sabot and powder stuck and won't fire

[roundball]

Don't know how many times I have wanted to drill out my TC's channel. the microscopic screw in it has seized long ago.

FWIW, if you send it back to TC, they'll fix it no charge...and often the fix is to install the new style breechplug with a cleanout screw, and if they do that, it also gets you a complete reblue job
:thumbsup:

 

[patch knife]

Tobias , the alcohol is for cleaning between shots . I use alcohol because it evaporates quickly and is also flammable , so if there is any in the drum or nipple the gun will still fire . When it starts getting hard to ram the ball is when I clean . I use Bore Butter (Natural Lube 1000) as my patch lube and 3f Goex black powder and can usually shoot 10 or more shots in a row before I need to clean . When I'm adjusting my sights , working up a load or when extreme accuracy is nessecary , I clean between each shot . I also have black powder solvent with me to clean the bore at the range when I'm done shooting . When I get home I remove the nipple and clean the bore , drum and nipple thoroughly . I also remove the lock and clean all powder residue from it , the hammer (don't forget the cup of the hammer , where it hits the cap) and the exterior of the barrel and stock . Oil the lock and exterior of the barrel with gun oil and lube the bore , drum , nipple and nipple threads THOROUGHLY with Bore Butter . Let it sit for a few days and lube it all again . Pipe cleaners and Q-tips work quite well for cleaning the nipple and drum . Before I take the gun to the range , I remove the nipple and clean out any excess bore butter from the bore , nipple and drum . When I get to the range I fire at least 3 caps to clear the nipple , and check the nipple for cap fragments and check the hammer to make sure a fired cap isn't stuck in it , and proceed to load . The alcohol is only used for cleaning between shots . Use water or black powder solvent for your final cleaning either one will work . The important thing is to make sure everything is totally clean and totally dry , before you lube it all up ! I also use a bronze bore brush and a cleaning jag of the proper caliber . Get some REAL black powder . I tried Pyrodex and I think it sucks (your results may vary) . If you can't find black powder where you live you can get it on the internet , go to the links section of this forum to find a supplier , and check your local laws to see how much you can keep on hand . I my state you can only have 5 Lbs. before you need to have a special permit etc. Check out[url] www.trackofthewolf.com[/url] for balls , patches etc. They are good people to deal with and my order is usually delivered in a week or less . I strongly reccomend you to get a good book on the shooting and maintenance of traditional mazzleloaders also . Hope this has helped you , if you have more questions , please feel free to ask . :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[Zonie]

The problem with ignition might be as simple as the nipple being flawed.
Pull the nipple and look thru it at a bright light.

You should see a clear hole all the way thru. This hole is only about .027 in diameter (less than 1/32) and it may be partially blocked with a rolled over burr from the manufacturing process.

As was mentioned, with the nipple removed and the breech in a bucket of water a patched jag pumped up and down in the bore should set the water to swirling. If there isn't hardly any water going into and out of the hole where the nipple goes, the fire channel is blocked by something. Here again, it could be a metal chip that is stuck in it or just a lot of grease from the factory.

Usually the 3 grains of powder under the nipple will blow grease/chips out with the first firing but your gun sounds like it has an obstruction that doesn't want to budge.

One of the problems with sabots and slugs is they are close fitting in the bore. If there is any fouling from the last shot they can easily get hung up while they are being loaded.
The only solution for this is to wipe the bore with a damp patch followed by a dry patch or, find some round balls and patching material and start shooting them.

Let us know what you find and how things turn out.

Don't give up yet. Once you get this gun working, your old cartridge gun will gather dust in the closet.

 

[dwarvenchef]

FWIW, if you send it back to TC, they'll fix it no charge...and often the fix is to install the new style breechplug with a cleanout screw, and if they do that, it also gets you a complete reblue job

:shocked2: :shocked2: I love my "used and (not pitted) abused" look to my Bbl, which may be why I never sent it back. Would have to get used to it all over again. I have many fond memories of that poor rifles abuse. One time I was running through manzaneta with it held infront of me as a shield, it's my first work-horse ML and has been with me sence 1983(ish). Many years of trial and error, testing new stuff on it, in it, and around it. Hunting ground squirrls in the foothills below Yosemite, ah the memories. :yakyak:

 

[roundball]

FWIW, if you send it back to TC, they'll fix it no charge...and often the fix is to install the new style breechplug with a cleanout screw, and if they do that, it also gets you a complete reblue job

:shocked2: :shocked2: I love my "used and (not pitted) abused" look to my Bbl, which may be why I never sent it back. Would have to get used to it all over again. I have many fond memories of that poor rifles abuse. One time I was running through manzaneta with it held infront of me as a shield, it's my first work-horse ML and has been with me sence 1983(ish). Many years of trial and error, testing new stuff on it, in it, and around it. Hunting ground squirrls in the foothills below Yosemite, ah the memories. :yakyak:

I understand...

(and by the way, I see that I left out a word in my post last night: meant to say the new style breech plug WITHOUT a cleanout screw... :redface: )

 

[Shooey]

Tobias, You've got some great advice here to pick through. The only thing I would add is to try a different projectilve. As Zonie said, sabots can be very hard to load. I tried them once and had the same experience you did. Try some TC maxi-hunter conicals, they're already lubed. Or some ball-ets you'll find they load easier.

Keep experimenting and let us know how it goes!!

-Shooey

 

[tobias]

I spent about 8 hours last yesterday and in to last night scrubbing the beast. I wound up pouring about 8 gallons of boiling water and soap down the barrel. I scrubbed it with 4 different brushes and ran in the excess of 200 pathces through it before I got 3 in a row to come out clean. I about worked my kids legs off fetching me the tea kettles of boiling water. :grin: I can not thank you guys in here enough for all the help you have given me.

After I got the thing spic and span I couldn't resist so I took it back down to my range and fired off 7 rounds. It fired flawlessly except the powder being slow to ignite but that in all likelihood is the pyrodex RS sub. When a cap would snap and no bang I would quickly pull the nipple load a few grains underneath and fire it off.

I will try Track of the Wolf as suggested and try to get me so real powder. Accuracy wasn't even a thought last night. I just wanted to shoot the thing. I did notice that after 5 sabots I had to really push to get the next two in. So immediately after shooting last night I poured the boiling water and soap back to it and this time it only took about 10 minutes of scrubbing to get her clean.

 

[tobias]

I understand now, that makes perfect sense to me now. I did buy me a tube of the bore butter and am still learning just what I can use that for. Thank you for the link I will give those folks a go and see if I can come up with powder that will be more reliable. I finally got the thing clean after about 8 hours (literally) of scrubbing with several gallons of boiling water and soap. After I got her clean I couldn't stand the wait so I took her back down to my range and fired off a few rounds. after the 5th I had to really push to get the sabots down the tube so I will be sure to try the alcohol next round. I immediately set in to scrubbing the beast down after I fired the rounds off and it only took few minutes to get the patches to come out clean.

Thank you so much for the speed in which you responded to my green weenie questions.

 

[roundball]

I did notice that after 5 sabots I had to really push to get the next two in. So immediately after shooting last night I poured the boiling water and soap back to it and this time it only took about 10 minutes of scrubbing to get her clean.

In cold dry humidity, I often have to wipe the bore every few shots to keep fouling from making it difficult to[url] reload...in[/url] the summertime with high humidity, I don't have to do that.

Scrubbing it after every use is the best way to keep the barrel in a constant state condition and avoid build up problems completely.

One BP that is excellent is Goex 3F...very fast, clean, accurate, and reasonable cost.

 

there is no such thing as a "green weenie" question i have been shooting for a while and i don't know anything. if a man say he knows it all he is pulling your leg. there is always something that will come up and you wont know the answer that is why the internet has been so successful, dont feel ashamed to ask questions that is what a good forum is for the more you ask the more you learn and the more you learn the more you can help others. sorry to ramble but i think this site has probably the greatest wealth of knowledge on the net.

 

[patch knife]

there is no such thing as a "green weenie" question i have been shooting for a while and i don't know anything. if a man say he knows it all he is pulling your leg. there is always something that will come up and you wont know the answer that is why the internet has been so successful, dont feel ashamed to ask questions that is what a good forum is for the more you ask the more you learn and the more you learn the more you can help others. sorry to ramble but i think this site has probably the greatest wealth of knowledge on the net.

:thumbsup: I agree ! :hatsoff:

 

[patch knife]

Tobias , I forgot to mention that if you use bore butter you will need to check your bore periodicly and reapply it . Bore butter does not protect against rust as well as gun oil . It has been said that using petroleum products in the bore will increase the fouling in the bore when you are shooting . I agree , my guns load alot easier since I began using bore butter . One more thing , plastic sabots leave plastic fouling in the bore and lead bullets will leave lead fouling , patched roundballs don't :thumbsup: . :hatsoff:

 

[jethro224]

I had problems with slow/no ignition using RS too. Good place for buying Goex-[url] www.grafs.com[/url]
Get ya some patches and round balls too. The $ you will save over buying them plastic sabots/bullets will pay for the powder order in no time and you'll have more fun shootin' too.
I had a couple real tight loads until I started wiping with a damp patch then a dry patch between every shot. Now no problems.
Keep at it!

 

[Blue Smoke]

Has anyone mentioned the Hammer might not be hitting just right.I had a Rifle and a Shotgun,the hammer was out of line,would fire the Primer but not the Charge.

Thing is I got the Shotgun at a good price because the Guy could never get the left Barrel to fire.Which I know you never need anyway :rotf:

Blue Smoke

 

[hobbles]

ept the powder being slow to ignite bIt fired flawlessly excut that in all likelihood is the pyrodex RS sub. When a cap would snap and no bang[/quote]
Afternoon tOBias]

All I use is pyrodex RS and I don't have any problems with it firin,, Never have in usin bout 8 jars,, I guess I'm just lucky

 

[navaho]

I see you live in Ga. So do I, where do you live, maybe I can help.

 

[tobias]

I will give the Goex a try and will keep all posted as to my results. Thanks for all your help

 

[tobias]

I appreciate your words of encouragement and I agree that this is the best BP forum on the net. I bought this gun about a year ago and have not shot more than 50 rounds through it all total because I just wasn't sure of it or myself. This forum has been such a boon of knowledge that I can't even begin properly express my gratitude.

 

[tobias]

I will give it a try and see what happens.

 

[tobias]

Ahh that explains it all then because the last time I fired it which was about 6 months ago or maybe more, I cleaned it and used only bore butter and havn't checked it since until the other day and then it was just a quick visual to make sure there were no obstructions. I used Break Free last night as the last step before storing it until I get some round balls, patches and powder etc. :hatsoff: