Clean them breech plugs properly...

Robk

Senior Member
Last night I decided to do a good cleaning on my ML before heading to Griffin Ridge WMA for a hog. Got in there, heard hogs within a 100 yards. made the stalk, laid the cross hairs on a nice sow, pulled the trigger......CLICK....
"WTH"......little turn of the rifle...... BOOOOMMM!! no piggy and a red face....



Fire off a couple caps before loading and then hit the woods.


Rob
 

rhbama3

Administrator
Staff member
Been there, done that!
TC 50cal Renegade, dropped the hammer on a doe, cap popped but no boom.
Just as I raised my head the gun fired. Knocked me silly and gave me a really nice shiner on my cheek. Bad memories...
 

stevetarget

Senior Member
Good point, now that the season is about over I hope everybody will clean and oil there guns and take the breech plug out of the ML and clean and lube it. Stuck/rusted plugs are very hard to get out after a year in the safe!
 

quigleysharps4570

Senior Member
On any of my blackpowder weapons I swab them out with an alcohol patch before loading...clean the nipples the same way and in the flinter, same with flashole liner and pan. Gets rid of any oil residue there may be.
Will work the same for the in-lines and breach plugs.
Teflon tape for them breach plugs is hard to beat...no greasy mess.
 
P

potsticker

Guest
Im ashamed to say i use to keep my sidelock loaded all year, no cap of course but a load of fffg powder and a maxie ball. to be honest with u it allways fired, but i wood not recomend this to anyone. Stupidity on my part!
 

mmarkey

Senior Member
That's what you call a HANG FIRE. In the future before you load your rifle for hunting. besure to run a couple of dry patches down the bore to remove any oil there. then before you load it snap a cap or a pan of primer to clear the touch hole or nipple. Then load with more conficence that it is more likely to fire when you want. One other caution if using flint change your primer ocassionally so it doesn't get damp. Hope this helps.

I had a friend hunting up north with a TC Hawken cap lock rifle. He heard a comotion coming his way, got ready to fire, when over the ridge a black bear was running his way not paying attention. He thought easy shot pulled the trigger got CLICK NOTHING. Bad cap. The bear heard the click, stopped dead in it's tracks and did an immediate about face and was gone. It happens That's what makes Black Powder FUN. I only shoot flinters myself.
 

Outdoorsnole

Senior Member
Good point. I make sure my gun is all clean and working properly, especially when I've been sitting in a rain with my blackpowder guns. I've been there before when I pulled the trigger and the primer goes off and that was it for a couple seconds. I got lucky once though when I heard the pffffffffffhhhht. I kept it right on the buck though and it finally went off and when I looked through the smoke he was on the ground.

Next time that hog will be dead for sure though. We all learn from our little mistakes.
 

kvistads

Member
It's all a matter of personal preference. With a percussion, many folks fire a "blank" load in order to dry the barrel out. I used to do it but try to stay away from it now due to the fowling left from the shot. It makes it a little tough to reload sometimes unless you swab the barrel clean again. After many years shooting muzzle loaders, I first make sure the gun is clean by running a couple of dry patches down the bore. I then fire three to four caps while pointing the muzzle at the ground making sure it moves paper or leaves or something. Run one more dry patch and then she's sure to roar when the moment of truth arises!

Shooting a Flintlock is a whole different animal. The rule of thumb here is clean, clean, clean. There's an apparatus that can be purchased through Dixie Gun Works called the "EZ Flintlock Cleaner". It clamps across the flash hole and flushes the liner by pulling a jag and swab combo up and down the barrel, while the tube of the EZ cleaner is submerged into some cleaning solution. I like a mix of Simple Green with 10 parts of water. Once the barrel is clean and dry, a flintlock is more fool-proof than a percussion. Meaning they are more reliable. Good luck.
 
Top