I started a discussion at work today about leaving your flintlock loaded at the end of your hunt, an

"i typically leave my guns primed during hunting season on the reasoning that it is safer for me to leave the cap on the nipple, with the muzzle ALWAYS in a safe direction. continuously unpriming and priming is more dangerously because of the risk of the hammer slipping when lowering the hammer on to the cap."

I don't think I can go with that one, I sure would not recommend it to anyone, the muzzle can be placed in a safe direction while removing and installing the cap, I thing leaving the cap in place is a much higher risk safety wise.

Can you please use the QUOTE feature, so we don't have to go though 40 posts to figure out who you are quoting.

Thanks

 

[RC]

in my state (MN) it is legal for anyone to have a muzzleloader loaded with powder and projectile, as long as it is not primed. unprimed it is not loaded, primed it is loaded.

technically it is legal to have a loaded, primed muzzleloader in a vehicle if the owner has a permit to carry.

during deer season i would leave my gun loaded if it hadn't been fired. i'd leave it loaded for day or two if unfired. if i had fired it, or it had snowed while i was out, or the day or two had passed, i'd fire it to empty it, then clean and lube.

i typically leave my guns primed during hunting season on the reasoning that it is safer for me to leave the cap on the nipple, with the muzzle ALWAYS in a safe direction. continuously unpriming and priming is more dangerously because of the risk of the hammer slipping when lowering the hammer on to the cap. i had an accidental discharge because of that with my .50 cal pistol. thankfully i had made sure i had the muzzle in a safe direction before lowering the hammer.

I'm sure you either misread the laws or miswrote the post...leavin a gun primed,when it's not in yer hands and not outa the car or house is ..well,gees! :shake:

 

[Protrucker]

"i typically leave my guns primed during hunting season on the reasoning that it is safer for me to leave the cap on the nipple, with the muzzle ALWAYS in a safe direction. continuously unpriming and priming is more dangerously because of the risk of the hammer slipping when lowering the hammer on to the cap."

I don't think I can go with that one, I sure would not recommend it to anyone, the muzzle can be placed in a safe direction while removing and installing the cap, I thing leaving the cap in place is a much higher risk safety wise.

On my percussion guns, I have always pulled the cap off & replaced it with one of those rubber bleeder caps from an auto store. Just a thought :hmm: .....if you're going to leave the cap on the nipple, I wonder if the rubber bleeder cap would go over it (for safety) & be able to be removed without pulling the cap with it when you're ready to use the gun again?

I'd go check, but I don't feel like getting up & getting things out right now. :haha:
It's not something I would make a practice of anyway. :nono:

 

[Tsegoweleh]

Oatsayo,
I routienly carry a FL in the woods. I reload it once a month unless it gets wet, or i shoot it.

 

[JackAubrey]

I would think whether the weapon was fired then reloaded would be the significant question one must ask first.Followed by was the gun loaded or exposed to humidity or drastic temperature extremes,as in bring a cold gun into a warm house.I have fired then thoroughly cleaned and reloaded several of my guns leaving them loaded for months and on occasion for years.They were all kept indoors throughout that period and all fired when taken to the range.Best regards,JA

 

[Dphar]

A good friend of mine went to an NRA convention about 10-15 years ago.
He ran into a cop from one of the eastern states who related the following story.
A little old lady was awakened one night by a prowler attempting to enter her house from her porch. She shot him though a screen door with a COLT DRAGOON her father had given to her, loaded and capped as a young woman and told her to keep it by her bedside. It was thought is had been loaded something like 60+ years previous.

Now I cannot vouch for the story but the friend is very reliable and I have no doubt as to what he was told.

Unless the saltpeter is poor quality and contains sodium nitrate BP will not pick up enough moisture from the air to cause any problem.
If a CLEAN, DRY gun is loaded it will last for at least 6-8 months in my personal experience with no corrosion or degrading of performance.
Note that it survives in horns just fine and they are not air tight.
Saltpeter can cause corrosion if its gotten damp. I do not generally leave a flintgun loaded more than 3-4 days during hunting season without shooting it, cleaning and reloading. But carrying a gun around hunting is not like having it indoors all the time.
Just be SURE the patch lube contains NO water. oil like *Pure* Neatsfoot is best for this or something else that will not add water to the bore when loading.

Dan

 

[Powerkicker]

I have left a pietta Remington 1858 Model loaded fully with 35 grains of FFF behind a wonder wad and hornady ball in the tool box of my work truck for an entire summer. It lived outside in my driveway through three months worth of thunderstorms and early morning fog. When I took it out to shoot,I got sluggish ignition, but 5 of 6 went "bang". The sixth required a new cap to go. The powder charge seemed okay. I think the caps were the culprit. Still, 5 out of 6 aint too bad.

No rust on the gun anywhere by the way.

 

[4deer]

Just be SURE the patch lube contains NO water. oil like *Pure* Neatsfoot is best for this or something else that will not add water to the bore when loading.

Do you think my Crisco lube would have water in it?

For those of you who blow your load out with compressed air; do you clean you gun afterwards?

 

[bingo1952]

I had a great-aunt now deceased these many years that had an 1860 Army that was her grandfathers, that she kept by her bedside. Every couple of years her son would fire it, clean it, and reload it for her. It always went bang without any problems.

 

[bingo1952]

Trace amounts of oil in the nipples and/or the bottom of the chambers are probably what caused the sluggish ignition and the one failure to fire.

 

[Powerkicker]

Trace amounts of oil in the nipples and/or the bottom of the chambers are probably what caused the sluggish ignition and the one failure to fire.

Could be.