Leaving Rifle Loaded

[DementedMindOfJac]

There have been numerous cases of people firing old antique loaded muzzleloaders. Many of these had been loaded for decades to more than a hundred years too. They still fired their load.

Normally black powder is a inert substance. It can still be good hundreds of years later. Oil and moisture can degrade it though.

Bunch of folks went to a whole bunch of trouble to unload a coastal gun that had been sitting with a cannonball down it's throat for over 100 years. The powder burned well enough for them to figure the gun would have fired. Or exploded. Not sure about coastal battery default settings.

 

[Rifleman1776]

In the BP era, wasn't it the rule to keep one's long gun loaded and right over the fireplace? To be at the ready just in case?

I believe the 'over the fire place' thing is a modern romantic notion.

 

[Rifleman1776]

There have been numerous cases of people firing old antique loaded muzzleloaders. Many of these had been loaded for decades to more than a hundred years too. They still fired their load.

There is a family local to where I live that had a similar, but tragic experience with that. They had a barrel from an old ml rifle they used for a fireplace poker for many years, perhaps decades. One day it was being used and went off demolishing the users hand. Sad story, I knew him well.

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

I keep one of my C&B revolvers loaded always, just as I do my more modernistical pistols. And have, in the past had a flintlock stay loaded for two years - worked fine when I "unloaded" it at the range.
I do keep the frizzen covered with a leather shroud, and a toothpick in the touch hole.
In certain un-named Asian countries, a condom over the muzzle was used to keep the rain out. I imagine an M-60 with a barrel full of rainwater would not react well were the trigger pulled. Have not tried that with an ML.

 

[morehops52]

Without the long story, I left my 50 Hawken loaded for deer & in my gun safe for about 10 years. Clearly marked "LOADED". I took it to the range finally and it fired like I just loaded it. The bore is still bright and shiny and it still shoots great. 'Nuff said.

 

[45man]

I leave mine in the garage and have no problems.

 

[DementedMindOfJac]

On general principles, it's unloaded. Found a Investarms Hawkin in a 2nd hand store that proved to be loaded when I put the ramrod down. That was around 2015. Gave $40 for it and cleared the barrel in my backyard with the first cap. Tried to capture the ball but 5gal bucket full of water and newspaper wasn't enough and I wasn't going to dig for it.