Firing a Cap Before Loading

[Splitear]

I was taught to snap a percussion cap before loading for the first time to clear any moisture out of the barrel. I was thinking about this today in terms of hunting (it’s my first year hunting with a ML). I park at the landowners house, and I really don’t want to fire a cap in his driveway or in the field before I load for the morning hunt. I also don’t want to take a chance with a misfire due to wet powder. What is the general consensus on this practice?

 

[Carbon 6]

No.
It's a waste of caps and generally takes more than one. and can actually plug the flame channel.
A better practice is to clean the barrel with alcohol and flush some out through the nipple. If a big squirt of alcohol comes out the nipple you know you're good.

 

[Justin.44]

Before I leave my house I swap out the bore to make sure any oil is out of it, then pop a cap on it and put it in it's case. Whether it's needed or not what the hell, it's one cap.

 

[Howard Pippin]

I teach my hunter safety kids that is the right thing to do, but I must admit that if I had just recently clean the gun with nipple out, a little alcohol and compressed air, I don't fire. I've never had a misfire on the first cap. But I have had some further along until I'd drilled out my nipples just a smidge. It's hard to beat some of the modern things I have to clean rifles.
Squint

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

Swab with ever clear or any high proof alcohol. I did this last night and I fired a shot hunting today.

 

[rp77469]

This is probably A-R to most of you, but this is the way I have done it for a long, long time.

When you clean the rifle make sure it is dry. I use compressed air to remove any remaining moisture. Lightly oil, and do so without the nipple in place. The last thing is install the cleaned and picked nipple with a bit of antisieze, put a folded patch across it and softly lower the hammer. No moisture will get in that way. Store the rifle muzzle down to prevent oil pooling at the breech and ignition channel to the nipple.

I run a dry patch down the barrel before loading. I still snap a cap or two before loading. Aim it at a blade of grass and if it moves, the flame channel is clear, then load. Do it at your house if you don't want to make noise at your hunting site.

Plenty of other different suggestions already posted. Find the one that works for you and stick with it. There are a lot of ways to do it that work well.

 

[SDSmlf]

Curious what the cap poppers do when confronted with a flintlock?

 

[LawrenceA]

Curious what the cap poppers do when confronted with a flintlock?

I have never found Flintlocks confronting in any way. They do seem particularly amenable after a tickle with a pipe cleaner.

Personally I always pop a cap.

 

[Flyingw56]

This is probably A-R to most of you, but this is the way I have done it for a long, long time.

When you clean the rifle make sure it is dry. I use compressed air to remove any remaining moisture. Lightly oil, and do so without the nipple in place. The last thing is install the cleaned and picked nipple with a bit of antisieze, put a folded patch across it and softly lower the hammer. No moisture will get in that way. Store the rifle muzzle down to prevent oil pooling at the breech and ignition channel to the nipple.

I run a dry patch down the barrel before loading. I still snap a cap or two before loading. Aim it at a blade of grass and if it moves, the flame channel is clear, then load. Do it at your house if you don't want to make noise at your hunting site.

Plenty of other different suggestions already posted. Find the one that works for you and stick with it. There are a lot of ways to do it that work well.

Have been using the same procedure for years, has always worked well in all of my muzzleloaders. Storing with the muzzle down does work, only time I had a problem stored with muzzle up and some oil clogged the nipple, lessons learned.
Happy Shooting!

 

[Josephg]

Many times I snap a cap or two. Sometimes depends on the rifle. My Millard rifle is prone to hangfire or not fire at all after wiping so it always gets a cap snapped. When not wiping between shots no cap before loading.

For hunting you can snap a cap into a rag before leaving camp. I never tried alcohol. Never thought of it.

 

[longcruise]

No.
It's a waste of caps and generally takes more than one. and can actually plug the flame channel.
A better practice is to clean the barrel with alcohol and flush some out through the nipple. If a big squirt of alcohol comes out the nipple you know you're good.

That's my process too. It's always worked for me. No misfires while hunting.

I do it the night before or at least a couple hours before so as to be sure it fully evaporates.

What C6 says about plugging the flash channel is true. When firing with a charge, there is blowback through the nipple which clears it.

 

[Bassdog1]

I swab the lube from the barrel then compressed air through nipple then swab then air and one more swab before loading. Working so far.

 

[Sparkitoff]

I blast some electronic contact cleaner through the nipple or flash hole and let it dry for a while. Then load, cap and hunt.

 

[tenngun]

It’s a naughty subject since Bobs uncles best friend had a friend who heard from another that some guy shot his head off a shoot in front of his wife, girl friend, ten year old son and five year old daughter and Mrs Grundys second grade class on a field trip, but I always blow down a barrel before loading. And in the case of a percussion suck on it too making sure air moves freely via the nipple.
All popping a cap or two does is demonstrate a free passage for hot gas.

 

[SDSmlf]

All popping a cap or two does is demonstrate a free passage for hot gas.

That could be handy around here sometimes.

 

[Ames]

Never do it for hunting. Targets at the range....yes.
Why corrode things with a cap before you load up a ball and powder that may stay there for a couple of weeks? You practice getting things as cleaned out as possible, then snap a cap and load on top of it? And leave it sealed?

 

[tallpine]

Punching holes in paper is one thing but blowing a gimmie shot on a whitetail because your rifle didn't go off is a very humbling experience.Popping a cap can actually be counterproductive, especially hunting in high humidity and leaving your rifle loaded for days. I am a reformed cap popper who found a better way.
Before I load, I blow the nipple out with a can of Butane lighter refiller. I then swab the barrel with Denatured alcohol until the patches come out as clean as new fallen snow. Let set a few minutes and then load her up. I have never had this method to fail no matter how long the rifle was loaded or how foul the weather was.

 

[oldwood]

Guys..........All this great percussion reliability advice makes me want to make another cap rifle in .40 cal.. Have used flinters exclusively , since the early 1980's , when quality flint locks came on the custom market. Can use a knock about , "cheap -n- dirty" black smith made rifle w/ square cut nail head for butt plate , home made iron single trigger guard and trigger. Two plain copper sheet metal thimbles , and no entry pipe. No muzzle cap , and of course , stylish patch cavity drilled in the off side of the stock ,so handy pre-lubed patches have a home. Perhaps an 1830's lock w/dog head hammer. Think I'm in love........oldwood

 

[Greg Blackburn]

Before I leave my house I swap out the bore to make sure any oil is out of it, then pop a cap on it and put it in it's case. Whether it's needed or not what the hell, it's one cap.

You "swap out the bore?" Well I guess changing barrels would eliminate any oil, assuming the new barrel is clean.

Back when I muzzleloader hunted (at least 13 years ago) I'd charge the barrel at home, put the weapon into its case, and put that into the trunk of the car. I did this the night before. I only capped when I reached my still hunting location.

 

[Eterry]

My first ML was a bit cranky, and I was a teen who didn't have the wisdom of the internet. After a couple pop-no bang-deer snorting thru the brush I started pulling the nipple and trickling some powder in the cavity, it went bang every time.

But...now I have a different cleaning procedure and don't have that issue as often. I have loaded my 58 opening weekend and left it loaded over a month, and it went bang when called on.