How long can you keep it loaded?

Last night I went deer hunting - I didn't see a deer and I didn't empty my rifle - It was raining slightly but the powder in the pan was dry when I dumped it out. Raining again here today - not going hunting and likely won't get out until sometime the end of the week or early next week.

Just wondering what your experience is with the reliability of a loaded gun a week later.

Dan'l

If I bring it in from the cold and condensation could be a problem OR I hunt in damp rainy weather.Stays loaded on sunny days.

If it was raining I'd probably shoot it just to make sure. Otherwise it should be good for a couple years.

I live in the country and have the luxury of a range in my back yard. I offhand the load into a gong target, clean and store for the next trip.
R

I generally pull my charge or fire it off if I've been out in the rain. Otherwise, I have gone between weekends leaving it loaded.

I have a percussion rifle I left loaded for 11 months as an experiment in my unheated garage. Went off fine and hit only slightly high of normal after all that time.

Doesn't sound like the conditions were too bad, but why risk it? You been waiting all year for this, tuning and tuning yourself and your gear, so is even a little chance of a failure something you're willing to accept?

At the very least I'd plug the vent and leave the gun outside. The whole idea is to prevent humidity from condensing in your charge. Aint even a little bit PC, but living and hunting in serious rain country (120" a year) has taught me and all I know to cover the muzzle with electrical tape any time it rains. Your call, but if that had been in place for the duration of the day, I'd have even more confidence in leaving it overnight.

Earlier this season circumstances forced me to leave a capper charged for 6 days after a good rain. I had wedged a piece of leather between the hammer and nipple for overnight, in addition to hunting all day with the tape. Rather than shooting it out or using a CO2 discharger, I pulled the ball and dumped the powder. It was still dry and completely free-flowing in my hand.

I would never leave a charge in my muzzleloader for a long period of time, in the wet weather. Good chance of a miss fire next time out hunting. You might chance it if shooting at paper or a can but not when You need to put meat on the table. been there done that. It's up to you

I have had one loaded for over a year and it fired with the first hammer drop. In your case, with the rain/dampness, I would unload it either by firing it or ejecting/removing the ball and powder by pulling or CO2 discharger and cleaning and drying the barrel.

I usually leave it a lone unless I hunted in bad weather that day. Then I'll pop the load out and load a fresh one.

This past weekend every morning and evening I shot the load out of my gun. I did this because I heard pyrodex didn't store as well as blackpowder in guns and I figured a fresh load of powder shot better than an old one. I also considered that every time I unloaded I got more practice. I also am trying to use up my pyrodex because I am going to black powder in February.

How many chances at a big buck do you get? If you are asking are you confident enough to chance a misfire on a big buck? I get my powder by the case ( I split with several relatives ) and mold my own mini's. So my shots are less than fourty cents, cost of a big buck Priceless!

Didn't have anything to do with cost. Cleaning every night is a PITA. Anyway, I went out to the farm tonight - gun fired with no problem. Reloaded and waited in my spot for another chance at some deer - Nothing showed

ohio ramrod said:

How many chances at a big buck do you get? If you are asking are you confident enough to chance a misfire on a big buck? I get my powder by the case ( I split with several relatives ) and mold my own mini's. So my shots are less than fourty cents, cost of a big buck Priceless!

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Oh ********, everyone has their own way of doing things, if you want to unload after each days hunt by all means do so, because part of the game is confidence. Twenty years of using percussions and eight years of using flintlocks, I've never had a failure while hunting, even in the rain. I'm absolutely confident I loaded and handle my guns right. Much to the dismay of a few big bucks.

Never had one not fire because it had been loaded for some time. I have had them misfire and handgfire at the range because I didn't do something right...

If the firearm is changed to a percussion cap lock revolver, such as 1860 Colt or 1858 Remington, this class of muzzleloader can be left loaded for how long?

I think what I'm asking is: During the Civil War era soldiers having cap lock revolvers carried constantly but fought battles seldom. How did they tend to deal with the situation?

Naphtali said:

If the firearm is changed to a percussion cap lock revolver, such as 1860 Colt or 1858 Remington, this class of muzzleloader can be left loaded for how long?

