Leaving musket loaded

[eaglesnester]

Leaving yur rifle out in the truck overnight in cool weather and then bringing it back into the house and loading is not a good idea. U will get condensation. Allow your rifle to come to room temperature, or the temperature that U are going to store your rifle, patch out dry. Load with your normal load then use some wasp nests or wadding on top of your charge to keep the grease from the patch contaminating your powder. Store in a dry place such as a closet with desiccant. Maintain a constant temp and a humidity of 48% or so.

 

[eaglesnester]

There are so many experienced muzzleloader shooters on this forum who leave their rifles, shotguns, muskets, etc. loaded from one day to the next, or even all season long that I have quit advising other folks to do as I do and unload your gun at the end of each day. I am no longer so sure that one needs to do that if the necessary precautions are taken to ensure that the gun won't be accidently fired. I, on the other hand, will continue to unload my gun at the end of each day. It has been driven into my head from childhood and my years in the service that you don't leave your gun loaded when you are not hunting (or on the firing line at a gun range) and you never bring a loaded gun into the house. So, unloading at the end of each day is just my way. I can't say that it is THE right way, but it is MY way. :thumbsup:

An unloaded gun in an emergency is like an empty fire extinguisher, useless.

 

[robinsroost]

There are so many experienced muzzleloader shooters on this forum who leave their rifles, shotguns, muskets, etc. loaded from one day to the next, or even all season long that I have quit advising other folks to do as I do and unload your gun at the end of each day. I am no longer so sure that one needs to do that if the necessary precautions are taken to ensure that the gun won't be accidently fired. I, on the other hand, will continue to unload my gun at the end of each day. It has been driven into my head from childhood and my years in the service that you don't leave your gun loaded when you are not hunting (or on the firing line at a gun range) and you never bring a loaded gun into the house. So, unloading at the end of each day is just my way. I can't say that it is THE right way, but it is MY way. :thumbsup:

An unloaded gun in an emergency is like an empty fire extinguisher, useless.

Thank you, I agree.

 

[satx78247]

YEP.

yours, satx

 

[Artificer]

I, on the other hand, will continue to unload my gun at the end of each day. It has been driven into my head from childhood and my years in the service that you don't leave your gun loaded when you are not hunting (or on the firing line at a gun range) and you never bring a loaded gun into the house. So, unloading at the end of each day is just my way. I can't say that it is THE right way, but it is MY way. :thumbsup:

Bill, I completely agree.

In my 26 years in the Marine Corps and much of that time spent on rifle, pistol, machine gun, mortar and artillery ranges as an Armorer, Match Armorer, LSO, and Range Officer PLUS a lot of time on NRA Highpower and Bullseye Pistol Matches including the National Matches, PLUS years working as an NRA Firearms Instructor, PLUS many years on all sorts of blackpowder ranges including two World Championships, PLUS many years of hunting small game and deer..... I have seen too many negligent discharges and even more safety violations. Sometimes even the MOST experienced shooters can have a careless moment and their mind turns to Mush around firearms.

So while I won't comment on what others do, I will always unload a gun when not using it.

Gus

 

[Billnpatti]

Thank you, Gus, for the support. A tip of the old chapeau to you. :hatsoff: :hatsoff:

 

[Billnpatti]

Unloading my gun refers only to those that I use for hunting or target shooting. In this instance, it refers specifically to keeping a muzzleloading gun loaded. It does not, of course, refer to those guns kept for personal protection. I do not use a muzzleloading rifle, shotgun or pistol for personal protection. For that, I have modern guns that provide more firepower. I can assure you that those specific weapons are loaded and ready to address any emergency. :thumbsup:

 

[satx78247]

MINE TOO. = After a potentially UGLY incident here at home about 6 weeks ago, I'll NEVER go to the door again after dark W/O a handgun.

yours, satx

 

[Artificer]

And a :hatsoff: to you for bringing it up!

Gus

 

[George]

So, guns left loaded for self defense are safer than hunting guns left loaded and being tended to by the same guy?

