Load life

[3 stinky dogs]

How long is a loaded ml good for if you are careful to keep it dry and all that,but if you lived in a damp climat Or high humidity area would that eventuley reck the powder at some point.

 

[Rebel]

Ohh, about a 100 years or so.

 

[3 stinky dogs]

Whats the longet you guy's left yours loaded ?(to all under 100 yeare old.! ::

 

[musketman]

How long is a loaded ml good for if you are careful to keep it dry and all that,but if you lived in a damp climat Or high humidity area would that eventuley reck the powder at some point.

I must caution you on doing this, just because YOU know it's loaded does not mean the next person will know...

If you must leave the gun loaded, tag it as such with a semi-permanent manilla tag...

Something as simple as this could save a life because you are not going to be with your gun 24/7, why leave it to chance...

We all were taught to treat all guns as if loaded, tagging them as such will aid the few that missed this lesson...

 

[Rebel]

Well, i have left a couple loaded for a few months with no problem. They went off fine when i fired them. And i ain't quite over 100 yet, but sure feel like it sometimes. ::

 

[BS]

I know tag them, when left Loaded.........Just a good percautin!

 

[graybeard]

I've left a blackpowder rifle loaded for a week's hunting trip and Michigan's November can be mighty damp. Always went off when I pulled the trigger, though. graybeard

 

[CrackStock]

Dogs,

I echo all the concerns raised by Musket Man!

But to answer your question...

Remove the prime or cap. You plug your vent of a flintlock with a feather or toothpick or let the hammer down on a patch over the nipple of a caplock. Put a tompion or some oiled patches in the muzzle to keep the damp air from damaging your charge. Be careful about condensation from cold and hot temperature changes getting down in the breech where a patch will wick it into your charge. Keep it stored level or muzzle slightly downward. But in truth, the charge will be more quickly ruined by oil then moisture.

I really think that saving less than a dollars worth of a load is not worth the risk.

I have kept a charge during deer season for a few weeks while staying at a club when the members did not want shots fired near the buidling. We locked ours up in a strong box in the truck to avoid the heating and cooling mentioned above. Yes, it fired when needed and brought down a deer. I do not do this anymore since I camp far from where I hunt now.

CS

 

[Bearbait2]

Mr. 3 Stinky Dogs,
About seven years ago, we left our Lyman Trade Rifle loaded for over six months; as an experiment. Picked the vent to make certain it was clear and primed the pan. It fired just like we had loaded it from scratch a few minutes before.
Best Wishes

 

[merdean]

My grandfather had a ML over his fireplace for about 30 years. One day he built a good fire. While stiring the fire up, a lot of sparks drifted around. Next thing we new, BOOM!. He now had a big hole in the wall, all the way through the roof. He never new it was loaded. Rifle jumped off the wall and broke the stock. I don't know what he did with it then. The rifle was traded to him for something when he lived in Kansas. He moved to Colorado during the Depression and built the house, hung the rifle up when the house was finished. The big BANG occured in the early 60's. The rifle was a full stock flinter but I don't remember anymore about it. It was always out of my reach. Sure am glad. Rifle hung with the lock side showing.

 

[WV-Rocklock]

The Father of a friend left his Hawkin style caplock loaded from one deer season till the next and took a deer with it the second year. Said it went off just fine. He stored it in the corner behind a woodburning stove all year. Kinda makes me nervous just thinking about it. I pull or shoot mine empty every day or so, depending on the weather conditions.

 

[roundball]

It only takes me 30 seconds to pull a load and lube/wipe the bore and it only costs a few nickles...then I load the next morning with a fresh charge in a clean dry barrel.

IMO, it's not worth the risk of missing a deer...much less having an Accidental Discharge that kills somebody...our hunting & shooting sports are not THAT important.

Remember...........#$%@ does happen !!

:m2c:

 

[Bearbait2]

Remember...........#$%@ does happen !!

