why I'm here instead of somewhere else.

[rollingb]

Aye, sir.  Them old folks knew a thing or three.       

They certainly did,.... to them, shooting these muzzleloaders wasn't just a "hobby".   

[Ohio Joe]

As a student of history, and one who has a great fondness for all things (clothing, arms, and accoutrements) connected to traditional muzzleloading,.... I try my best to emulate those who used muzzleloaders to feed their families and counted on such arms for their daily survival.
I also count on their descriptions from the past, as being the very best guide as to how to load and shoot these fine arms. 

James Audubon, c1810, describing his host preparing to go raccoon hunting:

"… He blows through his rifle to ascertain that it is clear, examines his flint, and thrusts a feather into the touch-hole. To a leathern bag swung at his side is attached a powder-horn; his sheath-knife is there also; below hangs a narrow strip of homespun linen. He takes from his bag a bullet, pulls with his teeth the wooden stopper from his powder-horn, lays the ball in one hand, and with the other pours the powder upon it until it is just overtopped. Raising the horn to his mouth, he again closes it with the stopper, and restores it to its place. He introduces the powder into the tube; springs the box of his gun, greases the "patch" over with some melted tallow, or damps it; then places it on the honey-combed muzzle of his piece. The bullet is placed on the patch over the bore, and pressed with the handle of the knife, which now trims the edge of the linen. The elastic hickory rod, held with both hands, smoothly pushes the ball to its bed; once, twice, thrice has it rebounded. The rifle leaps as it were into the hunters arms, the feather is drawn from the touch-hole, the powder fills the pan, which is closed. “Now I’m ready,” cries the woodsman….
Journals, Vol. 2, (1972 reprint), page 492.

Notice this particular "hunter" used the palm of his hand to measure his powder charge, and bounced his ramrod on the powder charge 3 times. 

A LOT of valuable information can be garnered from such quotes,.... for anyone interested in researching history.     

Indeed there can be! 

If anyone is interested, the word & meaning of "elastic" (when he refers to the Hickory Ramrod) has been around since; (Origin of elastic. 1645–55) according to a word search,,, so remember, a Hickory Ramrod is always the best way to go.

Great stuff Rondo!!! 

[Ohio Joe]

I just had a thought about the above loading technique of old;

We read accounts of "cover the ball with powder in your palm" then pour the powder down the bore from your palm...

This got me to thinking about "coned muzzles"

Today we think of a coned muzzle as a path to loading an easy fitting patched ball down the muzzle without a "short starter" - but what if in fact, the purpose of a "coned" muzzle has always been for the purpose of dropping the powder into the muzzle from your palm (the cone of the muzzle acting as a funnel)?

The obvious "by product" of the coned barrel (dropping powder into the bore from your palm was a funnel effect,,, and it was found that it also made the patched ball load easier...

Something to ponder (so to speak)...

[RobD]

I think yer right on the money, Joe. 

This is the precise reason for the blunderbuss - fast loads whilst bouncing around on a stagecoach.

 [ Invalid Attachment ]

[rollingb]

I think yer right on the money, Joe. 

This is the precise reason for the blunderbuss - fast loads whilst bouncing around on a stagecoach.

 [ Invalid Attachment ]

 

[Winter Hawk]

The elastic hickory rod, held with both hands, smoothly pushes the ball to its bed; once, twice, thrice has it rebounded. The rifle leaps as it were into the hunters arms, the feather is drawn from the touch-hole, the powder fills the pan, which is closed. “Now I’m ready,” cries the woodsman….

It would appear that he doesn't prime the pan, but instead the powder flows through the touch hole.  Interesting!  I would expect that, after packing the powder by bouncing the ram rod, it would be consolidated enough not to dribble out.  It also would seem that the vent is large enough to allow a significant amount of powder to flow through.

I seem to remember reading that the British did somewhat the same with the Brown Bess, that the gun butt was bounced on the ground after powder was poured down the barrel, which allowed enough to flow through the vent to prime the piece.  Then the ball was rammed home.  Don't ask me where I read this; it comes from the dim recesses of past memories.

~Kees~

[Ohio Joe]

Kees, IMHO I believe you're on the money with the "self priming" charge.

Whether everyone did it, or just some did it remains unknown - but if one lived in hostile country where they were going to need to reload fast (such as the military of the time) it makes sense to have a "self priming pan from the charge dumped down the bore.

[rollingb]

Kees, IMHO I believe you're on the money with the "self priming" charge.

Whether everyone did it, or just some did it remains unknown - but if one lived in hostile country where they were going to need to reload fast (such as the military of the time) it makes sense to have a "self priming pan from the charge dumped down the bore.

I'm sure Louis Wetzel's rifle was self-priming,.... can you imagine trying to load your rifle at a full out run and trying to prime your pan the conventional way?
"Death Wind" knew what he was doin'. 

At a full run, Louis could dump some powder down the bore, grab a ball and drop it down the bore, hit the butt of his rifle on the ground (to "settle" the load), all without breaking stride,... he'd then whirl around and shoot the guy chasing him. 

Same goes for the "buffalo runners",.... who were known for loading and shooting buffalo from horseback at a full gallop.

A lot can be said for the convenience of having a gun with an oversized touch hole that is "self priming". 

[Doc Nock]

Just saw this and though WT... I started out, long, long ago in PA hunting that BP season with a T/C flinter and RB...

Once at the range, after reading a Siefried (?) article on line, I drilled out my "touch hole liner a skosh" and on one shot, I got to jabberin with another shooter and forgot to prime the pan...

When I touched the Go Trigger, it Went OFF quick like usual...

I'd replaced the T/C frizzen with a Lyman and used Knapped flints but it was interesting, cause in PA (at that time) a Flinter was NOT considered "LOADED" till the pan was charged...

From then on, I used a feather quill in the touch hole and made sure on the trip to my hunting grounds in the dark, that the gun muzzle was pointed rearward in the covered truck bed, and never cocked...but a main charge and ball inserted at home in good light, just cause I no longer trusted it was SAFE to rely on a pan charge to cause ignition...

[RobD]

somewhat related, spit ballin' on the go ...

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[Doc Nock]

I've seen that picture many times but it was usually in defense of "blowing down the tube" not a form of spit balling...

Excellent input!

[rollingb]

Just saw this and though WT... I started out, long, long ago in PA hunting that BP season with a T/C flinter and RB...

Once at the range, after reading a Siefried (?) article on line, I drilled out my "touch hole liner a skosh" and on one shot, I got to jabberin with another shooter and forgot to prime the pan...

When I touched the Go Trigger, it Went OFF quick like usual...

I'd replaced the T/C frizzen with a Lyman and used Knapped flints but it was interesting, cause in PA (at that time) a Flinter was NOT considered "LOADED" till the pan was charged...

From then on, I used a feather quill in the touch hole and made sure on the trip to my hunting grounds in the dark, that the gun muzzle was pointed rearward in the covered truck bed, and never cocked...but a main charge and ball inserted at home in good light, just cause I no longer trusted it was SAFE to rely on a pan charge to cause ignition...

A proper fitting "hammer stall" made from leather of the proper thickness is great insurance against an accidental firing,.... (I've even seen hammer stalls with brass facings.  )

Why anyone would ever transport a rifle in the "cocked" position (loaded or unloaded) is beyond my comprehension.
Having said that,... I have seen some folks hang their muzzleloader on the wall with the gun's "cock" pulled all the way back to the firing position which never made sense to me, as all it does is put needless stress on the gun's mainspring over extended periods of time.

[Ohio Joe]

Just saw this and though WT... I started out, long, long ago in PA hunting that BP season with a T/C flinter and RB...

Once at the range, after reading a Siefried (?) article on line, I drilled out my "touch hole liner a skosh" and on one shot, I got to jabberin with another shooter and forgot to prime the pan...

When I touched the Go Trigger, it Went OFF quick like usual...

I'd replaced the T/C frizzen with a Lyman and used Knapped flints but it was interesting, cause in PA (at that time) a Flinter was NOT considered "LOADED" till the pan was charged...

From then on, I used a feather quill in the touch hole and made sure on the trip to my hunting grounds in the dark, that the gun muzzle was pointed rearward in the covered truck bed, and never cocked...but a main charge and ball inserted at home in good light, just cause I no longer trusted it was SAFE to rely on a pan charge to cause ignition...

A proper fitting "hammer stall" made from leather of the proper thickness is great insurance against an accidental firing,.... (I've even seen hammer stalls with brass facings.  )

Why anyone would ever transport a rifle in the "cocked" position (loaded or unloaded) is beyond my comprehension.
Having said that,... I have seen some folks hang their muzzleloader on the wall with the gun's "cock" pulled all the way back to the firing position which never made sense to me, as all it does is put needless stress on the gun's mainspring over extended periods of time.

Agree completely, Rondo! 

Somewhere at one time or another I read of the practice of loading your "piece" (flintlock) after installing a feather into the touch hole, and it didn't say but I assumed they would either close their pan frizzen on top that feather (or would leave the pan open with the cock down {flint on the feather} - as later on the command of, "prime your piece's" would be given to the men.

This tells me that there was awareness of potential spring stress being averted by doing the above mentioned, and it doesn't take long to pull a feather and prime your pan once the habit is "installed" into ones memory and training... It was probably a military exercise of the times I would guess (which could have easily spilled over to the volunteer Militia.

Hope I got all the above said right... 

[RobD]

unlike most of today, touch holes were unlined, and only lined if they burned out too large over time.  the inside of the touch hole was coned, with a tool such as this ...

 [ Invalid Attachment ]

... which placed chamber powder darned close to the pan, probably closer than any lined touch hole.

[Ohio Joe]

Nice diagram Rob! 

You know, this is going to call for a test I've never done before;

With the Cock at half cock - close the pan - drop in the charge - tap the butt on the ground once - load the patched ball - and see what results I get without throwing a prime charge in the pan... May be very educational.