Blowing down the barrel

[Jim in San Diego]

Just to be clear, are people blowing down the barrel before or after loading.

Unless we're discussing the "Darwin Principal", I believe we're talking about ensuring the spark path is clear immediately after a shot to prevent a misfire on the next shot.

Anyone who blows into a loaded barrel can do us all a favor by removing themselves from the Gene pool.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Unless we're discussing the "Darwin Principal", I believe we're talking about ensuring the spark path is clear immediately after a shot to prevent a misfire on the next shot.

Anyone who blows into a loaded barrel can do us all a favor by removing themselves from the Gene pool.

Keeping the fouling soft is the only reason I do it.

 

[tenngun]

Just to be clear, are people blowing down the barrel before or after loading.

Before loading, right after the shot
One can’t blow down a loaded gun
Obviously that’s beyond unsafe. But on a practical side, a patch and ball make a hard seal in the bore. There is blow by when shot, but that’s under thousands of pounds per square inch of pressure. Wads in a smooth bore won’t be as tight as a patched ball. However even that is a gas tight blockage.
One could blow with all ones might.
A trumpet player could blow with all his might
The angel Gabriel himself could blow and get no where near the pressure needed to blow down a loaded barrel.
Now if you were stupid enough to put a loaded gun in your mouth and blow the loaded gun, if it had a slow hang fire might go off. It would not go off by fanning the ember.
Just for an experiment after you have shot a range day, and you have cleaned your gun. A qt or more of water, dry patches, and oiled patch, your gun is an empty tube.
Now patch your jag, with an oiled patch, run clean to the breach, make sure there is nothing in the gun, withdraw the jag till you can just see it. Unscrew and leave in the bore, and now blow. You won’t move any air, you haven’t the king capacity to blow past even the relatively loose fit of you jag.
How could you blow past a tight PRB?

 

[Nor'Easter]

Wonder how whiskey would do as a bore cleaner?

I was seriously wondering about cheap - bottom shelf gin.

 

[TDM]

Maybe we could talk about the proper number of times to tap a loaded round with your ram rod after it’s seated.

I say 4, no more, no less.

 

[pacanis]

I finally shot my new Brown Bess carbine tonight. Eleven times with the paper cartridges I made today. I blew down the barrel after each shot. It seemed the safe thing to do.
Don't ask me how I was priming it

 

[pacanis]

Maybe we could talk about the proper number of times to tap a loaded round with your ram rod after it’s seated.

I say 4, no more, no less.

I'm a three tap guy myself

 

[Jim in San Diego]

Before loading, right after the shot
One can’t blow down a loaded gun
Obviously that’s beyond unsafe. But on a practical side, a patch and ball make a hard seal in the bore. There is blow by when shot, but that’s under thousands of pounds per square inch of pressure. Wads in a smooth bore won’t be as tight as a patched ball. However even that is a gas tight blockage.
One could blow with all ones might.
A trumpet player could blow with all his might
The angel Gabriel himself could blow and get no where near the pressure needed to blow down a loaded barrel.
Now if you were stupid enough to put a loaded gun in your mouth and blow the loaded gun, if it had a slow hang fire might go off. It would not go off by fanning the ember.
Just for an experiment after you have shot a range day, and you have cleaned your gun. A qt or more of water, dry patches, and oiled patch, your gun is an empty tube.
Now patch your jag, with an oiled patch, run clean to the breach, make sure there is nothing in the gun, withdraw the jag till you can just see it. Unscrew and leave in the bore, and now blow. You won’t move any air, you haven’t the king capacity to blow past even the relatively loose fit of you jag.
How could you blow past a tight PRB?

I can bet that the Angel Gabriel would blow out the breach plug...

 

[Flintlock]

Before loading, right after the shot
One can’t blow down a loaded gun
Obviously that’s beyond unsafe. But on a practical side, a patch and ball make a hard seal in the bore. There is blow by when shot, but that’s under thousands of pounds per square inch of pressure. Wads in a smooth bore won’t be as tight as a patched ball. However even that is a gas tight blockage.
One could blow with all ones might.
A trumpet player could blow with all his might
The angel Gabriel himself could blow and get no where near the pressure needed to blow down a loaded barrel.
Now if you were stupid enough to put a loaded gun in your mouth and blow the loaded gun, if it had a slow hang fire might go off. It would not go off by fanning the ember.
Just for an experiment after you have shot a range day, and you have cleaned your gun. A qt or more of water, dry patches, and oiled patch, your gun is an empty tube.
Now patch your jag, with an oiled patch, run clean to the breach, make sure there is nothing in the gun, withdraw the jag till you can just see it. Unscrew and leave in the bore, and now blow. You won’t move any air, you haven’t the king capacity to blow past even the relatively loose fit of you jag.
How could you blow past a tight PRB?

Don't take things so seriously, I just thought 12 pages, how freaking far can we take this. lol

 

[pacanis]

The answer my friend, Is blowin'... in the wind.

 

[Jim in San Diego]

Don't take things so seriously, I just thought 12 pages, how freaking far can we take this. lol

Apparently all the way to the 1000 yard gong...

 

[ORBushman]

Improper blowing down the barrel without proper cool down time....

 

[JamesT]

I just read this entire thread and not one of you mentioned the dangers of blowing down the barrel when out hunting in cold winter temperatures and the chances of getting your tongue stuck to the muzzle like Ralphy did on the flag pole. Now double dog dare me to start a new thread on it.

 

[NorthFork]

Before loading, right after the shot
One can’t blow down a loaded gun
Obviously that’s beyond unsafe. But on a practical side, a patch and ball make a hard seal in the bore. There is blow by when shot, but that’s under thousands of pounds per square inch of pressure. Wads in a smooth bore won’t be as tight as a patched ball. However even that is a gas tight blockage.
One could blow with all ones might.
A trumpet player could blow with all his might
The angel Gabriel himself could blow and get no where near the pressure needed to blow down a loaded barrel.
Now if you were stupid enough to put a loaded gun in your mouth and blow the loaded gun, if it had a slow hang fire might go off. It would not go off by fanning the ember.
Just for an experiment after you have shot a range day, and you have cleaned your gun. A qt or more of water, dry patches, and oiled patch, your gun is an empty tube.
Now patch your jag, with an oiled patch, run clean to the breach, make sure there is nothing in the gun, withdraw the jag till you can just see it. Unscrew and leave in the bore, and now blow. You won’t move any air, you haven’t the king capacity to blow past even the relatively loose fit of you jag.
How could you blow past a tight PRB?

This can't be real! No, I'm not referring to you @tenngun . @Flintlock , yes folk are blowing down the barrel AFTER the shot!!!!

 

[stephenprops1]

I have been shooting percussion muzzleloaders since 1985. I have never blown down the barrel and I have never had a problem.

 

[NorthFork]

Maybe we could talk about the proper number of times to tap a loaded round with your ram rod after it’s seated.

I say 4, no more, no less.

0 taps. It's either seated or not. No need to bash the tip into the face of the ball. ZERO taps.

 

[TDM]

0 taps. It's either seated or not. No need to bash the tip into the face of the ball. ZERO taps.

They’re taps, not hammer blows.

 

[NorthFork]

They’re taps, not hammer blows.

I've seen folks literally throwing the ramrod down the barrel with all their might numerous times 'cause that's how so an so taught them.

 

[TDM]

I've seen folks literally throwing the ramrod down the barrel with all their might numerous times 'cause that's how so an so taught them.

Yeah, it serves no real purpose. But it’s better than talking about blowing down the barrel.

 

[NorthFork]

Yeah, it serves no real purpose. But it’s better than talking about blowing down the barrel.

Or stuck balls, powder charges, 4f in big bores, round, square, or cut at muzzle...........wait......if we don't argue about all of this........what will we discuss?