How long can you reliably leave rifle loaded ?

[flinthead]

I was wondering how long can you leave a charge in a rifle and expect it to function reliably?

I am refering to hunting of course. Suppose after a days hunting you dump the pan and remove the flint. The following morning would it be safe to assume the charge would be "fresh" enough?

I am talking about black powder here, not substitutes, with an over powder wad to protect the charge from patch lube. The hunting season here is generally dry and cold.

 

[Rancocas]

There are too many variables to state any particular length of time. Moisture is the great enemy.
If I'm out with my flintlock on a rainy day, I'll pull the charge that night and reload in the morning. I've hunting all day in blizzard conditions, with a dry snow coming down, but left the gun loaded through the night and it was fine the next day.
I do not bring a gun indoors to a warm room after it has been outside in the weather all day. Moisture from condensation will trickle into the powder. Leave the gun outside overnight, protected from the weather, of course. If you're going to bring it inside after a cold day out, then you will have to pull the charge, clean and dry the bore, and reload the next morning.
In a dry climate I have left my flintlock loaded for as long as three days with no problems. I, personally, have never left a gun loaded any longer than that.
Also, I empty the pan after the day's hunt, but I never remove the flint once it is set in place, until it wears out. It is easy to make a little cover to go over the frizzen.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Depends a lot on how well you prepped the bore before loading. If you wiped with good alcohol (not rubbing alcohol) to chase out the oil and you used a conservative amount of lube or a wad between powder and patch and used a vent feather to seal out airborne moisture - weeks and months.

If you loaded into an oily bore and maybe hunted in the rain - maybe overnight is a bad idea.

 

[TinStar]

I have always used one of those CO2 gizmos to blow the barrel out clean at the end of the day. When I build a flinter I intend to get the flint adapter for it. I don't like to take chances in case that one-in-a-million buck happens along.

TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

 

[Ohio Rusty]

Rancocas is correct about moisture being an enemy. A friend of mine left his rifle loaded with PRB for something like 6 or 7 months. The patch dried out and absorbed moisture from the air. We had a terrible time getting the load out with the pulling rod. Turns out the patch where it was making contact with the barrel had literally rusted to the barrel inside. When we did get the ball, patch and powder out, there was a thick rust ring in the barrel where the patch was. With some serious scrubbing, we did remove the rust ring but the area where the ring was is probably pitted.
Ohio Rusty >

 

[Claude Mathis]

Here's what others had to say:
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/232266
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/232227
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/227531
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/225483

 

[sproulman]

using roundball ,i shoot out daily at dark.

 

[Trench]

I'm sure there are times you can leave it loaded when you're 100% confident the air is dry. I don't see any reason to pull the flint out of the jaws.
I don't like missed opportunites (had one) so I pull my load at the end of every day just to be sure.

 

[tg]

Claudes list of past threads will likely cover everything that will be said here.

 

[Claude Mathis]

Claudes list of past threads will likely cover everything that will be said here.

We really need a basic, comprehensive "Muzzleloading FAQ", but I have no time to put one together.

 

[tg]

"We really need a basic, comprehensive "Muzzleloading FAQ", but I have no time to put one together."


I can think of someone who LOVES to type a LOT, maybe he could do it and adjust any of the many incorrect things we have had posted here :rotf:

 

[renovato]

I can think of someone who LOVES to type a LOT, maybe he could do it and adjust any of the many incorrect things we have had posted here :rotf:

Play nice, children! :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

As to the original question, you can keep the gun loaded as long as the powder stays dry, but why risk it? It's simple to pop out the load at the end of the day with a CO2 discharger and reload the next morn. Better safe than sorry.

 

[larry wv]

Got tired of working on a round baler so I shot a flinter to clean it out . Been thinking about some stock work. Been loaded since Nov 17 hunted off and on with it and some other flinters till end of Dec. Been on unheated enclosed porch with no cover on barrel or in vent. Took it Turkey hunting twice last week. Rain one morning. Anyway it went off no hesitation. I don't recomend what I did if you realy care if it goes off or not. Trade rifle 90 gr 3f hornet nest 1/16 vent maxi ball.Larry WV

 

[tg]

"Play nice, children"
I was...you should have heard what I was thinking!

Leaving the gun loaded... I have left a gun loaded for over 6 weeks with no ill effect, as long as I feel I have kept the vent protected and free from moisure I have no qualms about not unloading at the end of the day.It boils down to personal choice, no good or bad or right or wrong if all safety measures are taken.

 

[larry wv]

TG I agee on the safety thing. Was suprised when I picked the rifle up after 5 months standing that it had self primed enough through a 1/16 vent to prob go off. It is always a good idea to keep something over the frizzen. Larry

 

[Johnny Tremain]

My bud got his Dads muzzleloader from the 70s 3 years ago, when he passed.

WHen I checked it out, it was loaded. His wife said he had not been shooting for 7-8 years.

We primed the tumbler, and it went off on the second cap.

Dont try this at home kids, it ate away some of the barrel.

 

[R.M.]

Considering you had no idea what was loaded in it, that was a pretty iffy thing to do. IMO

 

[tg]

I'd bet it was loaded with pyrodex

 

[flinthead]

Thanks for all your responses. I will make a frizen cover for safety so I don't have to remove the flint, good tip. Plus plug the vent with a feather. When I asked about leaving the gun loaded I only meant for a couple of days at most.

 

[MikeC]

If it's a dry day no heavy rain. I have left my flintlock loaded for 2 weeks with no problem.

Like others said make sure the bore is clean and dry. I only use mink-oil from TOTW not the stuff for shoes to lube hunting patches. The mink-oil won't contaminate the powder and makes an air-tight seal. For the lock I dump the powder and put a cleaning patch balled up against the touch-hole and lower the frizzen over it. Put the rifle in a case and leave it in the shed. Never take it into the house.