If you swab between shots, there is no reason to blow down the barrel that I can see. I'm a firm believer in doing this every single time.
Using Powder Flask?
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Billnpatti
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As a safety rule, it is NEVER safe to load directly from a horn or flask...of any kind. Pour your powder charge into a measure that is completely separate from your flask or horn and then pour it from the measure into the bore. If it ever came about that there was a smoldering ember in your barrel, only the small amount of powder in your measure would ignite. You would get a burn but it would be a lot less of an injury than if your whole flask or horn ignited. Just remember, when your flask or horn is full, it contains more black powder than a hand grenade. Well, at least the old pineapple hand grenades like they had when I was in the Marines. I don't know what is in the newer grenades. At any rate you sure don't want your horn or flask going off in your hand. :shake:
hanshi
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Billnpatti said:
:metoo: It's no joke. Billnpatti is righteously correct!
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It is not safe with any arm that uses patching or loose wadding but is perfectly safe to use with a cap-n-ball revolver.
Cap-n-ball revolvers were designed and made to be loaded from a charger with no powder measure.
They were cased and sold that way. It is only modern thinking that has pushed the false notion that it is unsafe for percussion revolver pistols.
Cap-n-ball revolvers were designed and made to be loaded from a charger with no powder measure.
They were cased and sold that way. It is only modern thinking that has pushed the false notion that it is unsafe for percussion revolver pistols.
Billnpatti said:
While I agree with not loading from the flask, let's look at this a moment without a jaundiced eye. If you swab between shots, why would it NOT be OK to load from a flask? What is the danger there?
Not trying to be an iconoclast here, just posing a question on consistency. I'm not sure you can say it's ALWAYS a bad idea to load from a flask.
Why develop a bad habit?
Sure it's been shot and wet wiped and dried, but forget to do that and Murphy's law will enter and ignite the powder and flask. Bad but it will happen every now and then.
Muscle memory and drilling the correct way will stop or help stop the problem more than anything else.
Personally I do not care how anyone does but if you are beside me on the line and blow up us I when I can fire my next shat may be at you for maiming me.
Do what you want alone.
Sure it's been shot and wet wiped and dried, but forget to do that and Murphy's law will enter and ignite the powder and flask. Bad but it will happen every now and then.
Muscle memory and drilling the correct way will stop or help stop the problem more than anything else.
Personally I do not care how anyone does but if you are beside me on the line and blow up us I when I can fire my next shat may be at you for maiming me.
Do what you want alone.
I don't intend to load from a flask, whether alone or in company. But given the circumstances I mentioned, why is it a bad habit? A whole lot of bad things would have to fall into place to blow you up, seems to me.
And I have never heard of a flask blowing up on anyone. Have you?
And I have never heard of a flask blowing up on anyone. Have you?
Muzzleloader magazine years ago had an article of a horn blowing up pouring into the barrel.
Try a fuse into a can of powder, flask or horn and see for yourself. Stay way back.
If you want to load direct go ahead by yourself. If and when you blow up post pics of your recovery if you are able.
Visit a burn center and you will see why not to tempt fate. My last post in this thread.
Try a fuse into a can of powder, flask or horn and see for yourself. Stay way back.
If you want to load direct go ahead by yourself. If and when you blow up post pics of your recovery if you are able.
Visit a burn center and you will see why not to tempt fate. My last post in this thread.
I have said at least twice that I don't intend to load from the flask, so why are you ignoring that in such an accusatory manner?
Can you link to the article you mentioned? Also, a horn normally doesn't have a cutoff spout.
Can you link to the article you mentioned? Also, a horn normally doesn't have a cutoff spout.
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nhmoose said:
It's not as climactic as one might think.....Blow yourself up? Doubtful!...Burns....Oh ya!.
The chances of an ignition happening from horn or flask loading would be like winning the lottery....Your chances of getting struck by lighting 1 in 75000.....probably even higher hanging on to a 3 foot gun barrel.
I swab between shots so I'm not concerned about it...but when I'm at an event I observe best safety practices....
With today's manufacturing processes I suspect the power is much more uniform than it was 2 centuries ago....The chances of a piece of straw or other foreign material ending up in the powder to remain and smolder is very low . IMO.
All that said, if I were at a range and saw someone loading directly from a horn...You can bet I would say something.
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Every time you stand over your muzzle loader and use your bare hands to push the patched ball down the barrel on a live charge you are in far more danger than you ever will be loading from a flask.
Wiping with a damp patch does not preclude an ember lodged in a patent breech or even a long vent in a flinter but it is indeed rare.
When a tightly patched ball is run down the barrel the air is pushed out through the powder, vent or nipple. Any hot ember left will be fanned into more intensity and yet no body thinks that is dangerous.
Wiping with a damp patch does not preclude an ember lodged in a patent breech or even a long vent in a flinter but it is indeed rare.
When a tightly patched ball is run down the barrel the air is pushed out through the powder, vent or nipple. Any hot ember left will be fanned into more intensity and yet no body thinks that is dangerous.
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I see guys with short barreled guns lean over the muzzle while loading all the time....
To me this is far more dangerous than loading from a flask....
To me this is far more dangerous than loading from a flask....
"Ideas" if repeated enough become dogma which becomes truth...well, a form of truth.
I like to ask "Why?" If there is a good reason, it becomes dogma for me, too, but I want to understand why when someone repeats a rule to me that doesn't always seem to be logical.
I like to ask "Why?" If there is a good reason, it becomes dogma for me, too, but I want to understand why when someone repeats a rule to me that doesn't always seem to be logical.
Try a bad burn on for size if you want. You may wish you were blown up. Arguing for argue sake.
For the third time, I repeat I don't intend to load from the flask. What part of that don't you understand? This should make you feel happy. I don't understand why you keep making these dire straw-man predictions based apprently on your imagination, but it's a free country.
