I've just become aware that if you don't ram home the ball in a muzzleloader, it can result in the barrel bursting. Is that true? If it is, why does that happen?
Importance of ramming home the ball
- Thread starter Doug Fay
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Phil Coffins
69 Cal.
It’s not necessarily true, it is best to seat the ball on the powder but it needn’t be pounded down. The Sharps system has a loose powder charge in the chamber as example and numerous people have only short started a ball the fired it with no damage. Not a good practice but illustrates how forgiving a muzzleloader can be.
Load up your standard load and after seating the ball well mark your ramrod at the muzzle. Now you know if your ball is seated every time without pounding it down. Later, I engraved my rod so the marking couldn't be rubbed off.
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Unseated ball acts like an obstruction in the bore. May create a bulge, or may be fine with no problems. Takes a very stout load and ball within a few inches of the muzzle to make it burst. There are videos of people doing this deliberately...more money than common sense I figure.
I know the OP is about handguns, but does this mean the guns we hear about with rung barrels 6” or so down the bore are not caused by short starting? I wonder what then causes these barrels to be rung?
I’ve watched vids of people doing it on purpose with no ill effect. After all your barrel is at least a 1/4 inch of steel. What’s going to happen eaiser a ball move, say about thirty pounds of pressure, or that steel burst?
I’ve never done it that I know of. Don’t plan on ever doing it.
I think it’s better to seat your ball then have faith in what someone else got away with
I’ve never done it that I know of. Don’t plan on ever doing it.
I think it’s better to seat your ball then have faith in what someone else got away with
A short-started ball may bulge or burst a barrel. Best to seat the ball on the charge, but there is no need to "bounce the rammer" or be aggressive in seating the ball. Consistency is the key to accuracy.
ADK Bigfoot
ADK Bigfoot
Not always true.
Okay, how many are less? Inquiring minds want to know?
My Snider Enfield is about 3/16ths at the Muzzle. Although not technically a muzzle loader, it is an adapted one with a breach loading mechanism.
I believe a ball that is not seated firmly on the powder will result in a pressure spike and damage may result. I saw someone shoot a .36 ball that was about halfway down the barrel (heavy fouling prevented proper seating). It was a percussion rifle and the drum blew out. Fortunately, no injuries.
I ringed the barrel on a CVA Mountain rifle in 50cal, 4”s from the muzzle. It didn’t affect the accuracy but it bothered me immensely. I sold the gun at a good discount.
I suspect that every case is different. I have over the years fired about a half dozen short started balls from rifle and pistol with no ill effects. I do not use max loads in my front stuffers and I do not shoot an overly tight patch and ball combination. I have been at a woods walk were some idiot had such a tight patch and ball combo in a .36 cal that he was whacking the ramrod against a tree vigorously with every reload to try and seat the ball. he also had a fairly hot load as that thing had a brisk report. I am surprised he did not break his range rod the way he was hammering it in. Also rather amused that these kinds shenanigans are accepted as safe practice and no big deal.
I also don't get the fouling excuse. If you use a lubed patch you are in effect swabbing your barrel with every shot. If you are fighting it and really having to hammer your balls home chances are very good that a better patch, ball and lube combination is in order.
There's a video called Myth Busters I think. And they did some with the short started ball. Some with loose powder.
I have seen an 1851 with a bulged barrel, about halfway. The person told me he shot a round and it didn't sound right. Like the powder didn't ignite. Disregarding it as a misfire he fired the next round. It went bang but it was loud and a lot of flame came out of where the cylinder meets the barrel. (As described to me) When he brought it to me, I found two balls stuck halfway down the barrel. And a bulge in the same area. I punched them out and cut the barrel behind the bulge. Ordered another barrel and gave him his revolver back. Upon inspection of the chambers, there was one with no powder residue. So I'm thinking maybe just a cap was enough to drive the ball halfway up the barrel.
Either way, be very careful with squibs.
I've seen it done twice. Both were 36 caliber 51s
I have seen an 1851 with a bulged barrel, about halfway. The person told me he shot a round and it didn't sound right. Like the powder didn't ignite. Disregarding it as a misfire he fired the next round. It went bang but it was loud and a lot of flame came out of where the cylinder meets the barrel. (As described to me) When he brought it to me, I found two balls stuck halfway down the barrel. And a bulge in the same area. I punched them out and cut the barrel behind the bulge. Ordered another barrel and gave him his revolver back. Upon inspection of the chambers, there was one with no powder residue. So I'm thinking maybe just a cap was enough to drive the ball halfway up the barrel.
Either way, be very careful with squibs.
I've seen it done twice. Both were 36 caliber 51s
Many smoothbores have a wall thickness of as little as 1/8" as the breech, 1/16" at the muzzle.
The OP's question was, if a patched ball was not seated firmly against the powder charge would damage result? The answer is it may. The issue of a ball not seating because of excessive fouling is a different question.
When I witnessed a drum blowing out from a ball not being seated was the result of fouling. The reason the event occurred was the shooter, as well as myself, knew almost nothing about shooting black powder rifles. It was 1968 and all I knew was what I read in a brief description about how to load a patched ball in a muzzleloader. Today we all have the benefit of resources such as this forum to accelerate the learning curve.
So, the first thing we should be advising someone new to the black powder shooting sport is to never intentionally shoot a ball not firmly seated on a charge (unintentional falls in the same category as dry balling or launching the ramrod). In my experience, the advice should have been to either pull the ball or hammer it down. Then, the next set of advice would be to swab between shots or, as you suggested, find the correct ball, patch and lube combination.
