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So this happened today

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fishleclair

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Purchased a lymans BP trade rife. Took it out today to shoot. Gave the ole blow down the barrel to make sure no obstructions. Loaded it up and slammed a sabot down the pipe. Percussion cap went on and squeezed the trigger. Just the clap of the cap went off. Loaded another onto it and another clap. Tried 3 more and still no bang. Took my nipple cleaner and tried to probe. Now I gotta take the nipple off and see. However if all looks good and it won’t fire what’s the way to vet a polymer tipped bullet out? Can I unthread the back and push the load through? Never tire one apart before. I used FFG powder and I’m sure it’s down by the hole.
 
Let's just call it a b%$t plug.
Before I make a royal mess to clean up with a grease gun:
Try compressed air (150psi), if not, go to CO2 (800psi). (Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, it's gonna fly!
If it still does not move and you are so frustrated that you don't want to deal with it, send the gun to me and I will get it out for you. Will send the gun back to you in a couple of years when I am through "testing" it.
 
Bang and Kent know. I know too but I'm a sinner and clean the clean out screw each outing. I (very easily) remove the clean out screw and dump in powder and replace the screw (very easily) and fire it out. IMHO much easier than the nipple. Others will jump and stamp feet and wave the arms and carry signs to the range that ya NEVER remove the clean out screw but...well, I'm a rebel.... kinda
 
Purchased a lymans BP trade rife. Took it out today to shoot. Gave the ole blow down the barrel to make sure no obstructions. Loaded it up and slammed a sabot down the pipe. Percussion cap went on and squeezed the trigger. Just the clap of the cap went off. Loaded another onto it and another clap. Tried 3 more and still no bang. Took my nipple cleaner and tried to probe. Now I gotta take the nipple off and see. However if all looks good and it won’t fire what’s the way to vet a polymer tipped bullet out? Can I unthread the back and push the load through? Never tire one apart before. I used FFG powder and I’m sure it’s down by the hole.
Don't try to remove the breech plug. They are usually so tight that you'll end up scaring up the barrel and the plug if you do.

Under the nipple, there is a small hole that connects the nipple to the bore. I call it a "flame channel". If the gun is new, that hole probably is plugged up with grease. Buy a package of pipe stem cleaners. The ones with tiny wires in them to make them abrasive are best but regular pipe cleaners will work. (These are sometimes available at drug stores, tobacco shops and hobby shops.)
Remove the nipple and run a pipe stem cleaner down into the flame channel as far as it will go. Rotate it as you push it in. Then, pull it out and run another one in. Repeat this until it comes out fairly clean.

Then, pour a little powder into the hole where the nipple goes and work as much of it as you can down into the flame channel. When you can't get any more in there, remove enough powder from the nipple hole to allow the nipple to screw back in.
Cap the nipple and try shooting the gun. 90% of the time it will fire on the first attempt. If it doesn't, remove the nipple and reload the flame channel, put the nipple back in and try again. It might take several attempts but sooner or later, if you loaded a main powder charge, it will fire.
 
Purchased a lymans BP trade rife. Took it out today to shoot. Gave the ole blow down the barrel to make sure no obstructions. Loaded it up and slammed a sabot down the pipe. Percussion cap went on and squeezed the trigger. Just the clap of the cap went off. Loaded another onto it and another clap. Tried 3 more and still no bang. Took my nipple cleaner and tried to probe. Now I gotta take the nipple off and see. However if all looks good and it won’t fire what’s the way to vet a polymer tipped bullet out? Can I unthread the back and push the load through? Never tire one apart before. I used FFG powder and I’m sure it’s down by the hole.
You should have "popped a cap" first...to see if it was clear.
 
Thanks for all the tips. I know the powder in the nipple trick. Have a pedorsoli that I need to do this with for it to go off confidently.
There's a trend here. If fishleclair needs to regularly use the powder under the nipple practice. to get the main charge to go off, there is some problem in the flash channel that is not getting addressed. There was no mention of the powder being used.

Now for both of fishleclair's rifles, he needs to really clean out the rifle with special attention to the flash channel as Zonie has so clearly described. All too often we clean our rifles and use far too much oil as a rust inhibiting grease and store the firearm muzzle up. The oils gel and clog up the flash channel. You might be able to blow down the barrel and actually have air pass through the muzzle to the nipple. Then when the firearm is loaded, the grease gets compressed into the flash channel and no flame gets through from the nipple to the charge.
 
I did blow down the barrel first. Had the hiss sound then I put a cap on and gave er a crack and it sounded good. Then loaded and ran into this problem. The only thing I did not do was clean the gun when I got it. I made the assumption that the guy who collected guns had them cleaned when he put them away. Everything looked good so away I went. I got some things to do and know now about the flash pan hole to check and clean. As for powder I use Goex FFG. I have some FFFG powder as well. I’ll update later if I get it cleared.
 
Took nipple off. No powder in flash channel. Took screw out and used my pocket thing and went into the barrel no grease build up. Smack the gun by hammer with palm of my hand and some powder came out. Looks like the I’ll load up powder under nipple fire it then inspect more.
 
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