normal/safe for someone who only has a percussion rifle to keep loaded without the cap for home def?

[arcticap]

Do you want to have been the cause of blowing your great great grandson's head off (or any other innocent in the future..) Why not leave some primed anti personnel mines in your effects..? Same Same IMHO..!

The flip side of the argument is that if a person with only one muzzle loading gub doesn't keep it ready to use for self-defense,
then they may not live long enough to ever have a great great grandson.
There's two sides to every coin.

 

[Felix the Cat]

The flip side of the argument is that if a person with only one muzzle loading gub doesn't keep it ready to use for self-defense,
then they may not live long enough to ever have a great great grandson.
There's two sides to every coin.

.. of course!

However I would have thought that in most of the cases we are discussing, the individual concerned has already contributed to the gene pool...?

 

[Eterry]

just curious, do people do this? is it safe/common/normal? obvoisuly without the caps cus that might be lil too dangerous, but without the caps for home defnese, it isnt hard to grab the caps and quickly put it on, but it will take sometime if nothing is loaded.

what do yall think of it?

I don't pretend to know what your circumstances are, but if it a choice between a percussion rifle or a shocked look on your face for defense i would go with the rifle. BUT, i would cap the rifle. Because if someone kicked your door in at 2am, that's NOT the time to get that tiny cap on the little nipple.

If you can get a cartridge loading ANYTHING, i think it would beat a caplock.

History is full of accounts of a cap failing to go off, the load failing to fire, the load being damp and causing a weak load.
Not to mention using a black powder gun in a house may cause a Fire, which is another thing to deal with.
When the caplock was all there was of course it was used for defense, but with CF arms available i wouldn't recommend it.

 

[Carbon 6]

Firearms are not good for defense against the home. They are ineffective at preventing deaths and injuries and sometimes are the cause. Homes are very dangerous, injuring millions and killing tens of thousands of people each year.
Houses are so dangerous that people use to put fences around them to keep people away, almost all house doors have locks installed to keep people out of them. Many houses have mailboxes out by the street for the safety of mail carriers. There are tell tale signs of a dangerous house; Bars on the windows, signs that say "beware of dog", "no trespassing" or "keep out". etc.
Some houses are so dangerous that they have wheels attached to them for quick removal.
Yep, houses are extremely dangerous, but when it comes to defending myself from them, I find a hammer and nail to be a much better weapon than a firearm.

 

[arcticap]

I would remind the OP that in the event of a break in, sometimes even simply pointing an unloaded gun at the perp. can be a strong enough deterrent.
How would the perp. know that the gun is not loaded or capped?
The presence of any firearm has been shown time and time again to send the perp. running in the opposite direction.
And it could also serve as a fine club.

It reminds me of a true event that happened to a fellow gun club member.
A drugged up perp. broke into his home through the front door which alerted him to get his pistol ready.
Then him and his wife heard footsteps coming up the steps to their bedroom.
His wife dialed 911 on the phone and was standing on the bed when the man opened the bedroom door and entered the bedroom.
My friend was ready to shoot him with his pistol but didn't because he could tell the perp. was deranged on drugs and was unarmed.
While on the phone with 911, his wife started screaming, "Shoot him, shoot him!"
But my friend just kept his gun pointed at him yelling, "Get down on the ground, don't come any closer or I'll shoot!"
Finally the perp. obeyed and got down on the ground while being held at gun point until the cops showed up.
Off course the cops made him put his gun down when they finally did come and entered the bedroom, pointing their guns at him.
But he said that the strangest part was how his wife was always against keeping guns in the house until this event.
Yet she was the one screaming to shoot him and not exercise restraint.
She's not against keeping guns in the house anymore.
They had their newborn baby sleeping in the bedroom with them at the time.
He didn't need to fire a shot because just pointing the gun and verbally threatening the perp. was a strong enough deterrent to hold the perp. at bay.
In any event just use whatever you have available even if it's unloaded or uncapped.

In one famous home invasion case here, the 2 perp.'s entered the home with an air gun and held a family of 4 hostage.
Except they didn't know that the rifle was only an air gun.
After being tied up, the husband escaped from the cellar and alerted the police.
But because the police thought the perp.'s were armed, they didn't take action, and hid in the neighbor's bushes.
Meanwhile horrific crimes were committed against the man's wife and daughters with the final result being that
gasoline was used to burn the house and occupants who all died as a result.
The men fled and were caught down the street, but it was too late to save the 3 dead victims.
So yes, use whatever you can and don't think twice about the need for self-defense.
The state castle doctrines exist for a reason and so does the right to self-defense.

 

[BlackHillsBob]

i was their years ago when the perp was stoned and could care less about the gun i pointed at being loaded or not, it was laoded. the other thing i have 13 handguns, all uberti colts and one nice ruger pocket gun. they are all loaded, my wife know it and so does my son and daughter. they know how to use them also. a couple years ago a man threated my life and was coming to my house to kill me. we have kept them all loaded since. they are in different drawers around the house. if we had little kids in the house it would be a different thing. remember a person on drugs has no frame of mind as to a loaded gun or a empty gun. i would never ever shoot anybody ourt side my house as i can call the cops and they can deal with them. once they break down the door as the head of my family i have to protect this house. their is also loaded shotguns by every door of the house, we also get a lot of skunks racoons, mountain lions and such in our yard. and for those who want to break down our doors to get at us. when i mow the large yard i have a ruger lcr in my pocket.

 

[Bo T]

As previously noted, a person can probably get a used unmentionable single shot smoothbore for a US Franklin. Maybe less. Reload @ 5 seconds or less.

 

[Carbon 6]

As previously noted, a person can probably get a used unmentionable single shot smoothbore for a US Franklin. Maybe less. Reload @ 5 seconds or less.

#1 choice.

 

[Stantheman86]

If you're legally able to do so just get an "unmentionable " .

 

[RedFeather]

No matter what vintage loaded gun you keep in the house, it ought to be safely stored. Even if everyone in the home is the best gun handler ever, you have to consider guests, especially kids. And no one stays home indefinitely. Guns left in the nightstand are numero uno for house breaking.

 

[ZUG]

Here is what I think. We all know ML's are real firearms, after all they kill off most of the Indians, buffalo, not to mention over 300,000 in the CW. But this is 2019, if I feel a need a loaded firearm in my home to protect me and mine, I would not use a ML. There are to many fine modern firearms that you can depend on to go bang when you pull the trigger. I don't need a misfire or a cloud of smoke in my way when trying to kill the bad guy. Just my 3 cents worth.

I will also concur with this - iIF my life depends on a firearm to save it I would NOT trust a ML of any kind to protect it - PERIOD!

 

[necchi]

just curious, do people do this? is it safe/common/normal

No,,

 

[WRustyLane]

I've only had to shoot one individual and it wasn't with a muzzle loader! It was with my .45 1911. I won't go into any details about this incident. It was an attempted home invasion.

 

[Griz44Mag]

A true story, at a political fund raiser a lib-tard reporter observed a Texas Ranger's cocked and locked "unmentionable" riding in it's holster. She asked, "Don't you think it's dangerous to carry your gun like that?" The answer is the way I feel as well. His reply - "Maam, if it wasn't dangerous I would go get something that was." She replied ; "Are you expecting trouble?" His reply - "No maam, if I was expecting trouble I would be carrying my shotgun too"
My home defense incorporates both as well. Nothing says stay away better than the sound of a pump getting racked.
Use something a lot more dependable that a MZL.

 

[torpedo]

I keep my .44 Walker loaded and hanging from my bed post. Its been there for 50+ years. I will take it out and shoot it about every 4 to 6 months for fun and to reload with fresh powder and bullet. I load with a wad under a 244 grain conical, on 45 grains of 3f. Packs a punch. I leave hammer on chamber without a nipple.

 

[Bad Karma]

.. of course!

However I would have thought that in most of the cases we are discussing, the individual concerned has already contributed to the gene pool...?

At every opportunity...

Wrt the OP, yes, some people do depend upon bp firearms for self defense. As they have done for a few hundred years. Are there better choices? Of course there are, but some people are prohibited from using them, for one reason or another. Properly loaded they will go bang every time. If you or anyone you know is using such a weapon in such a role it is encumbent upon you or them to learn how to load the guns for 100% reliability and a reasonable level of power. In a revolver that would mean .45 caliber ball or bullet. Remington, Colt or Old Army Ruger, they can all be used to deadly effect.

The most important aspect of self defense is the mental one, more important by far than the choice of equipment.

 

[FishDFly]

Sometimes when I read questions about using a muzzle loader, be it a long gun or a short gun for home protection, two questions come to mind:

1. How well prepared or educated is the person about guns and some of their particular
limitations?
2. How much is the person being pushed away from having a loaded gun in the house by a
spouse?

Are the folks living in a part of the country where it is almost impossible to buy a modern gun?

"My home defense incorporates both as well. Nothing says stay away better than the sound of a pump getting racked. Use something a lot more dependable that a MZL"

Sage advice.

Often wonder about folks.

 

[Carbon 6]

I have a bald spot from scratching my head so often.

 

[Bad Karma]

And I get vertigo from shaking my head...


For someone who’s paid their debt to society and wants some level of defensive protection I can’t find any fault in this. Same for folks who live where modern firearms are not a viable option.

 

[reddog]

Fix Bayonet!