will suffer painful withdrawl that is especially severe for flintlock shooters.

 

[roundball]

My personal choices on a couple topics:

1) The only time I will intentionally put my head over a muzzle is after I've just cleaned it in a pail of hot water, then dried it...I might slide a bore light downbore to take a look, etc...but otherwise...I NEVER put my head in front of a muzzle, least of all when I'm at the range where I'm loading, firing, reloading, etc...$#%@ happens and that's exactly when I'll get distracted or make a mistake or have an accidental discharge...basically, I follow the gun safety commandments of treating a firearm as if it's loaded, and never pointing the muzzle at anything I don't want to shoot...that includes my own head;
:front:

2) I always cover the vent on a loaded Flintlock with a piece of tape when driving to my hunting area and while walking into my stand location in the dark...to avoid the possibility of any extraneous ignition source reaching the main charge through the vent...also provides the added benefit of keeping out any moisture, humidity, etc, until I'm on stand and ready to prime & hunt;
From a safety point of view, I trust tape more than a toothpick or a feather...I peel the tape off and stick on the side of the stock out of the way, and reuse it later for the walk out in the dark, and the drive home to the garage where I unload it with compressed air;

:m2c:

 

[rmonday2]

I too purge the barrel by lung for three reasons;

#1, the mousture from your breath will extinguish any smouldering embers that may be left behind,
#2, it will clear the nipple of tiny particles which cause mis or hang fires,and
#3, it is practical while standing in the woods for a second shot.

And, yes I have powdered and forgot the ball; as well as ball without the powder (at the range), but I have never forgot I just fired a shot.
It's like drying-off after a shower!

"Think before you act" would be my advice to any new commer!
Fire and gas dont mix either, but we use them every day!

Shoot safe and enjoy :thumbsup: Ronnie...

P.S. they do sell a fancy little tube you must use at NMLRA shoots, if you practice this procedure.

 

[jim gray]

I'm glad to see that safety is your first concern. There are a lot of good tips in the previous post, but I would like to add, never trust a mechanical safety, including the half-cock notch on your flinter. If the safety on your gun ever saves your life or someone else's, then you have done something terribly wrong. Anything mechanical will eventually fail.

 

[FearNot]

I too purge the barrel by lung for three reasons;

#1, the mousture from your breath will extinguish any smouldering embers that may be left behind,
#2, it will clear the nipple of tiny particles which cause mis or hang fires,and
#3, it is practical while standing in the woods for a second shot.

#1. Maybe, maybe not. Ever huff and puff on an ember to get your fire started?
#2. It may also blow tiny particles INTO the nipple.
#3. Not sure what ya mean by this...

My position... never point the muzzle at anything you don't wanna shoot - including yer head! :imo: :results:

Remove the rammer from the bbl - or, if you leave it in, be sure it's well seated against the charge! :: :curse:

 

[Maestro]

Now there's an oxymoron. "I stick the muzzle of a gun in my mouth just to be safe." :crackup:

Rule #1: Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.

Rule #2: Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.

If you can't understand those two, how can we trust you for anything else to do with firearms?

Exactly!... :agree: I'm relatively new to blackpowder shooting (a little over a year) and when I started, I heard of the practice but I just couldn't bring myself to do that :no: - call me a sissy - but it just don't "feel" right! (And I don't want my 4&6 year old kids seeing me do it either!) I'll spend the extra few seconds or even minutes to swab the bore between shots - even in the field.

 

[KyFlintlock]

Anything to the right of the vent (3 feet ot less) stands a good chance of being set on fire or burnt, I once set a bale of hay on fire while using my musket near it...

My son prematurely shot at a deer this past fall while we were stillhunting. I spotted the deer bedded about 30 yards and I handed him my rifle..I was slowly starting to decend and slide behind him so he could take the shot...and he SHOT! He wasn't ready, I think he just got too excited and squeezed. I was only about 12" from the side of the flinter and needless to say my neck was FRIED with burning embers... ::

Good post...

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Scroll down to the "A Blooming Youth."

http://members.aye.net/~bspen/ptery.html

 

[Stumpkiller]

A BLOOMING Youth, who had just passed the Boy,
The Father's only Child and only Joy,
As he, intent, design'd the Larks his Prey,
Himself as sweet and innocent as They,
The fatal Powder in the Porch of Death,
Having in vain discharg'd its Flash of Breath,
The tender Reas'ner, curious to know,
Whether the Piece were really charg'd or no,
With Mouth to Mouth apply'd began to blow_
A dreadful Kiss! For now the silent Bane
Had bor'd a Passage thro' the whizzing Train_
The Shot all rent his Skull, and dashed around his Brain!



Excerpt from:

PTERYPLEGIA
(A Poem)
By Mr. MARKLAND, A.B., late Fellow
of St. John's College in Oxford
London, 1727
Price One Shilling

:hatsoff: