Burning Embers

[flntlokr]

I used to blow down the barrel after each shot, mainly because that is what I was taught. I can see no danger unless you dump a fresh charge in before you blow. The only time (we think) when an ember lit the next charge was when a fellow rammed the ball with a fresh load. The explosion shot his ramrod and 20 gauge ball through his hand and the roof of the shooting shed. The thought is, that ramming the ball resulted in a blast of air over a hot ember of some sort, fanning it enough to ignite the powder. Maybe in such a case, blowing down the barrel before loading might have caused the ember to burn out, and this may not have happened. It can be argued many ways. Luckily, all that metal went between his bines, and did little damage, beyond an ugly scar.

 

[simonbeans]

the MINNIE inserted in upside down, I never knew that? thank you for the pictures of the complete load.

The Minnie was inserted into the tube upside down as many shooters filled the cavity with Crisco or other lube. Obviously the Minnie was inserted into the barrel with the base end first.

 

[beyu]

That's why I blow down the barrel. I know, I know, but I do it.

I shoot paper cartridges with my 1777 Charleville. I too blow down the barrel after each shot. Generally I blow 4 times; the first time, smoke comes out of the vent. Second time — less smoke comes out. Third time; no smoke. Fourth time; blow again just to be sure.

Then I usually pick the vent and reload. I bite the cartridge and pour the powder down the barrel, upend the cartridge with the ball inside and ram it home.

I usually swab out the bore every third or fourth time with a patch moistened with spit.

No cook-offs ... I am not in a hurry, as others have said. No redcoats crossing the field!

 

[APG]

Just make later pattern cartridges.

The type that uses two identical sheets of cut paper. I believe they’re called the 1861 cartridge in the ordnance manuals?

They are designed so you separate the pre greased mini from the paper and no paper actually ever goes down the barrel. These were designed to be faster to manufacture and were a lot less complex over older designs.

EDIT:

Here is how to makes them. You only need one pattern of paper, two pieces:

View attachment 75563
Nip the end of the paper with your teeth, pour powder down, and separate the mini from the paper. Stuff him thusly, cap, fire. It’s that easy. Also allows you to use a mini properly sized 1-2 thou less than bore diameter for top accuracy. No need to factor in paper thickness etc. as again no paper is stuffed down, just the bare naked greased ball. I have found unsalted lard thickened with some beeswax is a marvelous mini lube.

I been making my own paper cartridges just like they did way back when. Works great. Cast my own minies, make my own lube. Love it.

 

[APG]

To help explain how N-SSA skirmishers shoot their muskets with minie balls, or at least when I was a member decades ago, we would use a tube, cardboard or plastic to hold both the powder and the minie. The minie was removed and the powder poured into the barrel from the tube, which was NOT inserted into the barrel. It was just dropped to the ground. The minie was inserted and rammed down. Cap, aim and shoot. I saw one shooter from a PA unit who was tall and using a Zouve, shoot 7-8 rounds a minute. His arms were so long and the musket barrel short enough he could ram the minie home with one stroke. Never put the tube or if you use some paper down the barrel with a minie.

I've been doing the paper cartridge thing.

 

[APG]

In years of reenacting and in N-SSA competition, I’ve ad precisely one cook off. That would be in hundreds of thousands of shots, only once. Keep shooting and quit worrying

I'm doing just that. Just wanted to see what folks had to say.

 

[toot]

and the beat goes on.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Been shooting muzzle loaders for 68 years and never had a cook off. Always blow down the bore after a shot. My firearms were single shot and after firing--which I was aware that I had done-- there was no way that there was another round down the barrel. Keeps fouling softer and reloading easier. I also blow into the breech of my Shiloh Sharps 1863 rifle for the same reason. To each their own I guess.

 

[Billy Boy]

I never considered that unsafe. I do it too. I don't do it to put out embers though.

With a percussion gun I leave the hammer down on the fired cap and put my thumb over the muzzle while getting the fixins ready for the next shot, shuts off the O2, I think it kills the glow faster than blowing on it.

 

[user 36911]

With a percussion gun I leave the hammer down on the fired cap and put my thumb over the muzzle while getting the fixins ready for the next shot, shuts off the O2, I think it kills the glow faster than blowing on it.

Maybe, but I don't blow down the barrel to put out an ember.

 

[JCKelly]

The problem with putting a gun barrel in one's mouth is it sometimes makes quite a mess. Takes a strong stomach to clean it up.

Oh, you've done it for years with no problem? I am impressed with your wisdom.

I never had a problem either, driving when I could barely walk some years ago. Did sink in that my lifestyle wasn't so great. With quite some effort I ceased imbibing.

 

[beyu]

Many of us may have seen this old video. But for those who have not — it demonstrates a method of loading and shooting that was shown on the Sharpe's Rifles tv series years ago. Some re-enactors who do Napoleonic War era demonstrations prove it is possible to fire multiple rounds from (I think they may be Baker Rifles) without ramming the load home; just bumping the butt on the ground to settle the load before firing. It has been a while since I last watched it, but I think they were able to fire 5 rounds in two minutes? No swabbing between shots. And — there were NO COOK-OFFS. I think this video shows cook-offs are unlikely, as many of you have already said.

