Check your barrels.

David R · 14th October 2020, 01:31 PM

Some of you will relate to this. I was just now moving stuff round in my storeroom, and idly picked up a dismounted antique gun barrel I had bought over 30 years before. One of two I bought from Colonel Corrie. Having a ramrod in my hand at the time, I just poked it down the barrel, and it stopped a couple of inches short of the touch hole.
Into the kitchen and a rapid pouring of boiling water down the barrel... Yup, the small remnant of a black-powder charge and wad still down there, and now gone! Bought a long long time ago as a project and nothing done with it since.
I had earlier, again more than 30 years ago, bought a couple of percussion pistols from him, which I checked as soon as I got them.... and they were still loaded as well. No ball though.
They were Kurdish "Saturday Night Specials" that the Shah's police had confiscated and then sold to dealers out of Iran, I suspect the 2 very nice damascus twist long barrels were from the same source..... Sigh, those were the days my friends. The pistols were very cheaply made, in one case literally a gas pipe barrel, and the other a very nice old one with remains of koftgari. One lock hand made, and the other from a sidelock shotgun. The idea was that they were a shoot and dump item, pull the trigger and throw it over the wall. A bit like a "four winds" gun. If they were there a few days later, then they would be picked up for later use.

Kmaddock · 14th October 2020, 01:42 PM

Totally can relate to this
I have had 3 fully loaded weapons in my collection
2 were easy enough to get ball and charge out of

The brown bess was a lot more troublesome
I had to weld a wood screw to a steel bar
hammer bar and screw into lead ball (carefully with nothing delicate in front of barrel)
then twist rod to dig screw into lead ball and remove the rod + ball

wish i kept the ball but interestingly the powder under it flashed quiet well when match applied.

Keep safe and this is how I rectified my issue. I am not recommending it to anyone as the prefect method.

Ken

Will M · 14th October 2020, 03:26 PM

Black powder firearms are not considered loaded until a percussion cap is on the nipple, otherwise safe. Of course no one wants powder, ball or wads stuck down a bore. You can put oil down the nipple or bore and let it migrate into the obstruction, if any BP is present it will be neutralized by the oil, at least not ignite by a spark.

Kubur · 14th October 2020, 06:45 PM

I always target my wife with some old guns as a joke
I shouldn't, look what I found in a 19th c. pistol

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...=barrel+powder

David R · 14th October 2020, 06:45 PM

You forget matchlocks and flintlocks. Dealing with them is indeed no big deal, if you know they are loaded. I personally know of a couple of cases where an attempt to clear the nipple on a percussion gun put a ball through the back door of the house.

Will M · 15th October 2020, 02:24 AM

Hello David I'm sure that has happened since the invention of the Bic lighter.
When you want to make a spark using steel on steel it never happens

I know of someone who was burned by looking at a 76mm gun recoil system in a Cougar. He didn't wait for a flashlight and used a Bic lighter to see where the hydraulic leak/spray was coming from.
I believe anyone who's worked enough on firearms has had a mishap regardless of how safe.
If you're not 100% sure you can unload a firearm there is no shame in asking someone who can.
I almost became too impatient firing off a small cannon, the fuze burned but no bang. As I approached many seconds later the "bang" did happen. Luckily I was not behind it as it recoils a few feet and has good weight to it.

Mickey the Finn · 20th October 2020, 11:48 AM

What do you call that? A "hangfire"? My Dad taught me when I was kid, with his Brno KAR98K [is it still a KAR98K if it's Brno manufactured, with no Waffenamt markings?] and firing south-west European ball ammunition: "Jos se on suutari…(if it's a dud)…"...give it a good thirty seconds, and if nothing happens, eject it into your hand and, quick as lightning, "paiskaa se puskaan" (throw it into the bush).
Blackpowder might be a bit "touchier" than metallic cartridges.
My Dad and my younger brother's Godfather [like Grandpa, to me, in a way], sighting in rifles, only ever yelled at me once, as far as firearms were concerned. They were shooting, using the roof of Dad's car as a rest, and I deked around front to get around (between shots, running at a crouch, head down, of course; they do it in war movies all the time. I couldn't have been safer borne on the wings of angels). They served me notice that I was never to pull a stunt like that again. After that day, I took anything they said with respect to firearms as dogma to be obeyed without question.
Mein Dank an die Königlich Preußische Armee (indirekt).

