Rite of Passage...First Dry Ball!
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Unless the rifle is improperly breeched and vented it should be possible to work enough FFFF through even a 1/16 vent to blow the ball out. This is easier on the shooter and the rifle than pulling the ball and only takes a couple of minutes.
The the vent is too far forward of the breech face this probably will not work since the ball with block the vent.
This is just one of several reasons I use FFFF for prime.
Dan
The the vent is too far forward of the breech face this probably will not work since the ball with block the vent.
This is just one of several reasons I use FFFF for prime.
Dan
Billnpatti
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The way to avoid dry balling is to have a system and stick to it. I have had a couple that work for me. The best was one that a friend in Indiana taught me. I got a 1/4 inch dowel rod and cut three 6 inch pieces. Then I got three different colored plastic jugs. One was an empty milk jug, one was an empty Tide detergent jug and the other was some kind of garden stuff jug. I don't remember what was in the garden jug. I cut one 2 X 3 inch flag from each colored jug. The milk jug gave me a white flag, the Tide detergent gave me an orange flag and the garden stuff gave me a green flag. I taped one flag to each of the pieces of dowel rod. When I was shooting, I kept the three flags in my range box. Then when I wiped the bore, if I was interrupted at this point, I would just grab the white flag and stick it in my bore and attend to whatever was the source of the interruption. When I returned to loading, the flag let me know exactly where I was in my loading process. The green flag let me know that I had added powder and the orange flag let me know that I had seated the ball and the gun was ready to fire. When I faithfully used this system, I never dry balled my rifle. Unfortunately, one day I went off and left my flags laying on the loading bench and do not have them now. I need to make some more. I hope whomever found them knows what they are for and is using them properly. My present system is if I am interrupted when wiping between shots, I stop and leave the range rod in my bore with the patch still on it. If I have added powder, I leave my powder measure in the bore (it is the kind with the little funnel attached. The funnel fits nicely in all of my rifle bores). If I have seated the ball and the gun is ready to fire, I leave my range rod in the bore. You notice that there are two times that I leave the range rod in the bore to let me know where I am in the loading process. In the first case, the patch on the end of the rod lets me know that I stopped during the wiping process. In the second case, if I withdraw my rod and there is no patch on it, I know that I have seated the ball and am ready to fire.
Of course, no system is foolproof, let alone idiot proof, so we just do the best that we can to be sure that we have some kind of system to let us know at what point in our loading process we were interrupted.
When, in spite of our system, we manage to dry ball our rifle, all we have to do is work a tiny bit of powder in behind the ball, fire the rifle in a safe direction and then check to be sure the the ball came out. If the ball is still in the barrel, work a bit more powder in behind the ball, re-seat it on the powder (a very important step) and then fire it out of the bore in a safe direction. If you are not around people who are muzzleloading rifle shooters, just act as if this is a normal part of the loading process and only you will know the truth. :grin:
Of course, no system is foolproof, let alone idiot proof, so we just do the best that we can to be sure that we have some kind of system to let us know at what point in our loading process we were interrupted.
When, in spite of our system, we manage to dry ball our rifle, all we have to do is work a tiny bit of powder in behind the ball, fire the rifle in a safe direction and then check to be sure the the ball came out. If the ball is still in the barrel, work a bit more powder in behind the ball, re-seat it on the powder (a very important step) and then fire it out of the bore in a safe direction. If you are not around people who are muzzleloading rifle shooters, just act as if this is a normal part of the loading process and only you will know the truth. :grin:
Billnpatti
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You may have noticed that in the one system, I leave the range rod sticking in the bore to let me know that the rifle is fully loaded and ready to fire and you may be asking "How does he make sure not to shoot his range rod down range?" Well, my range rod has a nice big brass doorknob on the end of it and it fully obstructs the view through the sights and I must remove it in order to sight and fire my rifle. But, what if I fire from the hip without sighting it. Well, the system is only nearly fool proof but it ain't idiot proof. :haha:
I agree with Dan Phariss. Trickle a little 4f powder into the touch hole, more is better than little. Make sure the ball is down, prime it and touch it off down-range. Check with your ram rod to be sure the ball actually left the barrel. If id didn't go repeat above with a little more powder. Always works and only takes a minute or so.
I recently purchased a CO2 discharger. Only used it once on a fellow shooters rifle. It worked but it would work better with the lock removed. It was a little difficult to make a clean contact with the TH while the lock was still on.
Don't loose any sleep over it.
I recently purchased a CO2 discharger. Only used it once on a fellow shooters rifle. It worked but it would work better with the lock removed. It was a little difficult to make a clean contact with the TH while the lock was still on.
Don't loose any sleep over it.
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Embarassing, :redface: frustrating, 
feel like a doofus, 
and it happens.
Did it one of my first times out while trying to be very, very careful.
And then I did it again about a year later. (sigh)
Doesn't help to have witnesses, either. :wink:
The Doc is out now. :hatsoff:
feel like a doofus, and it happens. Did it one of my first times out while trying to be very, very careful.
And then I did it again about a year later. (sigh)
Doesn't help to have witnesses, either. :wink:
The Doc is out now. :hatsoff:
This is something that really intrigues me about this weapon system...what did the colonials do when they dry-balled under actual battle conditions? My mistake occurred in a controlled / non-stressed environment (i.e. shooting range). I can't imagine what our fore fathers did when it was life or death situations in real battle? They didn't have CO2 systems, and I am guessing they probably didn't have time to use ball pullers... so I assume that the the "Blow Out" method was their only recourse. Is there any historical reference regarding this?
Just curious?
Just curious?
BAYONETS!!!.....charge! "get offfa my farrrrm Yankeeee (or something quite similar). Per Cynthia Lee we talking way back before way back when and men were men and did what needed doing. I'm quite sure it happened as we have seen several recovered civil war rifles with multiple loads of ball over powder so if they forgot they loaded 4-5 times and loaded again they surely forgot powder a time or two?
David Shaw
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There is a passage in "The Frontiersman" by Eckertt during Crawford's battle with the Shawnee. A militiaman "onbreached" his rifle. I'm sure I know what he meant, don't know how possible it would be in the field.
Guilty of the offense.. 100% of the time it was talking that caused the problem :redface: never had much luck pulling a ball out with a bullet puller. Better IMHO to try to work some 4f in the vent hole. Take out the bullet puller first, unless its also stuck :rotf:
dano2467
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As far as military forces went, didn't the orgainzed units use a "paper cartridge"? bite the pack, splash the pan, drop the rest down the pipe, followed by the ball? but then in regards to frontiersmen using powder horns would be a lot more hectic.
Turtle Creek
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I'm not sure when paper cartridges became common.
I've read many books noting soldiers/colonials pulling a ball to reload, prior to action, when their rifle/musket had been loaded and not discharged for awhile as a safety factor.
I suspect pulling a ball to be pretty common in the day.
I just had that experience and was surprised how easy it was to pull one.
I've read many books noting soldiers/colonials pulling a ball to reload, prior to action, when their rifle/musket had been loaded and not discharged for awhile as a safety factor.
I suspect pulling a ball to be pretty common in the day.
I just had that experience and was surprised how easy it was to pull one.
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I remember as a young Marine in 1972, money was so tight, they only issued each Marine a single 20 round box of blanks for a 3 Day "War" or tactical exercise. In the 1930's, Marines were issued 10 cloth cleaning patches in paper pouches. They were required to WASH and Dry the patches after use and keep them in the pouch until each patch was so thread bare it would no longer work in the eyelet of the cleaning rod. They were even required to have the paper pouch in their left breast pockets when standing inspection in uniform - to ensure Marines were not wasting money by throwing away used patches before they were totally useless. However, even these things may or would have been considered "wasteful" by the British Army of the Mid to late 18th century.
I am not sure how far back paper cartridges go, but they were in standard use by the middle of the 18th century.
Before and during the French and Indian War in garrison during peace time and surprisingly often enough at permanent camps or forts in War Time - when Sentries came off night time duty, they had to report to the Regimental Artificer (Armorer) the next morning to have the balls pulled and the powder saved to later be "refreshed as the powder picked up some contaminants in the musket bores overnight. The powder was collected and given to the Regimental Artillery to be mixed at least One to One by Volume with fresh powder. That was how they "refreshed" the "used" powder and saved it to be issued again and again, until it was no longer good and would then be used to fire salutes or other Non Combatant Uses.
In the time most Muskets had wood Ramrods before going to Iron/Steel Rammers, Regimental Artificers were issued two or more long iron rods with threaded ends to hold ball pullers and worms. They pulled the balls from each Sentry's Musket and saved the lead to be melted and recast into new balls.
Though there were times when hostility was more imminent that British Commanders ordered Sentries to fire at a mark when they got off Sentry Duty for marksmanship practice, it was more common the balls were pulled and powder saved and "refreshed" to be loaded into new paper cartridges. This even when most of the British Army was stationed in Ireland before and after the French and Indian War.
Since powder and lead had to come a long way here in the Colonies from England, it was probably also seen as a way to carefully husband their resources, when supplies were not abundant.
Gus
I am not sure how far back paper cartridges go, but they were in standard use by the middle of the 18th century.
Before and during the French and Indian War in garrison during peace time and surprisingly often enough at permanent camps or forts in War Time - when Sentries came off night time duty, they had to report to the Regimental Artificer (Armorer) the next morning to have the balls pulled and the powder saved to later be "refreshed as the powder picked up some contaminants in the musket bores overnight. The powder was collected and given to the Regimental Artillery to be mixed at least One to One by Volume with fresh powder. That was how they "refreshed" the "used" powder and saved it to be issued again and again, until it was no longer good and would then be used to fire salutes or other Non Combatant Uses.
In the time most Muskets had wood Ramrods before going to Iron/Steel Rammers, Regimental Artificers were issued two or more long iron rods with threaded ends to hold ball pullers and worms. They pulled the balls from each Sentry's Musket and saved the lead to be melted and recast into new balls.
Though there were times when hostility was more imminent that British Commanders ordered Sentries to fire at a mark when they got off Sentry Duty for marksmanship practice, it was more common the balls were pulled and powder saved and "refreshed" to be loaded into new paper cartridges. This even when most of the British Army was stationed in Ireland before and after the French and Indian War.
Since powder and lead had to come a long way here in the Colonies from England, it was probably also seen as a way to carefully husband their resources, when supplies were not abundant.
Gus
