Blowing down barrel?...sorry :redface:

[henbrook]

Not intending to re-open this can'o worms,but as a newbie MLer,I've read the entire 6 pages of arguing in the above "stickied" post and I'm still unclear as to what is the purpose or more correctly what is accomplished by blowing down the tube?

Safety aspect aside,for those that practice it,what is the theory on blowing down the barrel?Is it to add oxygen to help ignite smoldering embers or is it intended to add moisture to smother them?Please,no lectures on safety,I didn't intend to start yet another arguement,I just wanna know why you do it if you do and what is the expected result.Does the moist air smother the embers or does the O2 flash them up and create a puff of smoke? :idunno:


edit:scratch that....I guess I know "why" you do it,I just want to know the theory behind it.Smother or flare?
And for those that can't help themselves from preaching on the safety aspect,let's just assume I'll be using a flex tube of adequate length to keep my face outta the muzzle. :v

 

[GreyWhiskers]

One reason is to introduce moisture to the bore to keep the fouling soft.

Good question about possible embers. My guess is that cool moist air will lower the temperature near the breech. GW

 

[ohio ramrod]

The people I know that do it ,do it to make sure the flashhole/nipple fire channel is clear. There is a man at our one local club shoots who insisted his misfires were because he was not allowed to blow down the barrel. So I got him a kids "rubber ducky " bath toy so he could squease it down the barrel.Now he has a rubber duck on a leather lace to hang around his neck!

 

[Stumpkiller]

That's my understanding. The moisture in your breath softens the fouling and allows for easier reloading. May or may not extinguish embers. May just as like give them a little boost - like blowing on a char-cloth ember to start a fire.

Other alternatives exist. If your lube requires additional moisture for multiple loading . . . switch lubes.

Note also that some ranges forbid it. You can't keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction with your lips around it.

 

[DanChamberlain]

Seems to me, running a spit patch down the bore with a ramrod would introduce more force through the nipple/flash channel than blowing down bore. Might soften the fouling more as well.

Just me.

Dan

 

[Mike Brooks]

I do it to soften fouling, nothing to do with blowing out embers.

 

[henbrook]

Ok thanks.I guess I was thinking from the previous debate that the main reason was either to extinguish the embers with moisture or burn them up with o2,with clearing the hole being a secondary benefit?

 

[RonT]

Ha.....ha...! :grin:
R

 

[zrifleman]

What embers? It's to soften fouling and see if the nipple or flash hole is clear. I don't understand the safety in not blowing down the barrel.

 

[LRB]

What embers? I have met two shooters that had a ball and ramrod shot through their hand from left over embers. They both blow down the barrel now before reloading. Both were lucky in that they still have use of their hands, but cannot feel their fingers.

 

[larry wv]

I just like to watch the smoke blow out the hole. Larry Wv

 

[paulvallandigham]

/When I was still blowing down the barrel, it was to soften the fouling AND to blow out the embers. I would watch either the nipple or vent, depending on action type, and if smoke was still coming out when I ran out of breath, I knew that I had some unburned, burning "something" down there, and I blew down the barrel a second time, until NO smoke came out of the vent or nipple. It didn't happen often, but when it did, I began thinking about just running a damp patch down the barrel to extinguish the darn "whatever", and be done with it! :shocked2: :blah:
That damp patch pushed a lot of air out the vent or nipple, and all the smoke. PLUS, it pulled out a lot of crud on its way out of the barrel. That's when I got the idea that sucking on sulfur at the muzzle was not only NOT fun, but something that could be avoided. :hmm:

 

[Frank/Pa]

I do it to soften the fouling and to make sure the touch hole is clear.

 

[zrifleman]

Wick---That story sounds like it started with "once upon a time". In both cases why didn't the powder ignite when it was first poured down the barrel? It would have to set there long enough to put patch, ball and ramrod down the barrel. Another scenario I have heard is setting off a charge by rapid compression of powder charge with patch/ball. A friend says he witnessed that at a match. Don't know if that is possible?

 

[sniper68]

I just like to watch the smoke blow out the hole. Larry Wv

:rotf: :rotf:

:rotf:

 

[sniper68]

While I emphatically agree that you can't be too safe.. I got to inform ya'll, there ain't no embers with a discharged firearm that I've ever seen or heard of.

I'm not advocating blowing or not blowing down the barrel, just sayin there ain't no embers and if there were to be, blowing would more than likely "NOT" put them out. :v

 

[henbrook]

Wick---That story sounds like it started with "once upon a time". In both cases why didn't the powder ignite when it was first poured down the barrel? It would have to set there long enough to put patch, ball and ramrod down the barrel. Another scenario I have heard is setting off a charge by rapid compression of powder charge with patch/ball. A friend says he witnessed that at a match. Don't know if that is possible?

I would think either scenario is plausible if for instance there was some hot fouling stuck midway in the barrel?Couldn't the powder simply slide past an ember without igniting until the ember was compressed by a prb along with a supply of fresh air?sounds reasonable to me...but then again I don't know much about MLs?

Embarrassingly,I do however know a little about blowing down a barrel.Some time around 30 years ago when I was a youngster running an after school trapline,I stumbled in the snow and clogged the barrel of my .22lr.With the infinite wisdom of a 14 year old,I reasoned that my breath would melt the barrel obstruction and soon found myself with a loaded .22 stuck fast to my lower lip!:nono: I think I was more embarassed than scared at the time,but I kept my cool and eventually freed myself within a minute or so without losing any skin,but I sure as hell never told the 'ol man about it for a good many years afterwards for fear of losing more than just a lil' skin off my lip!
:redface:

 

[tg]

I would think that the amount of powder,lube type may contribute to whether or not there may be embers, I like to see that long stream of smoke pour out of the vent it tells me that the hole is clear and when it stops I am convinced that no further burning is happening, and all he smoke which would have become fouling is out of the barrel, softening the fouling is another plus.it is a matter of choice unless the place you are at forbids it,then a device of sorts can be used if you find yourself shooting by anal rules.It was pretty much standard practice by most shooters 30-40 years ago wherever I shot.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I agree. It's been done long term, probably since sholderable firearms, and was or was not standard practice 30 years ago for the same reasons it is and is not done now.

The Romans used lead oxide ("Sugar of Lead") as a seasoning. Just 'cause it used to be done does not mean it is healthy or proper.

 

[Mike Brooks]

It was pretty much standard practice by most shooters 30-40 years ago wherever I shot.

First I heard of "no blow" was at Friendship, probably 10 or 12 years ago. Otherwise everyone I shot with other than bench rest folks blew down the barrel. Folks back then didn't seem to have a tough time figuring out whether the gun was loaded or not I guess. :idunno: