Blowing down barrel?...sorry :redface:

[LRB]

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?

All I can say is that I saw the scars, and have no reason to believe either lied about it. In both cases, both men were loading rapid fire. As mentioned, if an ember were under some fouling, then things could liven up when the ball is forced down on the powder. I always blow down the barrel before reloading. It used to be a common safety measure until recent years.
I don't believe you could build enough pressure to ignite the powder from compression with a patched ball. Confederate soldier Sam Watkins mentioned in his book, "Company Atch", that at the battle of Kennesaw Mt., many muskets on their side, were going off as they were being loaded in heavy rapid fire. He thought the hot barrels set the charges off, I think it was embers in the fouling, and that the hot barrels might have been supporting the embers. Now, that may not be a perfect example because of the paper cartridges envolved, but I just feel uncomfortable if I don't either blow down the barrel, or wipe it with a wet patch, before reloading.

 

[Frank/Pa]

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:

Yep, whenever I started shooting muzzleloaders back in 1975, everyone blew down the barrel. Everybody knew whether their last shot went of or not. :shocked2:

 

[larry wv]

The veterans among us remember how the barrels turned red on an M60 for instance after a bit of prolonged fire. Seems like the civi war rifles could have a few burrs inside from not so modern equipment or the man building it didn't give a hoot as long as it made it out the door. Said burr could get pretty hot after a lot of shooting. Would be a good spot for an ember to stick also. Just an idea. Larry

 

[tg]

"Everybody knew whether their last shot went of or not."

I think they did, I never had anyone ask me if their gun had went boom or not.

 

[nkbj]

Human nature...when someone's standard practice does not find favor in the mind of rule makers then the rule makers seek to prohibit the practices that are not theirs. Please reexamine the reasoning involved in commanding someone that they may not blow through a stinky pipe when they are around you.
Depending on the climate and the piece, this practice may be the most intelligent means of introducing air flow and readily absorbable elevated vapor moisture (no liquid to cause hang fires).
If the mental imagery is still just too scary, well then how about those really sharp patch knives handled by people with lube on their hands, razor like rock shards flying about, fingers endangered by high speed lock mechanisms that do not have proper safety cages and worst of all, the inexcusable lack of tagging and lock-out procedures to prevent unauthorized activation.
OK, I'm gonna go find some breakfast. Anybody wanta tell me what I have to eat?

 

[nkbj]

She said it's pancakes, sausage, eggs and fruit with nutmeg ground on it.

 

[Geraldo]

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?

All I can say is that I saw the scars, and have no reason to believe either lied about it. In both cases, both men were loading rapid fire. As mentioned, if an ember were under some fouling, then things could liven up when the ball is forced down on the powder. I always blow down the barrel before reloading. It used to be a common safety measure until recent years.
I don't believe you could build enough pressure to ignite the powder from compression with a patched ball. Confederate soldier Sam Watkins mentioned in his book, "Company Atch", that at the battle of Kennesaw Mt., many muskets on their side, were going off as they were being loaded in heavy rapid fire. He thought the hot barrels set the charges off, I think it was embers in the fouling, and that the hot barrels might have been supporting the embers. Now, that may not be a perfect example because of the paper cartridges envolved, but I just feel uncomfortable if I don't either blow down the barrel, or wipe it with a wet patch, before reloading.

What's the difference between a fairy tale and a sea story? Sorry, just couldn't resist that.

Back on topic. I wipe between shots out of habit developed by range rules when I started shooting BP thirty years ago, so I never got into blowing down the barrel. That said, I wouldn't be afraid to do it. After all, if you don't know if your rifle went off you probably shouldn't have one in your hands in the first place. As for bad habits transferring to cartridge weapons, I don't buy it. I have shot muzzleloaders and cartridge weapons for years, and I've never tried to stuff bullets down the barrel of a Model 700. If you can't tell what weapon is in your hands, your brain is not engaged enough to use one.

As for the embers deal, I do believe you can have them. I recently saw an episode of R. Lee Ermey's show in which a Civil War reinactor was firing one shot after another without wiping or blowing. I had to go back on the DVR in slow motion, but they caught him dumping powder which immediately went off as soon as it got down the barrel. That's as close to firsthand as I've ever seen.

 

[Claude Mathis]

The original post specifically said... "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."

He was trying to tell you not to debate the "safety" issue here (again).

 

[Mike Brooks]

The original post specifically said... "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."

He was trying to tell you not to debate the "safety" issue here (again).

