Blank firing a flintlock.....
In my opinion this is the safest way to fire a flintlock rifle for demonstration purposes.
Use a paper cartridge filled with powder, say 70-80 grains.
Make sure the rifle is at half ****.
Tear one end of the paper cartridge away with your teeth.
Empty paper cartridge into the muzzle.
Lightly tap the butt against the ground as you wad the paper into a ball.
Withdraw the rammer/ramrod.
Ram down the paper making sure it's seated and not being pulled back up the bore by the ramrod. (This is why you do not use a jag affixed the rod to fire blanks)
Withdraw the ramrod and replace it in its thimbles and stock.
Make sure the rifle is never pointed at your face, body or others during the loading process.
The gun will be angled away from the loader. (You may want to look at "well trained" reenactors loading on the line.)
Bring the rifle up.
Don't point it at anybody, make sure muzzle down range and open the frizzen.
Uncap your horn and prime the pan.
Cap the horn.
Lower frizzen.
Hold the rifle at the ready.
While at the ready, double check that horn cap with your free hand.
Make ready.... shoulder rifle and **** it.
Take aim, make sure the muzzle is pointed in a safe direction.
Fire, pull the trigger.
Flash in the pan or missfire.
Give the loaded rifle a few moments.
Return the rifle to the "ready" or at arms.
Return the rifle to half ****.
Check prime. If powder is still there, turn the rifle to empty prime.
Retrieve a cloth from your pouch wipe pan and frizzen.
Retrieve a pick or feather, pick touch hole.
Retrieve a new cartridge.
Tear and prime.
Drop cartridge to the ground. Stand on it with your foot.
Make ready, take aim, fire.
If it misfires again the shooting demo is over!!! You'll have to work on your gun?
Remember the cartridge under your foot.
Empty it and throw the paper away.
Why do I recommend ramming the load?
It's simple. Repeated blank firing of a BP arm fouls the bore. Too much fouling can cause a barrel obstruction. A small bore gun like a rifle will foul much more quickly and with less shots than a musket.
The worst-case scenario is that half the charge falls past the fouling/crud ring to the breech while the rest sticks and plugs the bore at the crud ring. When the gun is fired the breech ignites followed by the powder at the obstruction. This causes a double shock wave exploding the barrel.
^^^^ This explains the mystery explosions during reenactments. The cause.....a dirty fouled obstructed barrel.
Ramming down the charge corrects this.
Keep in mind this is for demo and not against opposing forces.
