Newbie mishap

[trdixon1]

New GPR 54 cal. second time out shooting.


I went shooting today, and was in real deep thought when I loaded a ball and forgot the powder. I took my nipple out and put 10 grs. of powder (It ended up being less than 10 grs. after it was all said and done) into the barrel. When I fired the gun nothing happened. I put my ramrod down the barrel and that ball had not moved. So I put another cap on and fired it off with no result. I then pulled out my worm and struggled for what seemed to be hours. Eventually I got a good grip on the ball but I ended up pulling out the middle or so I thought. Went home and got this bright idea, I put a priming cap on and fired it in my garage to see if I had drilled out the center. This time it went bang! The ball hit the pavement and then my garage door. Thank god it did not go through! And yes I know it was stupid and irresponsible of me. I guess this was a good lesson. Now for my questions: Could this mishap cause damage to my gun? If you drill through the ball can you damage the breach? Why did the powder not ignite after the first two caps?

 

[GreyWhiskers]

Sooner or later we all "dry ball." Your only mistake was firing it in the garage. I've not had a lot of luck with a ball puller (what you called a worm) especially if the bore is dirty. Getya a CO2 discharger and you'll be glad you did. Don't use it to discharge a ball in the garage though. :v GW

 

[cowpoke1955]

You are not the first and you won't be the last :rotf: . Are you using real black powder or a sub like Pyrodex? Sometime the subs are harder to ignite. I have helped a friend who dry balled his rifle. Put about 3 to 4 grains of powder under the nipple and fired. Repeat the process with about 10 grains and reram the ball, so it is against the powder. Normally, this second round will pop the ball out. You shouldn't have done any damage.

 

[shootemup]

You're a bonafide veteran now. :grin:

I agree with the above posts, you almost certainly haven't hurt your gun - just your pride a little. :haha:

It's a cliche, but there's only two kinds of muzzleloader shooters - them what's dryballed, and them what will (or will again).

Have fun and welcome - you've made a good choice in a rifle in my opinion.

:hatsoff:
Spot

 

[musketman]

Eventually I got a good grip on the ball but I ended up pulling out the middle or so I thought. Went home and got this bright idea, I put a priming cap on and fired it in my garage to see if I had drilled out the center. This time it went bang!

Even though there was a small charge in the gun, you may want to check your rifle for barrel bulging before shooting it again since the ball was half way out before it was discharged.

 

[Silver Surfer]

:rotf: This may be hard to beleive, but I'm not laughing at you. Years ago I pulled one very similar. I was trying to "Slug" my barrel the easy way (or so I thought :shake: ) and basicly did exactly what you did, except on purpose. Well when I touched`er off in the kitchen my wife and kids when into slobbering screaming SchlitzbeJuseseez! To this day (almost 20 years later ) the old lady will still snot and slobber if I even put a cap on a gun in the house!
Good luck and be careful.

Sorry this was meant to respond to Kansan1 :redface:

 

[mykeal]

Yup, we've all done it at least once. Purchase of the CO2 discharger is a good idea 'cause, well, you're gonna do it again sometime. Having the discharger just means that it won't happen until you've forgotten where you put it.

One small point: the mark on your garage door is proof the charge in the gun was still viable. You used a ball puller on a ramrod with that viable charge in the gun; that was a bit dangerous. Now, I realize there was no cap on the nipple (hopefully the nipple wasn't even installed) so the odds of the charge going off were very small, but I suggest that in the future you don't use a ball puller without rendering the charge safe with some water. And keep in mind that the gun is charged when transporting and handling it until the ball is pulled or discharged.

 

[Rancocas]

New GPR 54 cal. second time out shooting.


Now for my questions: Could this mishap cause damage to my gun? If you drill through the ball can you damage the breach? Why did the powder not ignite after the first two caps?

It is unlikely that such a tiny charge will damage your gun. But, check it out to be sure. Strange things can and do happen.
It is also very unlikely that the screw-type ball puller would damage the steel breech block. I don't have a CO2 discharger, so I do use a ball puller whenever I need one. Be sure the screw is sharp so that it will bite into the ball easily. I've screwed my ball puller completely through the ball sometimes and hit the breech, but there was no problem. Sometimes when I didn't have a good bite in the ball, the screw pulled out a spiral of lead from the ball. I just had to go back in, screw the puller through the ball, and then pull it all out.
Why didn't the powder ignite? Quien sabe? Who knows?
:grin: Try dry-balling a flintlock sometime. There's no nipple to remove so you can dribble in a little powder. There are flintlock adaptors for the CO2 discharger, but my ball puller works just fine. :thumbsup:
Yep. Everyone dry-balls sooner or later. :v

 

[2172]

You should be aware that a CO2 driven ball has some strength to it. I fired one on my motel room after coming back with a loaded gun after a hunt...as a last minute protection for the bed's comforter and pillow, I put my map case against the pillow..I got a hole in the map case, and in one of the two walkie talkies I had in the case...had to buy a new pair...Hank

 

Welcome to the club :wink:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Welcome to the Honorable Society of Dry-Ballers. You can expect to rejoin this society many more times over the course of a shooting career with Mlers. Any distraction during the loading process will get you the next introduction.