Thanks for the reminder. I think if I were EVER to shoot at Friendship again I'd probably bring a blow tube.
For some reason I have never blown down the barrel of my SXS flint guns when I shoot skeet. My wads carry plenty of lube so I have never been concerned with softening fouling. I'm surprised I have never had a cook off from burning embers.... :idunno:

 

[laney1566]

:surrender:

 

[laney1566]

"Everybody knew whether their last shot went of or not."

I think they did, I never had anyone ask me if their gun had went boom or not.

:rotf:

 

[Ketchakah]

Hello,
I have heared all the same things about extingushing embers and softening fouling. Im not sure I buy the softening thing but i will go with the killing embers thing.
I like TG also like to make sure the flash hole if clear. I seldem if ever need to use a pick. Quite often i will blow a good chunk of junk out when i blow the barrel.
I DO NOT under any circumstance allow ANYONE to tell me what is safe or not for me. Safe for others yes, Ie: Dont load while someone is down range, Dont sweep your rifle away from the firing line. But as far as my personal safety is concerned... thats my busness and not anyone elses. If i was told I couldent blow the barrel and something happened, I would hold that person Directly responsable.
I have no problem not shooting at an event if there are issues as such. Probably why ive never been to friendship.
Anyway my primary reason for blowing a barrel is to clear the vent. Secondly to kill a spark. I dont carry plastic or rubber.

 

[Tumblernotch]

I have seen it firsthand at re-enactments. They were blank charges being poured into very hot, dirty barrels during file firing. You learn to keep your musket leaning away from your face. If there is an ember in there, it's probably a piece of paper from a cartridge. If you blow down the barrel, it stands to reason that the air will make it glow brighter. The same thing will happen if you ram a ball or wad down the barrel. I can see a cook-off happening while loading if there is a smouldering piece of debris at the breech and air is forced onto it by compression as a projectile is rammed down. The compressed air is forced through the powder charge and could make whatever is smouldering in there hot enough to ignite the powder. We stressed leaving the hammer down on our muskets when loading to reduce air flow and that seemed to reduce the number of cook-offs. Keeping the vent closed was a very important part of ML cannon loading procedure and still is for that reason.

I've never seen a cook-off when firing patched ball. And from what I've read over the years, those instances when someone was killed while blowing down the barrel happened after a mis-fire and they mistakenly thought they hadn't loaded their gun and were checking to see if the barrel was clear not realizing that they had a slow hangfire.

 

[hanshi]

Ah-Ha! I knew there was a reason prb shooters can't do fast reloads! :haha: Safety! :bow:

 

[tg]

"Ah-Ha! I knew there was a reason prb shooters can't do fast reloads! Safety"

Yeah, we are a bunch of Neanderthals,really lost in the past and letting the whole ML experience swooosh right past us, I just hope we do not cast an unvavorable shadow across those who know so much more then we,ums do.

 

[zrifleman]

There is a lot of difference between loading blank charges and loading a patch round ball or conical. There is more weight and/or compression of the charge--hence a cleaner burn. Aside from blank charges, I still have a hard time with there being burning embers in the barrel. How come we don't see burning sparks out the nipple when we blow down the barrel? Blowing down the barrel on a discharged muzzleloader has been and always will be, for me and effective safe way to soften the powder and clear the nipple.

 

[Tumblernotch]

Yes there is a lot of difference. I could see a faint possibility of an ember if paper wadding was used in a smoothbore musket, but like I said, it would be very faint.

Personally, I don't believe enough moisture is generated by blowing to soften fouling unless maybe one blew for a long time. But, to each his own.

 

[R.M.]

Personally, I don't believe enough moisture is generated by blowing to soften fouling unless maybe one blew for a long time. But, to each his own.

Talk to a BPCR shooter. They'll disagree with that statement. That's why they use the blow-tube. All of them do.

 

[Tumblernotch]

Personally, I don't believe enough moisture is generated by blowing to soften fouling unless maybe one blew for a long time. But, to each his own.

Talk to a BPCR shooter. They'll disagree with that statement. That's why they use the blow-tube. All of them do.

Like I said, if you blow long enough it may help. But most of the ML shooters I've seen do it only give a quick puff to see if the vent is clear. I don't regularly do it at the range (our rules don't allow it), but I have when hunting after firing a shot to make sure the vent is clear. If I have enough time to run a patch down I simply watch for smoke when I push my wiping stick down. And I know some BPCR shooters who don't use a tube. :hmm: