Loaded muzzleloader

[lbothell]

Well since I have gotten into this BP thing my dad wants to take his old TC .50 cal flintlockout this year too, but there is a problem... it's been loaded for I would say around 10 years maybe less but 10 sounds pretty accurate. I have a puller if that's the route I need to go but wanted to ask you guys. Should we try to shoot it out or pull it? Or now that I think of it c02 it out?

[RobD]

if loaded with real black powder, it'll more than likely be as live as the day it was loaded and will shoot out, but if a sub powder maybe not.  either way, after ten years i'd probably wanna err on the cautious side and pull the load, inspect the breech and chamber, clean it all out (the lock too), load 'n' shoot.  

story time ... i had a pedersoli kentucky model flinter that i bought used and was dry balled.  there was no way that patched ball was coming out with a CO2 blowout kit, which in itself is a joke because there is no way to properly seal the touch hole.  this might be different if there was a vent liner than could be removed and a nipple screwed into that hole that would accept the CO2 nozzle, but no such thing existed, not gonna happen.  worse yet, that patched ball would NOT budge, even after using a screw worm and hanging its rod off a ceiling rafter and applying over 150lbs of tension.  had to pull the patent breech plug, which, on a pedersoli, was living HELL.  but i got it off and the ball out.

good luck and post back how ya made out!

[lbothell]

I hope that isn't the case Ha! But if it is no biggie he can get someone to do it, should have unloaded it years ago. I'll be honest I really want to shoot this gun once everything is worked out because I hear nothing but good things from you guys about the older TC Hawkens. And if we have to re bore it a .54 would be pretty cool anyway  

[RobD]

literally, most of the *decent* production trad sidelock guns - tc, cva, traditions, pedersoli, and others - are gonna be at least serviceable if not truly good guns worthy of keeping and shooting.  they all have their quirks and can be, at times, finicky.  gotta get to know each one, as they're all unique in too many ways.  i don't think it'd be a bad gamble to clean the pan and frizzen, pick out the vent hole real good, put in a clean, new, sharp flint. get some 4f in the pan and let 'er go.  might also mean working a bit of 4f into the touch hole, or if it's a vent liner, remove it (IF it can be unscrewed!) and work in a few grains of 4f, replace, see if the ignition works.

[lbothell]

I think that would be the ticket. I do need to look it over again to make sure but Shooting it out would be the easier ha

[Muley]

Personally, I wouldn't shoot it, but that me. I'm overly cautious.