BUT — as a safety conscious shooter, I would NEVER DO THIS and I still think there are risks than few of us would want to take. But I think this was a fascinating demonstration, nonetheless?

 

[user 36911]

That's the most dangerous thing i've ever watched. He loads powder and ball and then spits in the barrel. You couldn't pay me enough to do that. What's the point of the spit? I noticed he forgot to spit once and nothing was affected.

That's nothing like blowing down the barrel after the load has been shot.

 

[beyu]

OK — My Bad... NOT Baker Rifles, they were Tower muskets. AND — NOT 5 rounds in two minutes but 6.

 

[beyu]

That's the most dangerous thing i've ever watched. He loads powder and ball and then spits in the barrel. You couldn't pay me enough to do that. What's the point of the spit? I noticed he forgot to spit once and nothing was affected.

That's nothing like blowing down the barrel after the load has been shot.

I ABSOLUTELY agree. I would NEVER do bump firing ... NEVER EVER.

I like my face and head way too much. But I do think it shows that cook-offs are not all that likely.
It may also make a difference when the paper cartridges are not loaded. It may result in less chance of embers left in the bore?

 

[beardedhorse]

Imagine if you had an unintended discharge when loading a bag of powder into a muzzle loading cannon. I've seen some u or w shaped rammers to avoid having your hand in front of the muzzle. I had just turned over my blaze orange range officer's vest to another club member at a state shoot when a shooter had the ramrod blow out the muzzle of the rifle he was in the process of loading. The metal range rod when it landed was crooked and ball and patch still attached to the jag. The injury required a trip to the emergency room but luckily no severe, serious, lasting injury. Literally dodged the bullet. Could have been worse.
Swabbing between shots with a moist patch followed by a dry one is good practice on the target range. Blowing down the barrel after we shot and knew the rifle or shoulder arm was empty was done in Kansas a lot to loosen the black powder fouling with the condensation. Blowing air into the barrel can add oxygen to any smoldering coal or superheated fouling. To this day I think the discharge was caused by pouring a new powder charge into the barrel where some cement like residue was still hot and the act of pushing the patched ball down accelerated the ignition. I am a strong DIS-believer in "seasoning a muzzle loading barrel like a cast iron skillet." I don't stop cleaning until I thoroughly wash my barrel with very hot or boiling water and surfactants to break up and dissolve and dislodge any of the residue. A good bristle brush and fouling scaper that exactly fits the contour of the breech face is used. Getting the barrel and breech absolutely clean is a good safety practice.
Try this experiment. After you shoot, clean the rifling with a bristle brush and fouling scraper. Turn the rifle upside down and save the crud coming out of the barrel. Save the stuff from thirty to fifty shots and moisten it and form into a ball. When dry, heat the ball with a propane torch until it glows. Sprinkle a small amount of loose powder on it and see what happens.
The lawyers in Friendship made it club and association policy to never blow down the barrel. One of the ten commandments of firearm safety is to treat every firearm as if it were loaded. Would you put your mouth over the muzzle of a loaded gun? They are afraid some novices or beginners will see shooters blowing down the barrel and think it is o.k. to put your mouth over the muzzle. Apparently they (the lawyers) don't give shooters the benefit that they are intelligent or alert enough to know the difference between a loaded and unloaded muzzle loader. The clubs I belong to in Colorado outlaw blowing down the muzzle after shooting. One club doesn't allow a rubber blow tube in the bore to blow into the other end. A plastic balloon inflater in the nipple or touch hole is one way around this to blow into the bore though it is at the breech, rather than muzzle end.

 

[Art Caputo]

I have only used grease_patched round balls for 45 years and have never experienced a cook off. I must admit that I do blow down the barrel after the shot. In addition to the belief that it may bow out any remains embers, I also take note that the flash hole is open by the lack of restriction and the puff of smoke that escapes the flash hole. I have always made it a point to load from a powder measure, and not from a horn or container.

 

[user 36911]

The problem with putting a gun barrel in one's mouth is it sometimes makes quite a mess. Takes a strong stomach to clean it up.

Oh, you've done it for years with no problem? I am impressed with your wisdom.

I never had a problem either, driving when I could barely walk some years ago. Did sink in that my lifestyle wasn't so great. With quite some effort I ceased imbibing.

The odds you'll die driving your car/truck are much greater than blowing down a barrel after the gun is shot. Do you drive your car/truck? I'm impressed with your wisdom.

 

[JCKelly]

You guys ever hear of the NRA?

I was raised with their ideas of safety. As in "Treat all guns as if they are loaded"
"Never point a gun at any thing/person you don't intend to shoot"

Weird ideas, eh?

And you all think it is acceptable to put a gun barrel in your mouth!

Incomprehensible.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

You guys ever hear of the NRA?

I was raised with their ideas of safety. As in "Treat all guns as if they are loaded"
"Never point a gun at any thing/person you don't intend to shoot"

Weird ideas, eh?

And you all think it is acceptable to put a gun barrel in your mouth!

Incomprehensible.

If you have just fired a single shot muzzleloader then you should know that it is now empty and therefore cannot accidentally discharge. If you are unaware that you have just fired your piece, perhaps you should sell your muzzleloaders and take up knitting.