rickystl · 21st October 2020, 05:40 PM

Hi David

So true. First thing I do when I get a muzzle loading gun is check and see if there is still a load in the barrel. Hard to believe that 150-200 year old powder, if kept dry, will still ignite.

In my case, I've only had one. An Albanian Tanchiks musket that was still loaded. Good thing someone didn't put priming powder in the pan to test the lock.

Rick

Victrix · 21st October 2020, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David R

You forget matchlocks and flintlocks. Dealing with them is indeed no big deal, if you know they are loaded. I personally know of a couple of cases where an attempt to clear the nipple on a percussion gun put a ball through the back door of the house.

I’m sure that made their hobby even more popular with the wife!

fernando · 21st October 2020, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Victrix

I’m sure that made their hobby even more popular with the wife!

David R · 21st October 2020, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Victrix

I’m sure that made their hobby even more popular with the wife!

I think they remained married, but every-time there was a disagreement between them, they would yet again enter the land of regret.

....." They were shooting, using the roof of Dad's car as a rest, and I deked around front to get around (between shots, running at a crouch, head down, of course; they do it in war movies all the time. I couldn't have been safer borne on the wings of angels). They served me notice that I was never to pull a stunt like that again. After that day, I took anything they said with respect to firearms as dogma to be obeyed without question."......

I used to hang around at a friendly local gun shop and many tales and much wisdom was imparted to me. Including the guy who exited the car door just has his friend on the other side shot across the car roof with a 12 bore! They never found enough of the head to put in the coffin.

Pukka Bundook · 24th October 2020, 04:00 PM

Hello David,

I think it was Major Noel Corry, Steeple Bumpstead, if I remember right.
He had a vast pile of ballast he had sent home.
A good few of his barrels were still loaded to some degree. The ones I bought were not, but our good friend Rudyard came by a few that way.
He had some very nice barrels, or at least they Had been.
The Galloping Major's barrels were Very reasonably priced!

David R · 24th October 2020, 09:41 PM

The very man indeed! I still have two of his barrels, one the aforementioned, and the other a rifled Damascus octagonal long percussion barrel.

We will never see the like of him again.

14th October 2020, 01:31 PM	#1
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,079	Check your barrels. Some of you will relate to this. I was just now moving stuff round in my storeroom, and idly picked up a dismounted antique gun barrel I had bought over 30 years before. One of two I bought from Colonel Corrie. Having a ramrod in my hand at the time, I just poked it down the barrel, and it stopped a couple of inches short of the touch hole. Into the kitchen and a rapid pouring of boiling water down the barrel... Yup, the small remnant of a black-powder charge and wad still down there, and now gone! Bought a long long time ago as a project and nothing done with it since. I had earlier, again more than 30 years ago, bought a couple of percussion pistols from him, which I checked as soon as I got them.... and they were still loaded as well. No ball though. They were Kurdish "Saturday Night Specials" that the Shah's police had confiscated and then sold to dealers out of Iran, I suspect the 2 very nice damascus twist long barrels were from the same source..... Sigh, those were the days my friends. The pistols were very cheaply made, in one case literally a gas pipe barrel, and the other a very nice old one with remains of koftgari. One lock hand made, and the other from a sidelock shotgun. The idea was that they were a shoot and dump item, pull the trigger and throw it over the wall. A bit like a "four winds" gun. If they were there a few days later, then they would be picked up for later use.

