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STUPID THINGS YOUR RIFLE CAN DO

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Joined
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As the years passed. particularly while doing my amateur coaching. I noticed there were lot of people felt that everything that happened to them were the fault of somebody else. I believe there may be a political party based on that belief. So there are probably a bunch of good folks on the forum who suffer from things that were not their fault.I thought I would look into some of these situations that are easily spotted when you find someone who is mad at his rifle.
The most common mistakes rifles make is allowing baked on crud to fasten on to there making it hard to load.
When this situation happens the wood ram rod is made to shatter when pounded in trying to load.
Another spectacular thing rifles do it to load without powder and require a lot of effort to clear out.
Sometimes the rifle will grab on to a lead ball to tightly it can't get loose and driving a screw into in only makes the ball increase in size to make the rifle grab on tighter.
A more spectacular dumb thing a rifle can do is to fire while the ram rod is still in the barrelThis is a cheap way the barrel has of drawing attention to itself. The rods often shake as they fly downrange and this makes an attention getting noise.
greedy barrel will sometimes gulp down a double load or sometime with just one or two extra balls loaded on top of the powder charge.The joy this gives the rifle is a greatly increased amount of recoil.Some riflemen with purple bruised shoulders claim that this is some sort of revenge the barrel directs on the innocent rifleman.

Misbehaving rifles have caused a movement toward the modern rifle which fires ammunition designed by experts but assembled by some self medicating heavy breather who is more concerned about quitting time or the noon whistle than exactitude.
I am sure there are hundreds of examples of undisciplined rifles out there that were nobody's fault but their own.
I had a Ricjland arms flintlock that finally began to fire but apparently spit out out that wedge that the barrel refused to keep it in place and the barrel lifted most of the way out of the stock and the ball may still be traveling. I have a tiny feeling that I may have been slightly responsible but not as much has that rifle.
Dutch Schoultz
 
Thanks for your insight. And all this time I thought it was MY fault that things went wrong.
Now I know that I have to be careful and supervise my rifle more.

What is the most effective method to discipline an unruly rifle?
THE BEST DISCIPLINE IS A GOOD GOING OVER THE ENTIRE RIFLE AND GIVING A THOROUGH CLEANING WHEN IT DOESN'T EXPEECT IT.
I RESTORES YOUR POSITION AS BOSS FOR AWHILE AND DELAYS ITS GETTING IDEAS.
DUTCH
 
I'll have to watch out, Dutch. My rifle may be plotting revenge because of my new love....a 20 ga. smoothbore.
 
Oh my! I fear I am in trouble now ... I never guessed my flintlock could or would become jealous if I bought a newfangled 1911 pistol ... I hope that I can make things right by loading and shooting the 1911 with lead balls and real black powder... Just have to figure out the ignition with flints ... that might be a bit tricky...
Oh I really hope my flintlock will get over this - I really never intended to hurt her feelings! :doh:
 
Well there are thirsty rifles..., which are partial it seems to rain water, and decide to take a deep drink from the pan right when you want to take a shot on the deer in damp weather...

Then there are the stubborn rifles, which pinch shut their touch holes so that the pan merely goes puffff when the prime ignites, but because of the shut touch hole the spark does not reach the main charge....

Really stubborn rifles will even refuse to spark from the frizzen, and will even hold their frizzens tight and only allow them to open about half-way...

Sometimes an ornery rifle will bite off a bit of the ramrod while you try to load..., thus requiring you to obtain a replacement ramrod.

Other Tom-foolery...
When a rifle deliberately holds tight onto the ramrod when you're trying to remove it to load...,
Another joke that flintlocks like to play is to yawn, and allow the flint to fall away into the grass, never to be found. Flintlocks think this is very funny.
Caplocks like to joke by delaying the cap from firing. They will hiss at you and then BANG, startling the shooter something fierce AND missing the target. Caplocks think this is very funny.

LD
 
I'll have to watch out, Dutch. My rifle may be plotting revenge because of my new love....a 20 ga. smoothbore.
I'M OLD AND NO DOUBT STUCK IN MY WAYS BUT SMOOTHBORES ARE A PUZZLEMENT TO ME. WHY WOULD YOU WANT ONE? THEY SOUND FUNNY WHEN FIRED AND YOU HAVE WHAT LOOKS LIKE A RIFLE BUT LACKS THE ENORMOUS ADVANTAGE OF RIFLING A GIFTED EARLY SUBSCRIBER WROTE AND PRETTY MUCH STATED THAT WITH THE PROPER ADJUSTMENTS IN THE PATCHING AND LUBRICATION HE WAS ABLE TO OUT SHOOT SOME NEW ZEALAND RIFLEMEN WITH HIS SMOOTHBORE. A WRITER IN SOUTHERN MICHIGAN WROTE MCH THE SAME THING THAT SURPRISING ACCURACY CAN BE HAD FROM THESE UNRIFLED MYSTERIES.THE ONLY ONE I EVER WATCHED SHOOT DIDN'T GO BANG. IT MADE A LOUD NOISE SOMETHING LIKE " THOOP!"
HEARING SSOMEONE PLEASED ABOUT THEIR SMOOTHBORE IS TO MY STUCK IN THE MUD OLD MIND IS LIKE LOVING A BICYCLE THAT HAS NO PEDALS.
THE WORLD HAD SMOOTHBORES EXCLUSIVELY FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS AND RIFLING ONLY AA RELATIVELY SHORT TIME SO THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME SKILLS DEVELOPED.

DUTCH
 
How many places does one need to go to the right of the decimal point before defining what "accurate" is?
If you hit a moose at 50 yards with a ball fired from a smooth bore, and he falls down dead, he's just as dead as though he had been done in by a ball fired from a rifled barrel.

As pointed out in another thread, the French, and later the British sold many smooth bored guns to the First Nations. So they must have seen some value in those things. Canadians seemed to have been quite fond of them, as well. :dunno:
 
I'M OLD AND NO DOUBT STUCK IN MY WAYS BUT SMOOTHBORES ARE A PUZZLEMENT TO ME. WHY WOULD YOU WANT ONE? THEY SOUND FUNNY WHEN FIRED AND YOU HAVE WHAT LOOKS LIKE A RIFLE BUT LACKS THE ENORMOUS ADVANTAGE OF RIFLING A GIFTED EARLY SUBSCRIBER WROTE AND PRETTY MUCH STATED THAT WITH THE PROPER ADJUSTMENTS IN THE PATCHING AND LUBRICATION HE WAS ABLE TO OUT SHOOT SOME NEW ZEALAND RIFLEMEN WITH HIS SMOOTHBORE. A WRITER IN SOUTHERN MICHIGAN WROTE MCH THE SAME THING THAT SURPRISING ACCURACY CAN BE HAD FROM THESE UNRIFLED MYSTERIES.THE ONLY ONE I EVER WATCHED SHOOT DIDN'T GO BANG. IT MADE A LOUD NOISE SOMETHING LIKE " THOOP!"
HEARING SSOMEONE PLEASED ABOUT THEIR SMOOTHBORE IS TO MY STUCK IN THE MUD OLD MIND IS LIKE LOVING A BICYCLE THAT HAS NO PEDALS.
THE WORLD HAD SMOOTHBORES EXCLUSIVELY FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS AND RIFLING ONLY AA RELATIVELY SHORT TIME SO THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME SKILLS DEVELOPED.

DUTCH
Dutch,
The smooth bore has a few advantages over a rifle, however, I like both respectively. The smoothbore can be used legally in the state of Ohio for goose and turkey while shooting shot. A rifle cannot be used for that same purpose, also most smoothbores a I've handled are lighter than most rifles.the last and final advantage, in my opinion, is that the smoothbore can be loaded with a round ball as well as shot, making it versatile. That's my reasons for the love of smooth bores...
 
Mine likes to suck a patch down to its breech so it blocks the touch hole. Load it, poke the hole, all feels good. Just get a pfffft and nothing. It also like to throw a fifth ball in a group 3 or 4 inches away. It thinks its funny.
 
Thanks for your insight. And all this time I thought it was MY fault that things went wrong.
Now I know that I have to be careful and supervise my rifle more.

What is the most effective method to discipline an unruly rifle?
Patrick McManus was once interrupted while disciplining an unruly shotgun. He was using a tire iron if I recall correctly. He said the person who interrupted him, backed away slowly and refused to make eye contact. A wise decision no doubt...
 
