Bought a LOADED 1863 Springfield at Civil War show this weekend!

[hickok45]

Not sure where this should be posted, here, or under Percussion Rifles.
Anyway, just a tip and an FYI, I finally purchased my first original (non-reproduction) Civil War rifle musket at the Civil War show in Franklin, Tn, this past weekend.
It's not a museum piece, but it's a nice old vintage 1964 rifle. Well, I was so caught up in finding an 1863 Springfield that was pretty much "correct" and shootable in the condition I wanted that it did not occur to me for a second to check to see if it was loaded. The vendor even dropped a small flashlight down the bore so I could see the nice condition of the bore.
I should have rammed the ramrod down the barrel, as it turns out. The thing was loaded! AS I was cleaning the barrel when I got home, it just seemed odd that the ramrod would not go down past the front of the rear sight. I've never had a Springfield before, so I just wasn't sure WHAT to think. Surely, it would not be loaded, was all I could think. The stock steel ramrod seemed to ping correctly, though not very loudly.
Anyway, I put my ball puller screw jig on my ramrod and started drilling into what seemed to be old lead. WHen I removed the nipple, I seemed to detect powder down in there.

Sure enough, I dried out the nipple where I'd been soaking it in Ballistol and put a cap on it. As indicated, it fired a round. I won't go into detail about how I fired it, but using a barricade and leather, I made sure my body and arm were protected in case it blew up or something.

Anyway, I learned a lesson. Beware if you are shopping a gun show. I take the blame for not checking the full length of the barrel, but "who'd a thunk it?"

I love the rifle, though.

When we do a video with the rifle, I'll relate this story as a caution to our many viewers.
This ever happened to any of you?

Thanks,
Hickok45

 

[bpd303]

Yep... but not with an original Springfield though. I haven't found one I could afford yet. However I have three original guns that did have a load in them. That's why I always check by dropping the rammer down the bore then comparing how deep it goes in relation to the nipple/flash hole. It's never prevented me from buying them, just have to pull the load & check them out before shooting them. I have read stories of guns picked up on the Gettysburg battlefield with multiple charges in them.

 

[satx78247]

GOOD POINT.

A rifled musket picked up after the battle at Marye's Heights had SIX full loads in the barrel.

CAREFULLY checking out EVERY firearm is a good way to keep all your various body parts attached.

yours, satx

 

[Claude Mathis]

Not sure where this should be posted, here, or under Percussion Rifles.

Actually, this has nothing to do with the Civil War or Percussion Rifles.

It's all about knowing how to check if a firearm is loaded. IMO

 

[Zonie]

A modern sidelock I bought at the local gun show appeared to be loaded when I got home.

I removed the nipple and pulled the patched roundball.

I'm glad I didn't try to shoot it out because it turned out that it was loaded with smokeless powder. :shocked2:

 

[necchi]

it was loaded with smokeless powder. :shocked2:

Found a pistol like that.
Guy brought it to a Rendezvous looking for help.
It was Grandma's.
Well we knew it was loaded but couldn't get a bite on the lead. One of my buddies lives local to this event so we went over there, started a hole in it with a drill bit, then the puller took hold.
We ended up pulling a Minnie ball that was stuffed in there upside down, and it had some type of flake smokeless powder under it. And a good 30-40grn volume measure of it too boot!
If we would have capped and shot that thing it would have been a pipe bomb!!

The guy figured Grandma loaded it after her husband passed, at least that was his story, after we pulled the mess.

With all respect, add that to your video Sir, it's another good thing to remember with loaded guns, you can't tell what it's loaded with.

 

[54ball]

I fired it, but using a barricade and leather, I made sure my body and arm were protected in case it blew up or something.

You were fortunate.

 

[cynthialee]

I picked up a pistol last year that turned out was packed with a charge of smokeless powder and a huge amount of well packed wadding. I knew it was somehow loaded when I dropped a rod down it. I was about to put a cap on it and shoot it out when my non shooting sweetie said I should just pull the load....
Glad about that one.
Never shoot an unknown load ever again! You got lucky this time.

 

[RedFeather]

I always drop the rod into the barrel, especially at regular gun shows where sellers might not be so knowledgeable. I recall one gunsmith writing about checking an old double shotgun a family brought to him. He found it to be loaded and wadded with French newsprint from some time in the 1870's. It had kicked around through several generations. Reminds me of Mark Twain's warning against unloaded guns. (Now go look it up. It's a funny one, but remains true to this day.) :grin:

 

[George T.]

In the 50's my grandfather bought a 1865 Norwich 58 musket at a National Guard garage sale. Twenty five years later he gave it to me. I took it Ed's Gunatorum just outside of Spokane. It had about 100 grains of green dot shotgun powder held in place by several thicknesses of sheet rock! I to was really glad we did not start popping caps.

Geo. T.

 

[hickok45]

Not sure where this should be posted, here, or under Percussion Rifles.

Actually, this has nothing to do with the Civil War or Percussion Rifles.

It's all about knowing how to check if a firearm is loaded. IMO

Well, excuse me; it seemed to be a rifle I purchased at a Civil War show. It also seemed to be a rifle that MIGHT just have been manufactured and used in something called the Civil War; hence, posting the warning at a Civil War site didn't necessarily seem all that crazy, but what do I know?

Sorry I took the time to post here; probably won't happen again.
Hickok45

 

[necchi]

But your topic is about the "condition of the rifle.
This section has much more traffic and the info will be shared with many more,,
Please do continue posting, :wink:

 

[hickok45]

I agree, which is why I mentioned that I was not sure where the best place was to post on this forum; I might have reacted too quickly, but I guess I detected a little attitude I always have a short fuse for.
As we approach a million subscribers at MY Internet home, I deal all day with Trolls and goofy attitudes while still trying my best to maintain a positive approach with viewers and posters for the sake of the cause, which would be the 2nd Amendment and attracting as many new shooters as possible.
Just trying to post this experience somewhere appropriate for potential buyers of these relics who would perhaps be as overly confident (clueless) as I was and assume too much. I'm normally a safety nut and really can't explain why I've just never thought about one of these lying on a table "loaded" at a gun show, especially a classy specialty show such as this Civil War show.
You'd think this would be the first thing any dealer would check.
Anyway, I could see it was black powder and had one load in it, so I didn't expect a "pipe bomb" experience. Still, I made sure the only injury that could have occurred would have been to a bug or something on that side of the metal and leather barricade I was using. I could have lost the rifle, I guess, but I decided to take that risk.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Not sure where this should be posted, here, or under Percussion Rifles.

Actually, this has nothing to do with the Civil War or Percussion Rifles.

It's all about knowing how to check if a firearm is loaded. IMO

Well, excuse me; it seemed to be a rifle I purchased at a Civil War show. It also seemed to be a rifle that MIGHT just have been manufactured and used in something called the Civil War; hence, posting the warning at a Civil War site didn't necessarily seem all that crazy, but what do I know?

Sorry I took the time to post here; probably won't happen again.
Hickok45

Don't be so upset, Claude was agreeing with your post and saying that it is in the right place. You did well and we appreciate your time and efforts. Often, people don't realize how often antique (and modern) muzzle loading firearms are found loaded, it's a good reminder.

 

[Jo]

Hi, Hickok love your channel! I have been following you since the real early days. Thanks for the loaded warning! :thumbsup:
P.S I would love to see another Brown Bess video.

"Life is good!"~Hickok45

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

It has happened to a friend of mine.

Just because a rifle is OLD doesn't mean you treat it like it's UNLOADED! So thanks for posting to remind us all of this!

And to EVERYONE:

NRA Rule #1: TREAT EVERY GUN AS IF IT'S LOADED AT ALL TIMES! A brand-new Barrett or a 300 year old Flinter or a pump .22 up in the rafters out in a shed. They're ALL loaded until YOU check that they are NOT!

Dave
NRA CRSO
Shootist

 

[Sean Gadhar]

1st I took what Claude said as agreeing that it should be posted here :idunno:

2nd gosh we are happy your here to tell that story.

3rd you kinda had to know, this is just like telling a story about picking up a snake, every one in the room has a " he thought it was a Gardner Snake & ended up in the ER" story. And we are all gona tell it after yours. . . . :blah: It ain't you it's that we all have a little Irish mother in us & no "I lucked out" story can get by without 12 "and that's why your uncle limps" following it :grin:

 

[Jo]

To true... :hatsoff: Claude meant no harm.

 

[MacRob46]

Many years ago a neighbor bought a muzzle loading DB shotgun at an auction. When he got home with it he brought it to me to dicuss it. The first thing I did was run a cleaning rod down both barrels, discovering that both were loaded. We soaked the charges with water and I used a worm to pull the wadding and then dumped out the shot. The gun was in poor condition and probably would not have held up under firing. It is always a good idea to check for loads when buying any antique muzzle loader, especially shotguns, because a lot of them were put away loaded. Ironically, once when I visited the C M Russell Museum in Great Falls, MT I spotted a Remington percussion revolver on display in Russell's studio, which is on the grounds of the musem. It had a ball in one of the chambers, maybe in others as well. It had been found on the bottom of a stream and was pretty badly corroded but was being displayed horizonatally. I mentioned the fact it was loaded to the museum staff and the next time I came in the gun was pointed down at the floor. Probably no danger there, but why take a chance.

 

[Roguedog]

I really enjoy your channel as well. Please keep posting.

Jeff