Flintlock Loading Safety

[bluesman]

I have been enjoying shooting my first black powder gun, my (new to me) Investarms repro hawking rifle.

I am wondering what most folks do to insure that an accidental discharge does not happen when loading the rifle. I am mostly concerned about the last step of ramming of the ball down the barrel because during that time my hands are holding the range rod and if the gun was to discharge it would be potentially hazardous.

My usual method is to leave the rifle in it's previously discharged state with open frizzen and cock/flint in the fired position (just above the pan) obviously with no powder in the pan. Is this safe, what do most folks do?

Should I use the half cock position? This seems possibly more dangerous in the case of some sort of failure causing the cock to fall, the spring has the potential power to cause the flint to spark if the frizzen accidentally closed etc?

 

[Claude Mathis]

My usual method is to leave the rifle in it's previously discharged state with open frizzen and cock/flint in the fired position (just above the pan) obviously with no powder in the pan.

You got it. :thumbsup:

 

[pargent]

Safe as, just angle the muzzle away from your face a bit as well :thumbsup:

 

[Many Klatch]

When using the loading rod, keep your hands on the side of the rod instead of the end. Also choke down on the rod instead of pushing from the end. If the wooden rod snaps the sharp end can pierce your hand.

After you have loaded, you can set the lock on half cock and then prime the pan.

Most ranges that I attend require the hammer to be fully down in the empty pan and the frizzen up when carrying the gun around unloaded.

Many Klatch

 

[Renegade Dan]

Bluesman, First, Welcome to the forum. Loading your rifle with the cock in the fired position is the safe way to load your rifle. Those are the rules at our Elbridge club.

 

[Billnpatti]

Yes, leaving the pan open and the cock fully down is the correct way to load your flintlock. The one additional thing that I do is I use a leather frizzen cover while loading. It is a simple device that you can make if you have some leather or you can buy them from places like track of The Wolf or Dixie Gun Works. It just slips over the frizzen when you are loading and prevents anything, including your flint, from striking the frizzen and causing a spark.
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=7696

Dixie isn't necessarily the cheapest place to buy things so do some shopping around.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Having the hammer down and the frizzen open is safe. You increase the safety by putting a leather cover on the frizzen. If you have an old pair of leather gloves, you can cut off the thumb and use that.

One more layer of safety is to put a quill in the touch hole. With the hammer down, frizen open and covered and the touch hole blocked, a spark from any source will not be able to get to the powder.

 

[bluesman]

Thanks for all the responses. I just wanted to confirm what I am doing is safe for me and others

 

[jamesthomas]

Looks like your on yer way, Now go out and shoot 100 rbs. :grin:

 

[Rifleman1776]

Good tips so far. I swab between each shot and believe that is an important step for several reasons. Safety to put out possible lingering hot coals is just one.
Frizzen open, cock down is reccomended.

 

[pargent]

If the cock is in the fired position the frizzen is open (has to be ) no prime in the pan what possible senerio would need a frizzen stall in the process of loadind a flintlock. KISS the least number of steps to go through is less chances of making a bo bo and that goes for all fire arm handling .

 

[Grenadier1758]

If the cock is in the fired position the frizzen is open (has to be ) no prime in the pan what possible senerio would need a frizzen stall in the process of loading a flintlock. KISS the least number of steps to go through is less chances of making a bo bo and that goes for all fire arm handling .

I have to admit that it is extremely unlikely for a gun to fire with the frizzen open, cock in the fired position and no priming powder. The hammer stall is one more level of ensuring that there is no way for the gun to fire. Making the case for the hammer stall and quill in the touch hole is the "Keep It Safe S_____". On a shooting line with many people shooting, its not really that onerous to add the hammerstall.