Spence

 

[azmntman]

op:

 

[Artificer]

So, guns left loaded for self defense are safer than hunting guns left loaded and being tended to by the same guy?

Spence

Well, I never mentioned self defense guns, but since you addressed this to me.....

Technically, they are not. However, there is a very different cautionary mind set about self defense guns than many people use with hunting guns and hunting guns MAY be a little too available to young curious minds or visitors, if someone forgets and does not put them away properly, even once. Many people will grab a muzzleloader to look at without asking, when they won't touch a modern gun.

In my own case when the kids were small, I did not load my pistol at night, but had loaded magazines with it. Every morning I took the entire barrel and slide assembly OFF my .45 pistol, after pushing out the slide stop and put the magazines away. It was impossible to fire the gun that way and they could not figure out how to put it back together. I also satisfied their curiosity about guns, so they never touched the guns when I was not there. They were taught not to try to look at or "show off" the guns to their friends when I was not there. The kids grew up with MANY guns in the attached shop and the pistol in the house and we never came close to a problem even when a bunch of their friends were in the house - AND even though many of their parents did not own guns and did not teach them gun safety.

Gus

 

[George]

I wasn't directing that to you personally, Gus, I just got in line.

My three children, all boys, the very worst kind, survived growing up in a house with guns, too, but that's beside the point. If anyone feels it's OK to keep loaded guns for self defense in the house, I don't think they have much to say about leaving hunting guns loaded. Loaded is loaded, IMHO.

Spence

 

[coloradoclyde]

*Warning*
Drive by comment !

I was always taught to check a gun to see if it is loaded. Even if some checks it in front of me and then hands it to me I still check it.
Always! it a habit.

Varooom.......

 

[chuck-ia]

This subject allways gets my interest. For me, it is not what I know, if the gun is loaded or not, I know how to treat a gun, (allways loaded), but those for who have not been around guns much? We all assume we will wake up in the morning. Would you guy guys be ok with a loaded muzzleloader in the house if you knew you were not going to wake up in the morning? Modern guns are easy to see if they are loaded or not, not so with a muzzleloader.flinch

 

[Artificer]

Spence,

I raised one boy and two girls and told them not to mention what I did as a living. However, the girls figured out to tell possible boyfriends that I was a Marine (which I am) and a Sniper (which I was not) to keep them on their best behavior. I just grinned when that slipped out one time.

That is part of the reason I chose a .45 as a self defense pistol and never loaded a magazine in it at night, unless I might use it. Only loaded it twice, if memory serves correctly and never had to use it.

Gus

 

[coloradoclyde]

This subject allways gets my interest. For me, it is not what I know, if the gun is loaded or not, I know how to treat a gun, (allways loaded), but those for who have not been around guns much? We all assume we will wake up in the morning. Would you guy guys be ok with a loaded muzzleloader in the house if you knew you were not going to wake up in the morning? Modern guns are easy to see if they are loaded or not, not so with a muzzleloader.flinch

A compelling argument ....and I can find nothing in it to argue with. :hatsoff:

 

[Socal147]

Live alone
Two dogs
One alarm system
Many cameras
One Glock 21 ready to go.

Why? Because I can't load the muzzle loader quick enough.

PS - All guns are always loaded ..... Always!

 

[satx78247]

Understood. = Within 50 feet of the chair that I'm sitting in is a S&W Model 12 "snubbie (on my belt), a M-16 SA "clone", a Sig-Sauer P225 (by my bedside) & a 12 gauge pump shotgun (behind an interior door).
ALL of them are loaded, as we have recently had numerous housebreakings, criminal assaults, vehicle thefts & home invasions in the "near downtown" area.
(NO kids in the house.)

yours, satx

 

[azmntman]

You need more muzzleloaders and a good woman to load for ya!

I have but a single .45 ready to cycle, 3 dogs (a 105lb german sheperd, his sister and his ma) and a wife that scares us all when things need scarin.

Years ago we had some wanna be gang busta's roaming and I kept my pedersoli 10 ga ss full of rock salt. Never to get...er have to "pop a cap on they arses"