Bought loaded Hawken

[ChrisHarris]

Glad I read this thread.

When I saw the title, I originally interpreted 'loaded' to mean your new gun was all tricked out with the latest sites, lock and super smooth whiz-bang trigger.

You actually meant LOADED - as in ready to fire. :redface:

I'm learnin'. Will be sure and have my new or new/used gun checked out by an experienced guy and this will be the first thing I/we check. I would not have even guessed that popping a cap to clear it could lead to a catastrophe. Now I know how to check it properly.

 

[gearheart]

The moral of the story is that every gun is loaded until you prove it to be otherwise.

 

[Only Round]

I recently purchased a double barrel percussion shotgun and just a double shotgun barrel. Both had loaded barrels. One had a wad of newspaper over a load of powder, the other had a wad of newspaper over a load of shot. I ALWAYS check any ML I purchase.

 

[Waterman]

Just out of idle curiosity, was there a date on the newspaper or anyway to tell from the paper when it had been loaded?

Cheers, Bill

 

[tom deinek]

" Zapata, loaded sg, etc"

¡Gringo estupido!


Sorry, I was trying to quote the post but messed up :>)

 

[tom deinek]

Bought a genuine beater this summer. Guy claimed it was his dad's gun. Nice fella but ml/bp challenged.

No ramrod. We took apart a bbq I had in my pu truck to use the grillspit to check the rifle. It was indeed unloaded. I did not begrudge the effort nor the bbq teardown.

 

[Swede50]

Great post I had never thought about buying a used muzzleloader being loaded.
Also never thought about some less informed person loading it with modern powder when most/all say black powder only.
I guess you can learn something everyday if you only pay attention.

 

[aeatwood]

I keep hardwood dowels around the house/shop for a variety of uses. 5/16" works for .32 on up. I use a 5/8" for a ramrod for my Pedersoli Gibbs .72, and a 3/4" for my 8-bore. Make SURE they have a straight grain if you use them as a ramrod.

 

[Many Klatch]

At most shooting matches that I attend, before you can leave the range the range officer will ask you to prove your gun is unloaded. We drop our ramrods down the barrel and they normally bounce off the breech plug with a tinny sound. If it clunks its lead. If the gun is too fouled to bounce the rod, then we measure the ramrod.

Many Klatch

 

[Stony]

I had a college professor who had an old 63 Springfield his grandfather carried in the Civil War. His grand kids were over one day playing around and the rifle was one of their "toys" that day. His son later asked if the gun was loaded and the professor said no. The son insisted on checking and they found 5 loads rammed down the barrel. :idunno:

 

[Supercracker]

A few weeks ago a rescued an antique powder flask from a hippy, art deco antique shop where it had been part of some "art" for years and years. When I got it out it had powder in it.

 

[Ron_T.]

After running into several "unloaded" muzzle loaders that ended up being "loaded", I go along with DaveK all-the-way.

What's SCARY is that a good many people, even knolwedgable shooters, have NO IDEA how to handle a muzzle loader... whether it is loaded or not!

"How To Handle A Muzzle-loader" should be part of EVERY course in firearm's handling/shooting because muzzle-loaders can be more dangerous than center-fire rifles/pistols simply because you CAN'T "open-the-breech" and look to see if it's loader.


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

 

[Hawkwood]

Two weeks ago I purchased a cheap, grungy T/C Hawken at a local gun show. I never thought to check it. I guess I just assumed the vendor wouldn't bring a loaded firearm to sell. I checked it when I got home and sure enough it was loaded. The bullet was saboted and was easy to draw but the powder had to be scraped out. It had probably been sitting loaded for 20 years. Live and learn.

 

[Timothy Gregory]

You have to be particularly careful on any "bargain" muzzle loaders you find in pawn shops as well. I have been to three different shops, looked at 5 to 6 ML's (Usually CVA or Thompson Center "economy" guns) and have found them all to be loaded. Carry a dowel rod as another poster suggested and use it to measure inside and outside of barrel. Don't know if someone "forgot" to unload the gun before pawning or they were stolen out of a vehicle or home during deer season, hard to say. All I am saying is the old safety adage; "always assume a gun is loaded."