First Things First

[musketman]

We have gathered a few more members that are new to the sport of muzzleloading, so I ask you...

"What is the First thing you do when you get a new muzzleloader?" (besides unpacking it)

Sight it up?
Work the action? (lock)
Make sure everything is there?

NO, you check to make sure it's not loaded!

The same basic gun safety rules that goes with cartridge firearms apply with muzzleloaders as well...

How do you know if a muzzleloader is empty?

That is the $64.00 question...

There are a few ways to tell for sure (until you know, treat it as if its loaded), starting with the ramrod...

If you have a 42 inch barrel and a 42 inch ramrod, then the whole rod should fit flush with the end of the barrel when dropped in (point the barrel away from you and anyone else when checking), if not, something could be in there, possibly a live charge and round ball/bullet...

DO NOT LOOK OR BLOW DOWN THE BARREL TO SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING IN THERE!!!

 

[sse]

I read on another board a discussion about the safety factor. Some of the stories were incredible in that many instances of handling of firearms or newly acquired pieces were loaded :shocking:, most common with centerfire. Just the same you need to be cautious with B/P pieces.

Regards, sse

 

[Zonie]

Ya, yur rite Mooskeetman, but that 42 inch barrel and 42 inch ramrod thing doesn't usually work.
The breech plug eats up some of that 42 inches, so I would say lay the ramrod against the outside of the barrel lining up the end of it with the touch hole or the center of the nipple drum.
Place your thumb on the muzzle and the ramrod to establish the length to the touch hole/drum.
Insert the ramrod into the barrel. It should go down until your thumb again contacts the muzzle and it really may even go farther.
If it does, the gun may be assumed to be unloaded, but remembering my old safety lessons, you still don't point it at anything you don't want to kill. :shocking:

 

[Zonie]

SSE, Your right.
I bought a muzzleloader at a gun show. When I got home, I did the ramrod drop test and lo and behold, it stopped 2 inches short!.
This was a caplock so I removed the barrel and unscrewed the nipple drum and peered inside with a flashlight.
Some IDIOT not only had loaded it but the powder was made of little cylinders. For you who don't reload, that's smokeless powder.
Good thing I didn't prime it and try to shoot it out or I might have to type this with my nose instead of my hands (assuming i was still around to comment).

Elsewhere on this Forum are some humorous (or maybe not) stories which includes popping a cap on an "unloaded" rifle before the author found out his "friends" had reloaded it for him. Hee hee hee, I can still imagine what that toilet bowl it was pointed into must have looked like not to mention the condition of his BVDs!!
The scary thing is someone could have been killed.

 

[sse]

ari-ZONIE - Yeah, I heard the ole toilet shooting legend, too, from an exuberant member of the board, whose handle is the name of a popular conical projectile, hint, hint. I am sorry to say I was involved in a bizarre AD incident a while back, not on topic, suffice it to say there was no property damage or personal injury, thank God. :redface:

Regards, sse

 

[leadball]

Another lesson is if you have a misfire is to keep the barrel pointed in a safe direction for a few seconds. I once popped a cap and only the cap fired. I the started to move the muzzleloader off my shoulder thinking it was a misfire and "BOOM!" after that i learned 2 things. One, keep the gun on shoulder till you make sure its a misfire as opposed to hangfire. secondly, to make sure i clean all oil out of my barrel before loading

 

[riarcher]

Musket,
If you were married to my wife, the first thing you'd learn to do is hide the packing material until after dinner.
Eat in peace,,, then battle! (that's my story,,,) :winking: