Rifle will not fire?

[Superman5433]

I have cleaned the muzzleloader I just bought and loaded the barrel (2 pellets, and a round). Loaded the percussion caps and snap...no fire, over and over, no fire...any ideas? I already cleaned the nipple. With the nipple pick/cleaner.

On a side note, I can't get the damn nipple to unscrew at all, I am worried I will damage the gun if I try to hard.

 

[andy52]

Are the caps firing?

 

[Superman5433]

Are the caps firing?

Yes, the cap is firing for sure

 

[andy52]

Inline or sidelock?

 

[87TT]

Pull it and get some REAL black powder. Once it is empty, blow down the barrel to see if air comes out the nipple.

 

[Columbus]

How about telling us what it is, was it new or used, did you clean it first, did you wipe the bore before you loaded, did you fire caps on the unloaded gun to see if you had a clear fire channel, is the load seated all the way, etc. etc. etc. and more etcs. You load the gun and now you can't get the nipple out - should have done that before you ever put anything down the barrel.

 

[SDSmlf]

I have cleaned the muzzleloader I just bought and loaded the barrel (2 pellets, and a round). Loaded the percussion caps and snap...no fire, over and over, no fire...any ideas? I already cleaned the nipple. With the nipple pick/cleaner.

On a side note, I can't get the damn nipple to unscrew at all, I am worried I will damage the gun if I try to hard.

Could be moisture or some other debris from your cleaning process between the cap and the pellets, which by themselves can be difficult to light up with a cap. Suggest you start by getting a decent nipple wrench and getting the nipple off. Will greatly simplify things going forward once you can remove it.

 

[Superman5433]

Inline or sidelock?

Side look

 

[S.Kenton]

First, what kind of rifle are we talking about? Pellets are only good for the type of rifles we don’t mention on here... that being said, Are the caps foreign off? If not there is your issue. You need to get the nipple out sooner or later. Unload the rifle and take it to a good gunsmith if you can’t remove it yourself. If the caps are fireing then the nipple is probably plugged and/or grease/oil/ or junk is in the breech area. After you get your barrel back from the gunsmith, replace the nipple with new one, Or clean it and make sure you can see light through the nipple. then flush the barrel..and swab it with tepid water with a touch of dawn dish soap mixed in. Run a couple of dry patches through it. Swish some alcohol around in the barrel. Now you can load after everything is dry.

 

[Superman5433]

How about telling us what it is, was it new or used, did you clean it first, did you wipe the bore before you loaded, did you fire caps on the unloaded gun to see if you had a clear fire channel, is the load seated all the way, etc. etc. etc. and more etcs. You load the gun and now you can't get the nipple out - should have done that before you ever put anything down the barrel.

Italian made percussion, used, I did wipe the bore, I did fire a cap before loading, the load will not budge any further down into the Barrell, I did what was expected, then loaded the weapon.i soaked the nipple, cleaned it, then loaded it a few days later when my pellets arrived.

 

[SDSmlf]

What kind of pellets are you using? Believe the Pyrodex ones have some real blackpowder on one to help ignition, while the Triple 7 pellets do not.

 

[Superman5433]

First, what kind of rifle are we talking about? Pellets are only good for the type of rifles we don’t mention on here... that being said, Are the caps foreign off? If not there is your issue. You need to get the nipple out sooner or later. Unload the rifle and take it to a good gunsmith if you can’t remove it yourself. If the caps are fireing then the nipple is probably plugged and/or grease/oil/ or junk is in the breech area. After you get your barrel back from the gunsmith, replace the nipple with new one, Or clean it and make sure you can see light through the nipple. then flush the barrel..and swab it with tepid water with a touch of dawn dish soap mixed in. Run a couple of dry patches through it. Swish some alcohol around in the barrel. Now you can load after everything is dry.

Thanks for the advice, any further on how one unloaded a muzzleloader?

This is an Italian made from 1975

 

[andy52]

Try soaking the area of the threads on the nipple with some penetrating oil over night and then try again to remove it.

 

[Superman5433]

What kind of pellets are you using? Believe the Pyrodex ones have some real blackpowder on one to help ignition, while the Triple 7 pellets do not.

They are pyrodex

 

[andy52]

If the caps are firing you most likely have a obstruction from the nipple to the chamber.

 

[SDSmlf]

See two options right now. Pull the ball with a ball puller, or remove the nipple and get some blackpowder under it to help ignite the pellets. Either option, the nipple needs to be removed.

 

[87TT]

Before you put any oil or anything in or around the nipple, get a hold of some real Black powder and push as many grains as you can down the nipple with a wire or paperclip etc. Basically prime the nipple. I have done this many times without removing the nipple. Then would find some real black powder and ditch the pellets.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Pick the hole in the nipple as best as you can, I recommend a small size sewing needle for this, take some 4 f real black powder work as much as you can in the vent hole of the nipple re cap point in a safe direction and fire the gun.

 

[Jaeger]

Once you have YOUR load removed....perhaps using a ball screw....use the ramrod to make sure the gun does not have an old, wet load with a ball already in it. Put the ramrod down the bore all the way and then use it to measure and see where that position is outside the barrel.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Used! Pull everything. You don't know what's down there before you got it. Once an empty barrel is confirmed, investigate the vent path. Soak the nipple in penetrating oil, remove it and replace if necessary.