:m2c:

Can't argue with that.
Best Wishes

 

[3 stinky dogs]

Remember...........#$%@ does happen !!

:m2c:

I dont plan on keeping my guns loaded I was jus trying to figure out the level of maintanance a guy in 1800 would have to devote to keeoing his gun running good.I was wondering how he would Deal with not being to shoot his gun evry .I mean he couldent just run down to gart sports and grab an LB of black powder.But reading about Bill Hickock it was sed that he would shoot his revolvers empty evry morning or eavning and then clean and reload.I was also wondering if the black powder its self will damage the barrel if left in for to long ? Sorey about the safty asoect of thei question but I dont plan on keeping my ML's loaded .No reason for it.

 

[roundball]

I was also wondering if the black powder its self will damage the barrel if left in for to long ?

A year or so ago, one of the major ML magazines published the results of a year long study where they cut up a barrel into 4-5 inch sections.
Then loaded them with charges of various powders and a PRB and let them sit for a year.
Then emptied them out, cut them open lengthways, and the net of the study was that fresh dry powder caused no problems with the bore metal.

If my memory is incorrect, others should certainly jump in...but as I write this, my understanding is that it's not a problem as long as the powder remained dry.

 

[Mulebrain]

My grandfather had a ML over his fireplace for about 30 years. One day he built a good fire. While stiring the fire up, a lot of sparks drifted around. Next thing we new, BOOM!. He now had a big hole in the wall, all the way through the roof. He never new it was loaded. Rifle jumped off the wall and broke the stock. I don't know what he did with it then. The rifle was traded to him for something when he lived in Kansas. He moved to Colorado during the Depression and built the house, hung the rifle up when the house was finished. The big BANG occured in the early 60's. The rifle was a full stock flinter but I don't remember anymore about it. It was always out of my reach. Sure am glad. Rifle hung with the lock side showing.

I am sure there was some wetness on the floor after that :haha:

 

[Mulebrain]

Bob Spencer has stated on his very informative web site, that inherently powder is not much affected by moister, but the residue from spent powder is "big time". So I would say that a clean gun, with a good charge will ignite for a very long time.

Here is his statement:

Doesn't black powder absorb moisture from the air?
That's a common belief, but not one I agree with. Black powder itself is not hygroscopic, it's the salts left after black powder is fired that are. The main charge in a flintlock is no more susceptible to wetting than that in a percussion arm, it's the prime that is a concern. Priming powder placed in a perfectly clean and dry pan will last for hours on the wettest day if the above precautions are followed. However, if even a little of the residue from the last shot is left when the prime is placed, it will turn to soup, quickly. Simply make certain that pan is really clean and dry, and you'll have no problem.


Bob, is a super nice guy, and has been very helpfull ! Check out his webpage!

http://members.aye.net/~bspen/

Funny how he talks about shooting a flinter upside down, and yes it fires :thumbsup:

 

[Tahquamenon]

Ohh, about a 100 years or so.

:agree: At least 100 years if kept dry.

 

[3 stinky dogs]

OH! thats somthing I dident think of! the priming powder.If you get to your stand ware ever it is you hunt is it good change your prime or if you protect your lock will you be ok?I will be doing my first pig hunt with a flinter from TVM if all goes well and while I dont mind having a piggie run away because I couldent get my gun to shoot I dont want to get bit because of it.

 

[rmonday2]

I once,"unintentionaly" left my Hawkens loaded for two years after a hunt!

After returning home one evening from a hunt, I had planed on returning the next morning. When I failed to return the next day, I planed on going later in the week, but that didn't happen either.
The following year came and went, and the next season finaly rolled around before I remembered to check it for a load.
One check with the rod, and I rembered storing it with a charge.
I did however leave a cleaned gun loaded, and the fret of rust was not of concern.
I caped the rifel and it snaped. I think the oil from the nipple had wicked the powder some, but the next cap sent her flying and I was good to go.
However, I do not practice or advise this procedure.