Heaven hath no wrath like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a favorite rifle left in the cabinet while you flirt with some new thing.
Jealous, and patient, they are!
 
How many places does one need to go to the right of the decimal point before defining what "accurate" is?
If you hit a moose at 50 yards with a ball fired from a smooth bore, and he falls down dead, he's just as dead as though he had been done in by a ball fired from a rifled barrel.

As pointed out in another thread, the French, and later the British sold many smooth bored guns to the First Nations. So they must have seen some value in those things. Canadians seemed to have been quite fond of them, as well. :dunno:
I THINK A PERSON WHO HUNTS SUCCESSFULLY WITH A SMOOTHBORE IS TO BE ADMIRED BECAUSE HE. OR SHE. GOES INTO THAT PERSONAL SMALL BATTLE WITH A SELF INFLICTED HANDICAP.
WHAT ARE HIS CHANCES OF ONE SHOT. ONE KILL AS COMPARED TO THE MAN WITH A RIFLE? WHAT ARE HIS CHANCES IN THE SAME SITUATION OFJUST WOUNDING THE DEER?
TIS ALL SOMETHING FOR THE INDIVIDUAL TO DECIDE.
DUNCAN MCREADY OF SOUTH ISLAND NEW ZEALAND WAS OUT SHOOTING RIFLEMEN WITH HIS SMOOTHBORE. I BELIEVE HIS LETER WAS ON MY WEB SITE.
DUTCH
 
Mine likes to suck a patch down to its breech so it blocks the touch hole. Load it, poke the hole, all feels good. Just get a pfffft and nothing. It also like to throw a fifth ball in a group 3 or 4 inches away. It thinks its funny.

YES they can consider themselves quite amusing.

Or the the odd rifle that grabs onto a cleaning brush or a patch, refusing to let go....,
Or the one that simply has had enough shooting for one day and will not let you fully load, holding that ball half-way down the barrel...

Then you get the ones that like to distract you while loading the car or at the range. Your train of thought is disrupted and you forget the powder, or the ball, or the targets, or you lock your keys in the car, or while on the range you forget the powder and load the ball, or the sneaky ones where all goes as planned until you shoot and remember you forgot your earplugs and that covered range sure hold in the noise ...., or the worst ones that simply refuse to go to the range that day, and you arrive at the range and realize the rifle simply stayed home...:confused:

LD
 
YES they can consider themselves quite amusing.

Or the the odd rifle that grabs onto a cleaning brush or a patch, refusing to let go....,
Or the one that simply has had enough shooting for one day and will not let you fully load, holding that ball half-way down the barrel...

Then you get the ones that like to distract you while loading the car or at the range. Your train of thought is disrupted and you forget the powder, or the ball, or the targets, or you lock your keys in the car, or while on the range you forget the powder and load the ball, or the sneaky ones where all goes as planned until you shoot and remember you forgot your earplugs and that covered range sure hold in the noise ...., or the worst ones that simply refuse to go to the range that day, and you arrive at the range and realize the rifle simply stayed home...:confused:

LD
THEY CAN BE SNEAKY. HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT WHEN THEY ARE EASY TO LOAD THEY JUST TERRORIZE THE TARGET AND JUST IGNOE YOUR POINT OF AIM?




OFF TO DIALYSIS FOR ANOTHER DAY OF FUN AND BOREDOM,
DUTCH
 
My flintlock takes pleasure destroying backstops while wicked paper targets escape unscathed.
I will lay odds that your Flintlock has relatives sharing its genes with rifles a few of us own? LOL!
 
Well there are thirsty rifles..., which are partial it seems to rain water, and decide to take a deep drink from the pan right when you want to take a shot on the deer in damp weather...

Then there are the stubborn rifles, which pinch shut their touch holes so that the pan merely goes puffff when the prime ignites, but because of the shut touch hole the spark does not reach the main charge...

LD

I think some flinterlocks have an "eyeball" of sorts instead of a touch hole. Somehow the eyeball helps to aim the rifle better. However, just like a human eyeball when exposed to bright light contracts (opposite of dilate?), the rifles touch hole eyeball will also contract when it senses the brightness of the powder lighting in the pan.
This can also happen when your rifle sees a cute percussion gun next to it on the line, and it tries to "wink" at her at every shot. it's hard to shoot accurately (or at all) when your rifle is flirting with that other gun.
 

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