Johnny Tremain
Silversmith in training
Pure stupidity.
I would not do that with my cap & ball, ever.
We were talken bore stuffin rifles.
I would have kicked that fool out.
-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
Blowing down the barrel youtube video
- Thread starter rcbelding
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
I would not do that with my cap & ball, ever.
We were talken bore stuffin rifles.
I would have kicked that fool out.
Mike in FL
50 Cal.
A popular series is HELL ON WHEELS set right after the Civil War, the star raises his revolver like that after shooting. Now I know why; the producer was adding realism.
ronaldrothb49
45 Cal.
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2021
- Messages
- 830
- Reaction score
- 1,416
It is sad that we go through threads like this over and over again. It hasn't been that long ago when in a thread exactly like this one an individual posted that all safety rules were stupid. They were just created to try and prevent an accident that hasn't happened yet. What other reason would there be for a safety rule in any activity. Perhaps we should look at the first rule of firearm safety. ALWAYS treat every firearm as being loaded and NEVER point it at anything you don't intend to shoot. I mean really people grow up you are supposed to be adults.
Mike in FL
50 Cal.
I am one of those who wipe between shots for the sake of consistent accuracy (unless a situation calls for a fast reload.). Shooting BP guns for 55 years - never blew down the barrel, never will unless it is a range directive.
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2022
- Messages
- 159
- Reaction score
- 311
If I remember correctly, and at my age, 76, I sometimes question some of my remembrances. I've seen 'OLD' westerns where rifles using paper cartridges were employed in the movie. Every time someone fired the rifle, they would blow into the breech. Perhaps to extinguish any lingering embers from the just expended paper cartridge? Not one to rely on factual doings from movies, but on rare occasions, they do get it right, even more so in the OLDEN movies as opposed to more modern ones. At least this seems like a reasonable step.; avoiding the possibility of a cartridge going off in your hands;/face as you are reloading.
Comfortably_Numb
The Evil Mike Brooks
It makes an incredible difference. BPCR guys blow down their barrels so they can get through a match with reasonable accuracy. There often isn't enough time to wipe between shots. Same with those that shoot muzzleloaders. If you can carry more lube on bullet or patch or by using a lube wad fouling will generally stay soft.
I'm a blower. However, when shooting skeet I don't blow, or wipe. My wads are sloppy wet and keep fouling to a bare minimum. Besides, when I'm shooting a SXS I'm not going to put my head over a loaded barrel.
All of this blowing business has to do with controlling fouling. You can't get rid of the fouling, but you can soften it so it's less of a problem. Hard fouling will ruin accuracy in 1 or 2 shots.
I only know this stuff because I have shot in competition in BPCR, muzzleloading rifles and shotguns. You control your fouling or you lose.
We violate safety rules to load an ml.
Back in the dark ages I got an ml book. Had rules for ml. One was no smoking around the shooting line. Seems black powder can’t tell sparks from a flint from cigarette ash.
Makes sense, I don’t smoke and shoot at the same time…. Mostly
But what do you say to the match lock shooter, or Hand gonners?
We need exercise a bit of common sense.
The old boy who has no real interest in ml except to have a longer hunting season and picks up an in-line may not have the dedication to treat his gun in the same way a dyed in the capote hard core frontstuffer would be.
I see yahoos at the range that just aren’t safe. Billy Bob DS with a AR that’s not safe with a BB gun, I see hard core suppository gunners who are as knowledgeable about their guns as I am about mine.
I would say hard core shooters are like ice road truckers, compared to a sixteen year old that just got a license. ‘Safe’ is in the handling of the gun in all sorts of conditions and situations, not in a list of rules.
You will see guys shoot military flintlock per the eighteenth century drill, and they do so safely.
Where as loading a primed gun would in general be a no no normally.
Making up a rule to prevent an accident that can’t happen isn’t safe, it’s optics
Heck, if you want something dangerous, look at any speed shoot event. I've seen more broken ramrods in or through hands than I have seen heads blown off from blowing down a barrel.
Cruzatte
50 Cal.
If one swabs the barrel with a moistened patch between shots, why bother blowing down the barrel?
Right. Pure stupidity.
And that is why I made my original comment on this thread; to illustrate stupidity. Of course, I was talking about a modern revolver. Nothing to do, really, with blowing down a muzzleloader barrel.
I do know that upending a cap and ball revolver is to let the spent cap fall out (hopefully) I have an 1860 army Colt myself. And, boy what a hoot it was when I stepped up to the firing line between other officers who were all armed with .40 Berettas, and I let loose with all that smoke. I kept up with the semi-autos for 6 shots. Sure did confuse the guys on either side of me. Fun and games on the firing line.
But, concerning this thread about blowing down a muzzleloader barrel. This is an argument with no end. Do what you like. But, if you shoot at a private club or a public range you had better follow the rules or risk getting kicked out. Your choice.
As I said; no end to this. So, I'm done with it.
Who really cares anyway?
64Springer
75 Cal.
^^^"What difference, at this point, does it make".^^^
Comfortably_Numb
The Evil Mike Brooks
I'm highly entertained by the fact that people have been blowing down their barrels for years and never knew why. 
"Belief" has nothing to do with what actually happens. While I think it has less effect on muzzleloaders than BPCR, if you were to experience shooting at extremely long ranges with a breechloading cartridge rifle in dry weather you would quickly see why blow tubes are often used.
hanshi
Cannon
Every shooter of BP has his/her own routine and continues with it if it works for them. I blow down the barrel and if I don't see that little puff of smoke from the vent I know immediately that it's blocked. Keeps me from using a vent pick. I've never, ever known or have seen anyone actually put their mouth on the barrel to clear the bore by blowing into one. I'm pretty sure, and would even put money on it, that no ML I own will shoot more than once unless it is first reloaded. I've always cupped my hand around the barrel and high enough for me to blow into my hand, the only thing my face touches is my hand. I've been doing it that way for close to 60 years and I'm not likely to change. At 77 one becomes...well, "set in their ways".
Using a blow tube keeps the safety guys happy!
If you all need a good resource for gun safety, talk with Alec Baldwin's lawyers or Alec himself!
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2018
- Messages
- 45
- Reaction score
- 109
I have no dog in this fight and I don’t care if you blow or not!
I would like to see historical documentation on our “For Fathers“ blowing down the barrel…….Boon, Crockett, Girty etc.
I don’t do it because I don’t believe I the reasoning behind doing it. Keeping the fouling soft? Blowing out embers? Poppycock and balderdash I say!
Besides it looks really stupid and just destroys whatever coolness factor you my have. Steve McQueen, Lee Marvin, Sean Connery, Clint Eastwood wouldn't be caught dead blowing down there rifle!
So blow away if you want. In the end it doesn’t really matter what you do and I just don’t care!
I would like to see historical documentation on our “For Fathers“ blowing down the barrel…….Boon, Crockett, Girty etc.
I don’t do it because I don’t believe I the reasoning behind doing it. Keeping the fouling soft? Blowing out embers? Poppycock and balderdash I say!
Besides it looks really stupid and just destroys whatever coolness factor you my have. Steve McQueen, Lee Marvin, Sean Connery, Clint Eastwood wouldn't be caught dead blowing down there rifle!
So blow away if you want. In the end it doesn’t really matter what you do and I just don’t care!
have always blown down barrel plan on keeping it up......
We can have our own option
We can have our own option
I do it to see if my touch hole is plugged. If I don't see residual smoke coming out that touch hole I know I'm gonna have to pick it.
There is plenty of historic references to people doing it in the past. Audobon records Boone doing itI have no dog in this fight and I don’t care if you blow or not!
I would like to see historical documentation on our “For Fathers“ blowing down the barrel…….Boon, Crockett, Girty etc.
I don’t do it because I don’t believe I the reasoning behind doing it. Keeping the fouling soft? Blowing out embers? Poppycock and balderdash I say!
Besides it looks really stupid and just destroys whatever coolness factor you my have. Steve McQueen, Lee Marvin, Sean Connery, Clint Eastwood wouldn't be caught dead blowing down there rifle!
So blow away if you want. In the end it doesn’t really matter what you do and I just don’t care!
