new used gun

[cooksomerice]

My second hand gun arrived at the house on Friday. I have not shot it yet and want to know what I need to do, if anything, before shooting it the first time. It seems well taken care of, but I am new to muzzleloading. Have never even held one in my hands until yesterday. Thanks.

 

[bwhoffman]

knowing what it is would help in gathering some info!

 

[boar]

Go to your library and get the Foxfire book no 5 that has the muzzle loading stuff in it.H.House makes a gun and shows what to do to shot it. That's What I did when I got my first one in 82. :thumbsup: Dilly

 

[2172]

with any used gun, it is wise to make sure it is not loaded...use your ramrod to see if it goes all the way down, or stops high enough to permit a load to be present. Enjoy the gun..Hank

 

[cooksomerice]

The gun is a Traditions 50 cal 1:48 twist. I am not sure what the previous owner did with the gun before storing it. I am thinking that I should wipe the barrel with a dry patch and maybe fire a cap or two before loading the first time. I am thinking about starting with 50 gr of FFg and will be shooting a .490 PRB. My nerves are up for the first shot. I do not want any accidents.

 

[misher]

Traditions .50cal what???

 

[cooksomerice]

OK... I am a rookie so I am going to say percussion rifle. In my defense, I assumed that this was understood becuase of the forum being named "Percussion Rifles". Anyway, if more info is needed I will try to provide it.

 

[Rogue River]

I think he wants to know the model of the rifle! Such as Hawkens, Woodsman, ect. I'm not really that familiar with Tradition models myself.

 

[Robert58]

First. Welcome to the World of Muzzleloading.

Go here and download the manual for you rifle and memorize it.
http://www.traditionsfirearms.com/ownersManuals.asp

Do not run a dry patch down that barrel. Mabe an alcohol soaked patch. Dry patches are sometimes hard to get back out of a barrel that has been setting a long time.

Robert

 

[cooksomerice]

Thanks everyone and I appologize for the dumb answer earlier. I will tell on myself now and let you know why I am asking these questions. I got a free hawken earlier from a buddy that had not used in a while and the barrel was horrible. I cleaned on it for a few days and when I ran my first cleaning patch in the barrel the jag, patch, and ramrod got stuck. I broke the ramrod while trying to remove it. So, I bought this one used and do not want to make any more avoidable mistakes. Anyway, my plan is to shoot the gun for the first time the Monday after Thanksgiving as I am working and have family committments until then. If I post on Tuesday then I am still ALIVE :grin: .

 

[Robert58]

No broblem. Take the Hawken to the range or where you shoot and take the nipple out and trickle some powder in the chamber under it and replace the nipple and shoot the ramrod out. Or go to your local gun store and buy a CO2 ball discharger and use compressed air to shoot it out.

I bought the TC Hawken in my signature in a Pawn Shop and it had a rusted bore. I scrubed it untill I got it to shine. It still has some pitts in it but it doesn't seem to affect the accuracy. It will put them in there if I do my part.

Robert

 

[Dave K]

Hopefully you have a range rod and don't have to rely on the wood ones that come with a gun. Don't forget a bore guide as well and please make sure that the gun with the broken ram rod is seated. It may be ok without seating if you use very little powder, but I just like you to use caution and not ruin the barrel or get hurt shooting a gun with a space between the powder and the broken ram rod.

 

[Zonie]

Speaking of your new gun, as was mentioned, you need to determine if the gun is still loaded.

Some folks will load a rifle or pistol and then forget that it is loaded.
Selling one in this condition is more common than most folks realize.

To determine if the gun is still loaded, run the ramrod down the bore until it stops.
Use your thumb or a piece of masking tape to mark the depth on the rod.
Remove the rod and lay it along side of the barrel aligning your thumb or the tape with the face of the muzzle.

The lower end of the ramrod should be about 1/2-3/4 of an inch from the breech end of the barrel. In other words, it should be about even or just slightly ahead of the nipple.

If it is about 1 1/2-2 inches short of the far end of the barrel there is a good chance the barrel is still loaded.
If this is true, let us know before you try shooting the gun.

As for the stuck ramrod, yes, you can place 2-5 grains of black powder or Pyrodex under the nipple working it down into the little cross drilled hole that's in there.
Then replacing the nipple, cap it and point the gun in a safe direction.
Firing the small powder charge will usually blow the ramrod, jag and patch out.

After doing this you must clean the bore.

Dry patches will sometimes stick in the barrel because the patch gets wadded up on top of the jag and binds up.
The way to avoid this is to use patches that are not larger than 1 1/4 diameter and either lubricate the patch with water, alcohol or vegetable oil.

If a patched jag gets stuck, pour a small amount of water down the bore and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then push down on the rod slightly and then remove it.

To shoot your new gun, use a .490 diameter lead ball with a cotton or linen cloth patch that is about the size of the outside of the barrel.
Lubricate this patch with vegetable oil, a commercial patch lube or spit.

Your powder charge should be about 50-70 grains of black powder or one of the synthetic powders made for black powder guns.
Do not use the pellets as they have a habit of mis-firing and they cost a lot more than loose powder.

Have fun with your new gun.

 

[cooksomerice]

Thanks guys. I wish that I had found this site earlier. The ramrod has been stuck in the barrel for about a month as I did not know what to do. Should I put some oil/lubricant down the barrel before trying to shoot it out? Also, I bought pre-cut and lubed patches that came with a starter kit from the Possible Shop. Will I need to trim them before loading or just start shooting them as is?

By the way, this is a great site and I appreciate everyones help and understanding!!!

 

[paulvallandigham]

A bit of oil won't hurt anything. The jag is surrounded by the cloth patch, so its not going to touch the barrel. The back end of the jag May be leaning against one side of the barrel or another, depending on what happened when you broke off the ramrod. Did you leave any wood behind? If not, then oil would be a caution. The steel in the barrel will be hard enough to prevent any damage to the barrel as the jag leaves the barrel. Remember that this is a very light charge of powder, so the jag will not be moving very fast. DO POINT the gun at some safe backstop when you fire out the jag, as it can still hurt someone badly, and kill if it strikes in the right places. That jag weighs a lot, much more than a lead RB, so don't underestimate its ability to penetrate, even at slow velocities. :hmm: :thumbsup: