Ten year old loaded Hawken?

[rusticbob]

Just picked up a older T/C Hawken in 50.
Load still in barrel, owner has no idea what it is, but he did in include a partial box of t/c lubed Maxi-balls. What would be the best way to remove and clean?

 

[Blogman]

What I would do!?!? Cap it and fire it, then clean it up.

*and here we go*

 

[SDSmlf]

Load still in barrel, owner has no idea what it is

What I would do!?!? Cap it and fire it, then clean it up.

*and here we go*

And hope it’s not loaded with smokeless powder....

Use ball puller, CO2 discharger or push out with pressurized grease. Not that difficult to do.

 

[Stubert]

Pull the nipple and see if you can dribble some powder OUT. That will tell you if it is smokeless or not.

 

[Dave Marsh]

I would not fire a gun that I did not load. CO2 discharger or pull the ball.

Dave

 

[Grenadier1758]

Put some good penetrating lubricant down the bore, wait a few days, add more penetrating lubricant and pull the ball. The grease gun method would be good too,

 

[Juice Jaws]

A no brainer, pulled the load or push it out with CO2. I have never used grease but sounds real messy to me.

 

[Juice Jaws]

What I would do!?!? Cap it and fire it, then clean it up.

*and here we go*

I bet when you were a kid you poke Yellowjacket nest with a sharp stick also. ( I did )

 

[Blogman]

I bet when you were a kid you poke Yellowjacket nest with a sharp stick also. ( I did )

I did then ran like hell.

 

[Walkingeagle]

I did then ran like hell.

But first ya push your friend towards it!!
Walk

 

[Blogman]

And hope it’s not loaded with smokeless powder....
Use ball puller, CO2 discharger or push out with pressurized grease. Not that difficult to do.

Pull the nipple and see if you can dribble some powder OUT. That will tell you if it is smokeless or not.

To be honest and safe, yes. When I do have a gun given to me loaded I pull the nipple and check the powder. If it's black, I set the nipple and fire it.
*note* No, I do NOT hold it in my hands. Sandbags and string do that job.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

But first ya push your friend towards it!!

Naw, you do it when your friend is recovering from a pulled hamstring....

LD

 

[Ames]

I talked my friends into doing it and report back to me.
Otherwise, as 58 said, I would not fire a gun I did not load. Never mind 10 years!

 

[Stantheman86]

I'd just Redneck Remote it.....

Co2 dischargers have failed me, pulling bullets and balls is such a PITA , I'd pull the nipple, put fresh powder into the bolster to "help" the old , probably spoiled charge
....then just strap it safely and securely to an object at your range/backyard etc , tie a long string to the trigger, cap it, take a prone position behind cover and pull it.

 

[hawkeye2]

I'd just hand it to someone I didn't like and say "I double dog dare ya!".

Seriously I wouldn't shoot it out even if I was sure it was black powder, well maybe if Sasquatch was charging with bared fangs.

 

[Bledfor Days]

Hold my beer

 

[rusticbob]

Thanks for the advise, but I got real lucky. I soaked the bore with water after pulling the nipple. I was able to grab the lead conical,(unknown lineage), and with a little tugging, it came right out. Powder came out as black goo, probably pyrodex. Bore was slightly rusty, but with judicious swabbing with a wire brush and Ballistol, it looks not too terrible! Maybe I got lucky.

 

[tenngun]

Folks did load smokeless. Some smokeless looks a lot like pyrodex. ten year old powder will shoot. And two hundred year old would shoot. Powder doesn’t go bad. But... if it was badly loaded bad bad things. I too would have looked for a way to pull the charge.

 

[jdw276]

Thanks for the advise, but I got real lucky. I soaked the bore with water after pulling the nipple. I was able to grab the lead conical,(unknown lineage), and with a little tugging, it came right out. Powder came out as black goo, probably pyrodex. Bore was slightly rusty, but with judicious swabbing with a wire brush and Ballistol, it looks not too terrible! Maybe I got lucky.

I like this thread. Lots of fun ways to unload an unknown gun. All so far are very utube worthy if video'd.

 

[hawkeye2]

I like this thread. Lots of fun ways to unload an unknown gun. All so far are very utube worthy if video'd.

I'll hold the camera.