Shooting my 58 tradegun today ,I had something happen I never experienced before. With a charge of 70 gr 3f and a spit patched round ball, I dropped the hammer and the whole charge just fizzed out the touch hole, strangest thing Ive ever seen . Dry conditions, All my other shots went off fine. What gives?
Fizzle
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Griz44Mag
70 Cal.
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Just a supposition.....
If the powder was scattered out over a couple of feet in the barrel - like tipping the gun forward in a barrel with a ball started but no sitting on the powder, it would have acted like long fuse and vented out the vent.
I did the black powder line on the ground one day, and that's exactly how it burned. It took several seconds for it to burn 3 or 4 feet across the ground.
If the powder was scattered out over a couple of feet in the barrel - like tipping the gun forward in a barrel with a ball started but no sitting on the powder, it would have acted like long fuse and vented out the vent.
I did the black powder line on the ground one day, and that's exactly how it burned. It took several seconds for it to burn 3 or 4 feet across the ground.
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I've had the charge vent entirely with an older arm that had an enlarged touch hole...the outside limit I'd use is 3/32 inch; Preferable smaller to get better velocity.
Sounds like a moisture fouled powder charge. Did you check how far the patched ball moved after the fizzled ignition?
Damp powder?
It didnt move much if at all, had to pull it ,when I put the ball screw down itwas all the way in
Dont know how, I was only spit patching, I dont carry any lube or bore cleaner with me
Must be missing something??? Have seen powder charge fizzle a couple of times, but it was always traced back to moisture fouled charge.
By chance was it your first shot that fizzled, and then the subsequent shots went off fine?
Nope, last shot, it was a really cursed day, first the hammer wouldnt stay cocked, never happened before. Turned out to be a trigger problem, got that fixed, dry balled, pulled the ball,fired 8 more times, then the fizz, couldnt pull the ball
Treestalker
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Erwan
50 Cal.
Just an idea: don't you have forgotten the flash hole on the table ? 
A full charge venting out the touch hole would be something to behold!!!! You describe it as a fizzle though, is it possible you somehow under charged it?
Robby
Robby
Excess cleaner when wiping? I had that once and it was on a rifle with a patch saturated with that gooyey lube we all curse (senior moment). From crack bang to psssst plop. Saw the ball go 20-25 yds and recovered it LOL
I keep telling ya, stop this swabbing business!
Erwan
50 Cal.
Not laughing this time, I'll tell you a story that happened to me wit a tired flint...
I've charged normally the barrel with the good charge, the good bullet and the good patch, I put the primer in the pan and.... pssshittt only the primer burns. No prob I put three grains of primmer in the pan....... I thought so but it wasn't three grains but more and without pin this time. The hammer fall, the flint do what a flint is supposed to do, the primer begin to burn in the pan but with a pssssssssshiiiiiiiiitttt long and an orange flame and don't stop till a time, just like a fuse or a small rocket burning, like no vent on the barrel...
You know what ? The bullet stayed in the last third of the barrel and the whole charge did burns making a psssssssshhhiiiiit noise : 40grains of swiss #2 powder gone burned over the pan and not in the barrel...
I took out the ball with the bullet puller, changed the flint, putted new charge and bullet putted again three grains of primer and............. boommmm!!!
This never happend in an other time and with any other rifle and I never knew what was the real problem with this fuse of powder...
I've charged normally the barrel with the good charge, the good bullet and the good patch, I put the primer in the pan and.... pssshittt only the primer burns. No prob I put three grains of primmer in the pan....... I thought so but it wasn't three grains but more and without pin this time. The hammer fall, the flint do what a flint is supposed to do, the primer begin to burn in the pan but with a pssssssssshiiiiiiiiitttt long and an orange flame and don't stop till a time, just like a fuse or a small rocket burning, like no vent on the barrel...
You know what ? The bullet stayed in the last third of the barrel and the whole charge did burns making a psssssssshhhiiiiit noise : 40grains of swiss #2 powder gone burned over the pan and not in the barrel...
I took out the ball with the bullet puller, changed the flint, putted new charge and bullet putted again three grains of primer and............. boommmm!!!
This never happend in an other time and with any other rifle and I never knew what was the real problem with this fuse of powder...
Col. Batguano
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Since it was a spit patch, was that particular patch more slobbery than some of the previous patches? It really sounds like a case of contaminated powder in the main charge.
When I've used overly dry patches, some times it sounds like an extraordinary amount of gas is leaking through the patch. More pssss before the bang. Your issue is just the opposite, so the powder is burning very very slowly.
When I've used overly dry patches, some times it sounds like an extraordinary amount of gas is leaking through the patch. More pssss before the bang. Your issue is just the opposite, so the powder is burning very very slowly.
rafterob
62 Cal.
I have only witnessed that once, in this case it fizzled and then fired like a roman candle. I would imagine some kind of powder contamination is involved. It is pretty funny to witness.
Nope I dont do it
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Wow! Never seen that.
