Blowing down barrel

[rollingb]

As Captchee mentioned above,... with a properly "marked" ramrod, there's absolutely no reason to get confused as to wether any riflegun is LOADED, or NOT.  

[huntnut]

Maybe Obama should appoint a muzzleloader Czar so we can all be save, or maybe OSHA. LOL

I think its a personal choice, if you don't want to, don't. If you want to, do.

[Riley/MN]

I think its a personal choice, if you don't want to, don't. If you want to, do.

...and if you blow a hole in the top of yore haid, don't come runnin ta me ta complain about it.  :lol

[rollingb]

I think its a personal choice, if you don't want to, don't. If you want to, do.

DITTO!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I think that's the old "traditional" way of doing things.) :rt th  

[Loyalist Dave]

try any of these unsafe practices at an N-SSA match and you will no dout find yourself off the line.

Ah YES at a range, in a match, with a caplock, is different than "always" with any type of Muzzleloader in every situation.  One can see a busted cap, but maybe not have any smoke coming from it (and perhaps not notice the recoil) , while one can actually see the smoke trailing from a touch hole on a flinter when it has fired.  One should also notice the recoil and the noise, except perhaps as previously pointed out, on a range with a group in a volley.

Captchee also pointed out it would be safer than not blowing to require a damp cloth run down the bore after every shot.  

LD

[bluelake]

As Captchee mentioned above,... with a properly "marked" ramrod, there's absolutely no reason to get confused as to wether any riflegun is LOADED, or NOT.  

How do you mark your rr?  More than one mark?  Empty, ball, ball and powder?

[rollingb]

As Captchee mentioned above,... with a properly "marked" ramrod, there's absolutely no reason to get confused as to wether any riflegun is LOADED, or NOT.  

[bluelake]

Thanks, rollingb.

[rollingb]

Bluelake,... I might also mention that a second "mark" can be added to the ramrod when the gun has no charge,... this will tell you if the rifle gun is "empty, dry-balled, and etc." (or, that "something" is in the breech) if the empty mark is above the muzzle.

However you mark your ramrod, no more than 2 "marks" are actually needed if you're going to use the ramrod as a "story-pole".  

[bluelake]

Bluelake,... I might also mention that a second "mark" can be added to the ramrod when the gun has no charge,... this will tell you if the rifle gun is "empty, dry-balled, and etc." (or, that "something" is in the breech) if the empty mark is above the muzzle.

However you mark your ramrod, no more than 2 "marks" are actually needed if you're going to use the ramrod as a "story-pole".  

[Minnesota Mike]

Uffda!

Talk about throwing powder into a fire!

Appreciate the fine discussion and heartfelt interjections. Was pretty sure that if anyone had actual citation of said event other than a colonial era poem, this crew would be quick to flop it out and show everyone article about when Krusty Kevin blew down his barrel and changed his nickname to Slackjaw

r/
MM

[cb]

FWIW - John James Audobon mentions about blowing down the barrel

As for NOT blowing down the barrel there are also some period citations - one where the gent lost a hand when a glowing ember set off the new charge.......would have to look it up for the actual cite

re: the N-SSA, NMLRA, NRA, etc. not allowing it - that all changed in the 1980's some time and was at the direction of their insurance companies - the underwriters demanded it and it had nothing to do with actual incidents only possibilities. All during the 1960's and 1970's when I was shooting at ranges or at re-enactments it was never considered a problem or concern......
As I noted before if you're concerned about getting injured well - based on actual statistics you have a FAR greater chance of being injured in your car or when going to the doctor - statistically thousands more people die due to doctor error than do from gunshots - either accidental or intentional shootings......

[rollingb]

FWIW - John James Audobon mentions about blowing down the barrel

As for NOT blowing down the barrel there are also some period citations - one where the gent lost a hand when a glowing ember set off the new charge.......would have to look it up for the actual cite

re: the N-SSA, NMLRA, NRA, etc. not allowing it - that all changed in the 1980's some time and was at the direction of their insurance companies - the underwriters demanded it and it had nothing to do with actual incidents only possibilities. All during the 1960's and 1970's when I was shooting at ranges or at re-enactments it was never considered a problem or concern......

After seeing some of the various posts regarding hand injuries from NOT blowing down the barrel,.... I wonder if those underwriters will ever be smart enough to re-think their "demands".

[Loyalist Dave]

I have a scored line, so that when it's light enough to shoot, but the woods are still too dark to see a black line on a brown ramrod (I often get a shot from the dark woods into a brighter field), I can verify with my thumbnail the ball is seated.  An empty barrel leaves me about 3/8" of ramrod above the muzzle.  

LD

[Pichou]

I have never personally seen a hot coal in a barrel, but it is easy to see smoke and hot gasses coming out the muzzle and the vent.  When I see that after a shot, I blow down the barrel.  If the gun did not go off, you would not see the smoke.

You should know your gun well enough to judge where the ramrod should be, loaded, unloaded, not seated, dry ball, and double charged.  Marks make it even easier.