Rifle will not fire?

[William Sublette]

Can you light pellets from the side?

Don't they have to be set off from one end?

 

[S.Kenton]

One might try and pick the nipple... grab a needle And work it around into the nipple hole, then try and fire it again. If it don’t fire then put a few grains into the nipple hole, and work it into the hole with the needle. Try and fire it again. If all else fails you can pull the ball with a ball puller. Eventually the nipple needs to come off to clean/change .

 

[Griz44Mag]

Issue is very likely that the "doughnuts" called propellant are stuck back at the barrel/breech border - the gun likely has a reduced diameter going into the breech - almost every percussion gun with a snail are made this way.
So there is a good 1/2"-1" air pocket under the pellet. The fire from the nipple has no chance of even making it to the fake powder charge.

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

If you have already soaked the barrel, the powder won't ignite then. This can be done for $20.00 as a last resort. If you're concerned about the rifling, roll duct tape on the shaft to keep the bit centered. This saves you from looking for a gunsmith. It worked for me in a pinch:

 

[TrapperPete]

for you and anyone else new to muzzle loading

first thing with any ML after checking it is not loaded. pull the nipple , if it is an inline pull the breach plug , get anti seize on the threads before anything else

run a lubed snug patch on your cleaning jag you should hear air coming out the nipple , this is not just your first round but , swabbing the barrel between every round , yes I know some people don't swab between shots figure it out first swabbing between shots with a moist patch , spit will work , but I prefer moose milk or speed juice

Moose milk = 10 to 1 water to Napa cutting and grinding oil 765-1526

Speed juice = 1/3 rubbing alcohol , 1/3 hydrogen peroxide , 1/3 Murphy oil soap.

no air hiss , start diagnosing why before loading.

when loading , in a safe direction snap a cap , snap a second (also safe direction) listen you can hear a good snap ring a bit , 3rd cap still in a safe direction put the muzzle next to a blade of grass or a leaf couple inches away , you can even rubber band a tissue over the muzzle. the leaf or grass should move from the gasses being expelled from the muzzle by the cap it should blow right through a tissue rubber banded over the muzzle.
that should give you some idea of the kind of pressure you have coming from a cap.

only after you saw the gasses exiting the muzzle move the grass or leaf , debris do you load powder.
with a damp (not wet when squeezed you should not get liquid out) patch swab the barrel , you shoudl get a good hiss if you don't diagnose why. a bit of the cap can get stuck in the nipple

I second my distaste of pellets

you need that nipple out and what gets nipples out , kills powder

soak that nipple

buy a new nipple your going to need it always have a spare around it makes your gun go bang.

impact , after a good long soak can do a lot for a stuck nipple

stand that barrel up in a can of ATF and Kerosine 50/50 or similar mixture . pit a little down the muzzle also leave it a week.
dump the excess ATF mix out then tap the nipple 3 times with a small hammer then try and turn it , repeat taps and turn.

a stuck nipple tells me with high probability the last owner didn't clean the flash channel and nipple right

once you have that load pulled , your going to clean the threads , clean the barrel with hot soap and water really pump the water through with the nipple out. some pipe cleaner the kind for cleaning smoking pipes not kids crafts.

if you don't know how to clean a muzzle loader , come back and ask.

 

[Superman5433]

Is that a crack in the stock?

Nope, the weapon as a whole is actually in good condition.

 

[pa woods roamer]

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.

 

[Superman5433]

since that rust that burns, sort of, perhaps priming the nipple with FFFFg real Black Gunpowder, which is what the gun was made for and perhaps you might get it to go BANG.
If it goes BANG clean it immediately with lots of warm water every day for three or four days. After which use a good gun oil in the barrel to protect it.
Then throw those **** (word deleted) pellets in the trash and get some Honest To God Real Black Gunpowder.
I am baffled about this love affair with That "P" stuff. Poison also starts with a P.
Bunk

As a new user of muzzleloaders, it was recommended to use the pellets, seems I shouldn't have listened? This guy has a Hawkins and it works fine for him. Quite similar weapons.