21st October 2020, 05:40 PM	#8
rickystl Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: St. Louis, MO area. Posts: 1,623	Hi David So true. First thing I do when I get a muzzle loading gun is check and see if there is still a load in the barrel. Hard to believe that 150-200 year old powder, if kept dry, will still ignite. In my case, I've only had one. An Albanian Tanchiks musket that was still loaded. Good thing someone didn't put priming powder in the pan to test the lock. Rick Attached Images

14th October 2020, 01:42 PM	#2
Kmaddock Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: Ireland Posts: 543	Totally can relate to this I have had 3 fully loaded weapons in my collection 2 were easy enough to get ball and charge out of The brown bess was a lot more troublesome I had to weld a wood screw to a steel bar hammer bar and screw into lead ball (carefully with nothing delicate in front of barrel) then twist rod to dig screw into lead ball and remove the rod + ball wish i kept the ball but interestingly the powder under it flashed quiet well when match applied. Keep safe and this is how I rectified my issue. I am not recommending it to anyone as the prefect method. Ken

14th October 2020, 03:26 PM	#3
Will M Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: In the wee woods north of Napanee Ontario Posts: 391	Black powder firearms are not considered loaded until a percussion cap is on the nipple, otherwise safe. Of course no one wants powder, ball or wads stuck down a bore. You can put oil down the nipple or bore and let it migrate into the obstruction, if any BP is present it will be neutralized by the oil, at least not ignite by a spark.

14th October 2020, 06:45 PM	#4
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	I always target my wife with some old guns as a joke I shouldn't, look what I found in a 19th c. pistol http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...=barrel+powder

15th October 2020, 02:24 AM	#6
Will M Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: In the wee woods north of Napanee Ontario Posts: 391	Hello David I'm sure that has happened since the invention of the Bic lighter. When you want to make a spark using steel on steel it never happens I know of someone who was burned by looking at a 76mm gun recoil system in a Cougar. He didn't wait for a flashlight and used a Bic lighter to see where the hydraulic leak/spray was coming from. I believe anyone who's worked enough on firearms has had a mishap regardless of how safe. If you're not 100% sure you can unload a firearm there is no shame in asking someone who can. I almost became too impatient firing off a small cannon, the fuze burned but no bang. As I approached many seconds later the "bang" did happen. Luckily I was not behind it as it recoils a few feet and has good weight to it.

20th October 2020, 11:48 AM	#7
Mickey the Finn Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Posts: 90	What do you call that? A "hangfire"? My Dad taught me when I was kid, with his Brno KAR98K [is it still a KAR98K if it's Brno manufactured, with no Waffenamt markings?] and firing south-west European ball ammunition: "Jos se on suutari…(if it's a dud)…"...give it a good thirty seconds, and if nothing happens, eject it into your hand and, quick as lightning, "paiskaa se puskaan" (throw it into the bush). Blackpowder might be a bit "touchier" than metallic cartridges. My Dad and my younger brother's Godfather [like Grandpa, to me, in a way], sighting in rifles, only ever yelled at me once, as far as firearms were concerned. They were shooting, using the roof of Dad's car as a rest, and I deked around front to get around (between shots, running at a crouch, head down, of course; they do it in war movies all the time. I couldn't have been safer borne on the wings of angels). They served me notice that I was never to pull a stunt like that again. After that day, I took anything they said with respect to firearms as dogma to be obeyed without question. Mein Dank an die Königlich Preußische Armee (indirekt).

24th October 2020, 04:00 PM	#12
Pukka Bundook Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 803	Hello David, I think it was Major Noel Corry, Steeple Bumpstead, if I remember right. He had a vast pile of ballast he had sent home. A good few of his barrels were still loaded to some degree. The ones I bought were not, but our good friend Rudyard came by a few that way. He had some very nice barrels, or at least they Had been. The Galloping Major's barrels were Very reasonably priced!

24th October 2020, 09:41 PM	#13
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,079	The very man indeed! I still have two of his barrels, one the aforementioned, and the other a rifled Damascus octagonal long percussion barrel. We will never see the like of him again.