I did have a load torch off this past summer first time in 50 years and tens of thousands of rounds. I was the first time I recall forgetting to blow down the barrel after firing a round.
There is NO way in hell I am putting my mouth over a barrel and blowing down a barrel after firing a round. 50 years of that ? Seriously?
Why? What evil do you think is going to happen? I blow down my rifle barrel after every shot. It adds a little moisture to the fouling & confirms my nipple is clear. Some say it blows out any embers, but I don't know how one can "prove" that. Old timers did it all the time, so I'm saying it's "period correct"! Now watch everybody scream I'm crazy & how unsafe I am.
Yep, and a fully accepted practice in the west. We don't have lawyers writing rules for us, and don't follow like sheep. Blowing down the barrel has been, and always will be a safety step. If you want to worry about something, try speed loading events,. I've seen more ramrods broke and through hands than I have seen heads blown off.
I've seen it happen twice during a speed firing match where the blank cooked off in a Pedersoli Bess, and once when the young man was using a flask and a spout with a valve to load a Remington Zouave when he ran out of cartridges. The first two burned fingers, the last one was lucky, and the flask got tossed about 40 yards when the charge cooked off and didn't reach the powder inside.
I've been doing it for 43 years. No problem.
No offense, but gun go boom, you feel recoil, new hole in target, or gong goes ding. What's there to fear? I've done it thousands of times, only do it to one certain gun nowadays. But i use a hose so people don't freak out. Some say it puts embers out others say it fuels the fire. I dunno know, guess I'm just old school.
