Leaving muzzel loader loaded ?

T

TX Hunter

New member
I loaned my Traditions Persuit out a few weeks ago. The person i lent it to loaded it with two Pyrodex pelets and a bullet. He has not fired it. My question is, will it hurt the rifle to leave it loaded this long ?
 
A Friend ??

If it's been fired, you need to clean it. The longer you wait, the worst it will get. Pull, blow or shoot; whatever it takes. If it were mine, I could not afford to leave it in this condition. ... ;)
If it has not been fired, you should be okay till the end of "this" season. Just make sure it's un-capped. .... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
+1 Pahoo, If I've hunted the season through with a CLEAN rifle and NO rain, it goes in the safe after a quick wipedown for next season. Took a nice 8-point this fall with a year-long load.
 
Thanks , i was starting to worry a bit about my rifle. Gettin of a mind to stop being so helpfull and let folks furnish their own tools, and guns. But my hearts too soft. KRP Congratulations on the good Deer.
 
You did the good thing

But my hearts too soft.
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TX,
Mark him well but don't let you heart get hard. The problem is not on what you did but how he has returned your favor. I could tell you many horror stories about lending guns, to friends. .... :eek:

One question that I would have; is whether or not he has actually shot your M/L. I'd make sure and go from there. No one likes surprises; good or bad.;)


Be Safe !!!
 
Guys, just wanted to make a statement about safety. be sure you have witness marks on your ramrod. A full hunting load ON TOP of a full hunting load will probably not end well. :mad:
 
PAHOO

He has not fired it, but the seasons over and he has not returned it either, he said he wants to fire it but hasnt yet. season has been over for a week. It just bugs me the rifle being left like this. Thank you for the advice.
 
my back up flint lock rifle was loaded for over two months in a hard case in my suv in temps fron 13-47 degrees and fired on the the first try. eastbank.
 
I'm not judging one way or the otheer if a person should leave their ML loaded - that really isn't the question by the OP. I am going to relate a little story that I witnessed myself.

While standing on the firing line at the Nationals at Friendship a number of years ago, about three spots down from me was a kid (I guess in his twenties which to me, is a kid). The range officer gave the word to snap caps and as I had my muzzle pointed down and was snapping a cap, there was a extremely loud explosion where the kid was standing. It seems that he had loaded his rifle during the previous deer season and put it away that way. After the range officer got done chewing him a second one and the rest of us got done swearing at him - he meekly said "I guess I forgot to unload it when I got done deer hunting".

Draw your own safety conclusions but for those of you that do keep 'em loaded, I hope you tag them as such. In my own mind, what happened on the firing line was not an "accident" - it was "negligence" and fortunately, the kid's gun was pointed down. We all "forget" things -it only takes a few seconds to tag it so whoever (it might not be you) has access to that gun will know that it is loaded.

Just my 2 cents for safety . . . . :)
 
Thanks Bed Bug Billy,

I was concerned wether or not my rifle was loaded, because I want it un loaded and cleaned.
The Muzzle Loader Season is over, so this weekend Im gonna go get my rifle back. I worked for the dollars it took to buy it, gave it up so a guy out of work could hunt with it, the right thing to do, would have been to bring it back after season.
On a side note, I really like that rifle, its a good shooter.:)
 
Gettin of a mind to stop being so helpfull and let folks furnish their own tools, and guns. But my hearts too soft. KRP Congratulations on the good Deer.

i hear that. im too nice and loan stuff out all the time. ive got a brand new utility trailer that i have loaned out twice. the first time it came back and the hitch wouldnt latch all the way, this last weekend it came home with a bent up fender
 
Kmaysabob

Im protecting my friends Identity, but the same fellow that borrowed my Muzzle Loader, borrowed my Lowboy Trailer, and ripped the cord off the trailer brake.
Glad you reminded me about trailers. Dang it.:mad:
 
Loaned a set of tire chains to friends. The chains got lost on the mountain where they went to ski. ??? But they felt badly about that and bought us a new set. Good friends!
 
I hear ya about having a big heart. That is why I have "loaner guns" and mostly loan them to family members. They are both great shooting guns but if they get messed up I won't really fret over it. I just believe if someone wants to hunt I will do everything I can to make sure they get to experience it, because someone once did it for me. But its good to hear your Traditions shoots well I hope my new Buck Stalker shoots good, will find out soon
 
Your right Deer Slayer. It is the right thing to help someone when they need it. Especially when you are friends and share a common intrest good luck with your muzzle loader, i hope its a good shooter too.
 
I never leave any of my MLs/Cap and Ball firearms loaded, I have heard enough horror stories (w/o documentation) of course of BP firearms discharging after years of inattention. Also checking to determine if a ML is loaded is too much of a hassle IMHO, better to establish an SOP of leaving them empty.
 
Just my 2 cents, I never put a loaded gun in my safe. Never. Just a safety precaution on my part.
Myself, I would not store a BP rifle loaded. My brother kept his Hawken loaded more than half way thru the season and when he finally got to pull the trigger on a nice buck it just went SNAP and of course the buck took off. He got back to camp and the third cap set the charge off. This was a loose 90gn Pyrodex load.
Why take the chance?
 
There's loaded and I guess, Un-loaded

In a number of states, M/L's are considered "legally" un-loaded if there is no cap or primer component in place. You can legally transport it in your automobile, again un-capped/primed. If you consider it loaded with just powder and projectile, so be it. You are the one that has to make the final call with your M/L. This allows for folks to load at the beginning of the season and legally keep it that way till you it's used or at the end of the season. .... ;)


Be Safe !!!
 
TX Hunter said:
I was concerned wether or not my rifle was loaded, because I want it un loaded and cleaned.
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I wouldn't trust the person who borrowed the gun to also clean it to the same standards as the owner.
Since he doesn't own one he probably doesn't know how to clean it or have the proper cleaning accessories to clean it properly.
Does he have a cleaning jag or a breech plug wrench?
If it were my gun then I would take him to the range to let him try it out and then clean the gun myself.
And if he did clean it on his own then I would probably clean it again after he returns it. :)
 
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Most of my BP's,,,,,

I got from folks real cheap cuase they did leave them loaded and then didnt know what to do later when it wouldnt fire!
The first one took me by surprise, I didnt know it was loaded and loaded it! 3 caps later, it still didnt fire, so I took it to the gun shop, told the guy my predicament, and he took off the nipple, poured in a litle powder, took it out side and touched it off!
side note here, I did try the ball extractor,it pulled right off the ram rod! They are junk! MHO!
Its just easyer to pull off the nipple and pour in a pinch of powder and shoot it. I leave mine loaded for the season, and discharge it after season! Then I can clean it and know its ready for next season!
Just sayin!
 
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