Toe Plate on your rifle

[smokepolehall]

Looks like all of us about do the same thing. I palm pop the side of my rifle to settle powder in the bottom. I use a Toe plate on any wood grain running up to wrist from the butt. No want any wood splitting down there.

 

[deerstalkert]

90 % of the time i don't bump, kick, slap, jiggle, shake, or pound on my rifles, and they seem to go bang. On my recent builds i have put toe plates on. I inadvertently set one of my rifles down hard, hard enough to bend the butt plate and acquire the dreaded triangle split of the stock. a toe plate may or may not prevent this but it is a small insurance.
i always figure seating the ball and patch snug on the powder gets the job done.

 

[wiscoaster]

Not going to bump my guns on the ground when I can bump the side with my hand

I do both. At one of the ranges I frequent I got scolded for stepping one foot off the concrete and very slightly forward of the firing line so I could load and bump on soft turf. Subsequently, I carry a piece of old carpet scrap in my car that I can put down on the concrete so I can load and bump on the ground without fear of scuffing my rifle's butt plate.

 

[waksupi]

Just an observation, it is usually patent breeches that benefit most from the bumping.

 

[George Andrix01]

The toeplate is never facing me when I load my rifle. The geometry of the buttstock kind of lends itself to be facing the other way.
With modern shoes it seems like a good trick but we get an extra point for traditional footwear during our Woods-Walk, so I don't suppose moccasins would do much, other than hurt my toe.

Palm of the hand would seem to work fine if you felt it was necessary.... but a slow pour down a 44 inch drop tube settles powder fine.
The old flints never had a patent breech. That was mostly a design feature to support the drum on the newfangled cap guns.

The old flints were probably never used with a 44 inch drop tube.

 

[Freedom]

The old flints were probably never used with a 44 inch drop tube.

Almost all original rifle barrels were between between 40 and 50 inches, some even reaching 60 inches... the Jaeger rifles were the only short rifles that I know of... the Hawken was mostly cap lock so it wasn't included in my reference to the 44in drop tube... aka "barrel"

 

[ronaldrothb49]

Almost all original rifle barrels were between between 40 and 50 inches, some even reaching 60 inches... the Jaeger rifles were the only short rifles that I know of... the Hawken was mostly cap lock so it wasn't included in my reference to the 44in drop tube... aka "barrel"

Would suggest you look at Rifles Of Colonial America. Seems to be quite a few rifles listed with barrels shorter than 40 inches All the gunsmiths didn't just wake up one morning and everyone agree we are all going to make rifles with 40 inch or longer barrels. It was process of the barrels getting longer over a period of time.

 

[oreclan]

The toeplate is never facing me when I load my rifle. The geometry of the buttstock kind of lends itself to be facing the other way.
With modern shoes it seems like a good trick but we get an extra point for traditional footwear during our Woods-Walk, so I don't suppose moccasins would do much, other than hurt my toe.

Palm of the hand would seem to work fine if you felt it was necessary.... but a slow pour down a 44 inch drop tube settles powder fine.
The old flints never had a patent breech. That was mostly a design feature to support the drum on the newfangled cap guns.

While with over forty years in muzzleloading this is the first I have heard of tapping the toe plate while loading. I thought it was for reinforcing the toe of the butt stock.
I load in the military way so the butt plate rests on the ground to the left of my left foot.
Also military firearms have no toe plate.

 

[bpd303]

For those who like to tap the but on the ground, don't do it like my brother did.

The only one I saw was my brother may he RIP. He would put his rifle on half ****, put a cap on the nipple, put the charge down the barrel and bump the butt on the ground to as he said settle the powder. One time the hammer fell from the half **** and ignited the powder. Lucky he hadn't started the ball so just a big poof, smoke & flame.

 

[akroguy]

the patent breech....work of the devil I tell ya.

No kicking, slapping or other forms of kinetic coercion required with a flat breech face.

 

[SNoopy22]

Not doubting your assumption but is there any documentation backing this.

Why does there have to be documentation it works it looks good the ones in museums have them....why do you need a source???

 

[wiscoaster]

Why does there have to be documentation it works it looks good the ones in museums have them....why do you need a source???

I think maybe you misunderstood his question as a "prove it" demand? Whereas my understanding of the question is as a request for learning & informational resources.

 

[deerstalkert]

I have one rifle that I use the "bump" the butt on the ground method. I have a sheep skin on the ground to protect the butt though.
this particular rifle will self prime with a fffg main load. being of the inveterate lazy sort, i utilize this feature. and yes i know the vent is a hair over 1/16 but who cares?

 

[Daveboone]

I am quite sure by the time I have seated the patched ball, it is very well settled.

 

[bigstick6017555]

My T/C Seneca .36cal rifle I bought new back around the mid 80s had one installed

 

[wiscoaster]

I am quite sure by the time I have seated the patched ball, it is very well settled.

You've never had a case where you rammed until the ball felt seated but there was still too much ramrod sticking out?

 

[reddogge]

I put toe plates on all of my rifles but no kicking them for me.

 

[Daveboone]

You've never had a case where you rammed until the ball felt seated but there was still too much ramrod sticking out?

No.

 

[oldwoodchas.]

For yrs. in competition and hunting w/flintlock , Load the rifle , prime the pan , close the frizzen , and tilt the rifle so pan is at an angle slightly up , and bump the gun to settle the priming powder against the touch hole.

 

[rp77469]

Why does there have to be documentation it works it looks good the ones in museums have them....why do you need a source???

Because there is someone in every thread who only wants things done his way. All of us have that weakness. My particular hatred is those brass or iron 1990 era rings on shooting bag straps. Never seen on originals, unlike toe plates, but I digress.

Most of my shooters have toe plates to protect the wood. I still lift, tilt the rifle and give it a couple light slaps before loading the ball whether flint or percussion. Habit of 40+ years developed when I only owned a CVA MR. Made a difference, so kept doing it.