IMPORTANT SAFETY TIP

[Loyalist Dave]

Do not lean over the muzzle when loading, and do not cap nor prime your piece except as the LAST step....,

LD

 

[Carbon 6]

 

[Brokennock]

He might not have had the requisite equipment for neuro trauma and a TBI.

 

[Carbon 6]

He might not have had the requisite equipment for neuro trauma and a TBI.

 

[ppg1949]

Great advise. You must never let attention wander when enjoying muzzleloading.

 

[Henry2357]

While I indubitably agree safety, safety, safety. Many youtube videos which show paper cartridgesin, let’s say a Brown Bess always, for the most part, show priming the pan after bitting the paper then loading the powder and ball after. I always thought this could be somewhat dangerous. I guess the leaning over the barrel was a most of his problem. Anyway, my only thoughts when loading is doing it safe.

 

[Juice Jaws]

Just plain lucky.

 

[Tumbledown]

While I indubitably agree safety, safety, safety. Many youtube videos which show paper cartridgesin, let’s say a Brown Bess always, for the most part, show priming the pan after bitting the paper then loading the powder and ball after. I always thought this could be somewhat dangerous. I guess the leaning over the barrel was a most of his problem. Anyway, my only thoughts when loading is doing it safe.

It's the military way, as it eliminated the need to have and handle a powder horn.

My club considers a firearm loaded if it has been capped or primed, which we aren't to do until on the line and preparing to fire.

 

[SDSmlf]

Remember reading a quote from an old military manual that specified holding a number of lead balls in the soldier’s mouth to facilitate quick reloading. Loading directly into the barrel from one’s mouth leads to multiple levels of safety concerns, but for those that insist on nothing but historical correctness......

 

[Brokennock]

No one said you can't spit the ball into your hand.

 

[Treestalker]

Would swallowing a lead ball get rid of worms?

 

[Carbon 6]

No, but it would give you lead poisoning.

 

[Britsmoothy]

No, but it would give you lead poisoning.

I doubt that. Tonnes of lead is ingested by game eaters for centuries.
More chance of poisoning from tobacco, alcohol, household chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and manufacturing procedures.

 

[Capnball]

Do not lean over the muzzle when loading, and do not cap nor prime your piece except as the LAST step....,

View attachment 28311

LD

I think the big questions here are obvious.
1. What was the rod made out of ?
2. How did it fare?

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I think the big questions here are obvious.
1. What was the rod made out of ?
2. How did it fare?

Look close at the photo, and I think he's holding it in his hand and I think it's metal...

LD

 

[Carbon 6]

Dave, what year was the photo taken ? looks 1880's -ish

 

[Rató:rats]

The br

While I indubitably agree safety, safety, safety. Many youtube videos which show paper cartridgesin, let’s say a Brown Bess always, for the most part, show priming the pan after bitting the paper then loading the powder and ball after. I always thought this could be somewhat dangerous. I guess the leaning over the barrel was a most of his problem. Anyway, my only thoughts when loading is doing it safe.

The British Manual of Arms, at least in the early 19th century Napoleonic wars, shows the piece was primed before loading the main charge. The worry was that otherwise some nervous or clumsy private would dump his whole cartridge down the barrel with nothing left for the pan.
At Fort York in Toronto I watched a student portraying a redcoat load his Bess according to the Manual. But he didn’t actually put powder in the pan, just mimed it. Nobody was the wiser. He went to fire and of course nothing happens and he explained to the crowd this was a common occurance with flintlocks. WRONG. He “Re-primed” and fired. I understand the idea of safety versus historical accuracy but it annoys me that the tourists leave with a false idea of the reliability of rocklocks

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Back when men were men! Seriously, scary stuff and glad the boy lived.

 

[Skychief]

How could this happen and not blind him?

 

[Treestalker]

How could this happen and not blind him?

A friend of mine when I was a child was a Marine who survived WWll but was shot through the back of the head by a Japanese machine gunner. The bullet exited through his left cheek and he lost vision in that eye. The doctors said if the bullet had had I/4 inch different trajectory in any direction it would have killed him instantly. His name was 'Teeny' Hayes.