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double ignition, does this happen

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2

29thWisCoG

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2nd time on the range ever with the ML, shot maybe 25 rounds today and had a lot of fun.
A few times it seems like there were two ignitions happening, the initial powder ignition, and then a smaller one immediately after... is this normal, or am I just imagining this?
ML is a Pederseoli P3 Enfield, shooting 50 grains of 2f, 467 grain minie ball, I swab after every shot.

Also, I notice after about 10 rounds the it gets harder to blow through the nipple (I'm using latex tubing in the muzzle, blowing out the flash hole) and I snap a cap to clear it, during a shooting session does the nipple get fouled like this?
 
I would try 3f. There will be little less fouling and it can get back to the flash channel better.
 
It depends on the humidity. Hot, humid days the fouling will start to "cake up". There have been times where I had a thin layer of fouling under the nipple. I had to break the thin layer loose. Snapping caps is a time tested way of being assured of a clear flash channel to the main charge. Point the firearm down range and snap one cap, to be sure of an empty firearm. Point the firearm toward the ground and snap another cap. You should see dirt or grass move, indication a cleared firearm.
 
Why are you swabbing after every shot? The lubed minie is designed to clean the shot before it. I have shot all day with a PH Enfield and never swab/clean until done. The system is designed to be self-sustaining.

ADK Bigfoot
 
Swabbing!
1621205022337.gif
 
29thWisCoG said:
2nd time on the range ever with the ML, shot maybe 25 rounds today and had a lot of fun.
A few times it seems like there were two ignitions happening, the initial powder ignition, and then a smaller one immediately after... is this normal, or am I just imagining this?
ML is a Pederseoli P3 Enfield, shooting 50 grains of 2f, 467 grain minie ball, I swab after every shot.

Also, I notice after about 10 rounds the it gets harder to blow through the nipple (I'm using latex tubing in the muzzle, blowing out the flash hole) and I snap a cap to clear it, during a shooting session does the nipple get fouled like this?
Click to expand...
The two firings that you hear are the sounds of a hang fire. The fouling is building up and slowing the travel of the heat from the percussion cap to the main charge. First sound is the cap and second is the main charge.

It gets harder to blow through the barrel because the fouling is building up in the flash channel. Its likely that you are pushing fouling into the flash channel with your wiping between shots. Wiping between shots is a method to keep the fouling in the barrel consistent for accuracy. As stated, the Minie ball is self cleaning with the grooves in the side of the bullet. But wiping between shots can be done with a jag a little smaller than a cleaning jag. The smaller jag and patch will ride over the fouling and pull it out. You can also stop the wipe about 3/4" from the breech to prevent pusing fouling into the flash channel. Take advantage of the different suggestions to find out the best procedure for you.
 
Grenadier1758 said:
The two firings that you hear are the sounds of a hang fire. The fouling is building up and slowing the travel of the heat from the percussion cap to the main charge. First sound is the cap and second is the main charge.

It gets harder to blow through the barrel because the fouling is building up in the flash channel. Its likely that you are pushing fouling into the flash channel with your wiping between shots. Wiping between shots is a method to keep the fouling in the barrel consistent for accuracy. As stated, the Minie ball is self cleaning with the grooves in the side of the bullet. But wiping between shots can be done with a jag a little smaller than a cleaning jag. The smaller jag and patch will ride over the fouling and pull it out. You can also stop the wipe about 3/4" from the breech to prevent pusing fouling into the flash channel. Take advantage of the different suggestions to find out the best procedure for you.
Click to expand...

That makes a lot of sense, thank you. I turned down my cleaning jag in the lathe about 20 mils and made it my range jag so it would ride over the fouling, but I did not stop the wipe just before the top of the breech and instead would let it go all the way down... I can see how I would be pushing fouling down there and into the flash channel as the session went along... when cleaning I noticed a lot of "black goo" that came out of the breech, seems to coincide with your explanation, and also explains how it would be more difficult for the smoke to pass through the flash hole when blowing down the barrel as time went on... Yes, I was wiping between shots because I was working up loads and I wanted the fouling consistent from shot to shot, I will adjust as you suggest next time and see what happens, thank you again!
 
Last edited:
QUIT WIPING. If you're doing load development, shot a string of shots, again without wiping to see if the load is in balance and accurate AND if the fouling is not managable as designed with a minie bullet. The minie was designed to keep the fouling at a consistent level shot to shot. When switching to a different load, then give the bore a light cleaning, snap a couple caps and resume testing. If your load is going to develop problems, you'll never know it when you wipe every shot and some loads shoot better with a couple fouling shots.

I shoot these things in competition. A properly setup load will run without wiping till you run out of shoulder, ammo or daylight all without wiping.
 
All this nonsense was started by some fools undoing what our forefathers realised millenia ago.
Black powder NEEDS animal or vegetable based lubricants to KEEP the heavy fouling to a consistent consistency.
Them that could not figure that out started propagating this silly notion of shooting with next to no lubricant and swab every shot in the mistaken belief they are boosting consistency when in fact they are jeopardising every shot via a failure to fire and possibly increasing a chance for danger to loom!

That aside some Parker Hale reproduction Enfield models had a very small hole between the barrel and nipple bolster. That gave me grief on one of mine many years ago now. I carefully drilled it more open and had no more issues with poor ignition.
 
so glad I posted and asked for help!

I tested two minies, one was the RCBS 500M with a custom pin at 467gr and thinner skirt, the other was the RCBS NS skirmisher bullet at 410gr... the 500M grouped decently with swabbing between shots, but the NS skirmisher minie would not even hit the paper! I remember one shot with the NS skirmisher minie I forgot to swab and it hit right in the middle of the target which puzzled me (I realized I forgot the swabbing because it was noticeably harder to seat the minie), now I suppose I know why... so I think next session I'm only going to swab if it gets difficult to ram the minie down and see what happens. Thanks for all the input to help out a noob
 
No idea what you are experiencing, but one place my son's and I used to shoot, you got the boom of the gun going off and a crack from the balls' sonic wave. Pretty cool!
Robby
 
29thWisCoG said:
so glad I posted and asked for help!

I tested two minies, one was the RCBS 500M with a custom pin at 467gr and thinner skirt, the other was the RCBS NS skirmisher bullet at 410gr... the 500M grouped decently with swabbing between shots, but the NS skirmisher minie would not even hit the paper! I remember one shot with the NS skirmisher minie I forgot to swab and it hit right in the middle of the target which puzzled me (I realized I forgot the swabbing because it was noticeably harder to seat the minie), now I suppose I know why... so I think next session I'm only going to swab if it gets difficult to ram the minie down and see what happens. Thanks for all the input to help out a noob
Click to expand...
Be sure to lube the minies. I dip lube in 50/50 beeswax/lard. Anything petroleum based is a complete no no
 

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