But, we are a proud bunch of shooters- men and women--- and humbled by our own humanity. We all make mistakes, but we would rather that not occur when we are loading a gun!

Now go have a drink with the rest of us, and celebrate your new membership!

Unfortunately, we are too cheap to put out a shoulder patch, or a certificate of membership. You will easily identify other members of the Society by the quiet grin they give you when they learn you need help in pulling a dry ball, instead of ridicule from the unknowing. All members of the society agree, subconsciously, to help all new members get their guns back in firing conditions as soon as possible. And when they accomplish that, they will often offer to buy the first round of drinks.

 

[ohio ramrod]

As someone new to the game you might want to put up a post asking members about "stupid" or "dangerous " things they or others they know of have done. Many of us have done things that looking back on we realize were not the smartest, or safest thing to do.Don't be surprised if most of the posts start: " I knew a guy that" since some of us are reluctant to admitt our lack of forthought.

 

[jbg]

I learned a long time ago, in this hobby and in life in general, there is nothing I am going to mess up on that 99% of everybody else hasn't done, too. And that other 1%, well, they are pathological liars.

 

[trdixon1]

Wow! Thanks for the replies!

Cowpoke1955: I am using Goex black powder.

Silver Surfer: I’m glad to hear I’m not alone. My wife is never going to let me live this one down.

Everyone: I’m getting a CO2 discharger.

I have looked down the barrel with a flashlight and do not see a bulge but it is really hard to see the breach.

I have learned a valuable safety lesson. I want to thank everyone for their advice and support.

 

[necchi]

Having the discharger just means that it won't happen until you've forgotten where you put it.

:rotf: man there is truth to that! :rotf:

And, you likley won't find it till you give up and buy another! :haha:

 

[kentucky bucky]

I've got THAT T-shirt!!!!

 

the Honorable Society of Dry-Ballers

Man, somebody should put that on a tee-shirt. I'd buy one :grin:

 

[torn moc]

You had better get that CO2 discharger QUICK !!!
Cabelas is the only place I have found them for sale,,,,tHEY JUST CAME back IN STOCK yesterday...but they wont be in stock too long cuz everyone is ordering them...
You will have to order the adapter separately...so the whole kit and kaboodle will cost ya over $45.....but well worth it when ya dry-ball.....

 

[paulvallandigham]

YOu know, I have been shooting BP guns now for more than 50 years without a CO2 discharger, and I have lost count on the number of times I have joined the Honorable Society of Dry-Ballers, or helped other club members who have joined our Society, remove the PRB with only a Ball pulling Jag on the end of my range rod. I think I paid about $3.00 for that jag way back when, and I don't think they cost much more than $5 today.

Those CO2 gadgets are wonderful things to have around, IF you have the Adaptors, and IF you have some Extra CO2 Cartridges for it, and IF you remember to take it to the Range. My brother bought one, thinking it has to be easier to pull balls by shooting them out with a blast of gas, than to use that wood screw jag. He reports indifferent results. Sometimes it works so well, he is awed. Other times, when the shooter has used his ball puller jag wrong, and both driven the screw all the way through the ball, but also broken the ball into pieces, the CO2 thing doesn't get the job done very well at all.

Its NOT a panacea. :hmm: :shocked2: :thumbsup:

 

[miked35]

Just did my first this week. Load, powder in the pan, aim........poof. Dang I say. Stuck my vent pick in the whole, uh, I don't feel no powder. Screw the ball puller on my rod, crank it in the ball and pull hard. Came right out. Dump the barrel, nope, no powder.

I wish I could blame it on the fact that I was distracted chatting with some fella's. Nah, I was at the range alone. Just had a brain fart.

Once I had a stuck rod during cleaning and pulled the end off (don't ever put a dry patch down the bore after a shot) :redface: . Worked a little 4f through the liner and shot it out. Just a little 4f buried that rod tip several inches into the ground.

Mike