 

[Superman5433]

for you and anyone else new to muzzle loading

first thing with any ML after checking it is not loaded. pull the nipple , if it is an inline pull the breach plug , get anti seize on the threads before anything else

run a lubed snug patch on your cleaning jag you should hear air coming out the nipple , this is not just your first round but , swabbing the barrel between every round , yes I know some people don't swab between shots figure it out first swabbing between shots with a moist patch , spit will work , but I prefer moose milk or speed juice

Moose milk = 10 to 1 water to Napa cutting and grinding oil 765-1526

Speed juice = 1/3 rubbing alcohol , 1/3 hydrogen peroxide , 1/3 Murphy oil soap.

no air hiss , start diagnosing why before loading.

when loading , in a safe direction snap a cap , snap a second (also safe direction) listen you can hear a good snap ring a bit , 3rd cap still in a safe direction put the muzzle next to a blade of grass or a leaf couple inches away , you can even rubber band a tissue over the muzzle. the leaf or grass should move from the gasses being expelled from the muzzle by the cap it should blow right through a tissue rubber banded over the muzzle.
that should give you some idea of the kind of pressure you have coming from a cap.

only after you saw the gasses exiting the muzzle move the grass or leaf , debris do you load powder.
with a damp (not wet when squeezed you should not get liquid out) patch swab the barrel , you shoudl get a good hiss if you don't diagnose why. a bit of the cap can get stuck in the nipple

I second my distaste of pellets

you need that nipple out and what gets nipples out , kills powder

soak that nipple

buy a new nipple your going to need it always have a spare around it makes your gun go bang.

impact , after a good long soak can do a lot for a stuck nipple

stand that barrel up in a can of ATF and Kerosine 50/50 or similar mixture . pit a little down the muzzle also leave it a week.
dump the excess ATF mix out then tap the nipple 3 times with a small hammer then try and turn it , repeat taps and turn.

a stuck nipple tells me with high probability the last owner didn't clean the flash channel and nipple right

once you have that load pulled , your going to clean the threads , clean the barrel with hot soap and water really pump the water through with the nipple out. some pipe cleaner the kind for cleaning smoking pipes not kids crafts.

if you don't know how to clean a muzzle loader , come back and ask.

I do not know how to, but I have seen videos. Hik hold on YT has a great Hawkins video and he is big on cleaning.

Is the breach plug on the back of the Barrell, sort of like the hook peice that seats the back of the Barrell when removing and replacing?

Thanks again, this is a big help.

 

[SDSmlf]

stand that barrel up in a can of ATF and Kerosine 50/50 or similar mixture . pit a little down the muzzle also leave it a week.
dump the excess ATF mix out then tap the nipple 3 times with a small hammer then try and turn it , repeat taps and turn.

ATF and Kerosene 50/50 will not dissolve black powder fouling, although it is useful for cleaning smokeless powder residue, but we don’t discuss smokeless here.

 

[Tn poor boy]

Stick sewing needle in nipple clean it with it

 

[Tn poor boy]

Also did you put pellets in with black side down the barrel

 

[SDSmlf]

As a new user of muzzleloaders, it was recommended to use the pellets, seems I shouldn't have listened? This guy has a Hawkins and it works fine for him. Quite similar weapons.

Pellets kind of sort of work, but many times have issues when used in traditional sidelock. Biggest issue with real blackpowder for some is fear of how to obtain it.

 

[cvco]

Considering the many replies to the OP, i vote for nipple removal before anything else. Replace it with new and take it as a lesson to remove often, clean and lube the threads with breech plug lube. Did I mention OFTEN? I hope so, i meant to say OFTEN so I hope it got into this comment somewhere.

 

[nagantino]

Superman, the good thing here is that everyone is rooting for you to get the problem fixed. Take it from one who has been there.......Take infinite patience trying to remove the nipple.

 

[cvco]

I hope you dont have to go this far to remove a nipple but its a way. Heat is a common process for removing stubborn nuts and bolts.

 

[Bucky]

If, after using the penetrating oil, the nipple is still not coming out......could an
" easy- out tool" work here. These tools are designed for just this purpose. Maybe you know someone that has machinist tools and has an easy-out set......using the existing hole in the nipple, or perhaps drilling it a little larger, the easy- out bit is driven nto the hole and " bites" the inside. Then with a T- handle attachment the nipple is torqued free.....

 

[cvco]

Thats basically what he did in the video just above.

 

[Bucky]

OK, should have watched the video before my post, but an "easy-out" or "E-Z out" is the way I would go, good luck.

 

[Bucky]

By the way, if that gun is loaded........I would NOT use a torch. Please be advised of this. I can't emphasize this enough.That gun could go off.