I think what I'm asking is: During the Civil War era soldiers having cap lock revolvers carried constantly but fought battles seldom. How did they tend to deal with the situation?

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I don't think they was an annal as we are today or Hickok was and just kept them loaded until needed. :idunno:

I kept one loaded around the house until needed or I felt like shooting it. In fact I just happen to have two Ruger Old Army revolvers sitting around the house right this minute loaded. I have no doubt that they will go boom when I decide to pull the trigger on them.

I notice someone said something about not having it capped for safety. So wait I am supposed to not have my Kahr K9 loaded on my side due to it not being safe if it is loaded/capped/primed?? What exactly is the point in carrying a sidearm that isn't loaded/capped/primed?

I like the idea of putting a tag on it letting someone know it is loaded just because someone who doesn't understand might pick it up if it isn't in a safe.

tv_racin_fan said:

I kept one loaded around the house until needed or I felt like shooting it. In fact I just happen to have two Ruger Old Army revolvers sitting around the house right this minute loaded. I have no doubt that they will go boom when I decide to pull the trigger on them.

I notice someone said something about not having it capped for safety. So wait I am supposed to not have my Kahr K9 loaded on my side due to it not being safe if it is loaded/capped/primed?? What exactly is the point in carrying a sidearm that isn't loaded/capped/primed?

I like the idea of putting a tag on it letting someone know it is loaded just because someone who doesn't understand might pick it up if it isn't in a safe.

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I don't think a cap gun, side arm, can be compared to a modern gun in any way and needs to be capped. When it comes to safety here, I only need to make two moves to bring my my 1911 into play if someone decided to come through the door or window at night. One, I have the loaded mag sticking out about an inch, not fully locked in place and no round in the chamber, it makes the gun safe during the day if a friend comes over with a kid, it's hidden, but one never knows. All I have to do is slap the bottom of the mag and rack the slide. It can be done quick and probably gives the jackass trying to get into my house just enough time to think about maybe he should be somewhere else right now.

Swampy: I know you have special problems because you live in that wheelchair, but my colt pistols have the magazines fully inserted, and I either: lock the slide back so that all I need to do is hit the slide release the gun loads a round in the chamber; or I load a round in the chamber, leave the hammer at full cock, and put the manual safety on.

An unloaded pistol or revolver is nothing but a paper weight, and an outrageously expensive CLUB.

I would not rely on any BP revolver or pistol for home defense, much less defense of my person. If it was all I had, I would cap it, and leave the gun out of reach of children. I also would cover the cap with a pistol casing, like a .30 cal. Carbine, or .380, or .38 Super casing, cut down to fit over, but not contact the cap. An o-ring would seal the mouth of the casing around the base of the nipple, and the casing would be attached to the trigger guard with string or cord. The hammer would be lowered onto the casing. This then would deter some kid who might get the gun from trying to shoot it. Of course, nothing is full proof, and when I have someone with kids visiting, the guns are put up or away from their hands. I actually worry more about stupid adults than the kids.

My Firelocks are seldom UNloaded. I carry them regularly in the woods but dont regularly shoot them. So, A load might be in the gun for a while.
I currently have a load in a Blunderbuss and pistol that have been in for more than a year. they are a back-up guns.
If your priming came out without being damp, I would be pretty sure your charge is fine. Its always a gamble, but thats my take anyway.
I allow my guns to normalize in the mud room before bringing them in from the cold. I will sometimes get condensation but its never been a problem. I am thinking the majority of the condensation is on the outside and not in the bore. I will test this idea soon and see. ill post my results. :thumbsup: PS, If you are worried that a bit of moisture is in your bore, Normalize the gun with the muzzle down.
One thing I have done it to put a small ball of light paper such as TP in the bore at the crown to prevent moisture from entering the barrel when out in the cold. (doesent work well in the rain though) If you forget to pull it when you shoot it doesent hurt anything. If you havent reloaded outside, the air in the bore will be the same as the air inside your cabin and there will not be the condensationas on the outside. Ill test this as well.
Hey I got nothin else to do. :haha: