• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

blowing down the barrel, etc...

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Ohio Joe said:
Remember now, the fellow killed blew down someone elses barrel, not 'his' barrel... Had he been the one that had the misfire and not his wife, I'm guessing he would have known the rifle misfired.

My conclussion is that you are safe blowing down your barrel, but you are at risk blowing down someone elses barrel...

If his Daddy would have taught him the, "never point a gun..." rule, he might be alive today. :wink:
 
Claude said:
Ohio Joe said:
Remember now, the fellow killed blew down someone elses barrel, not 'his' barrel... Had he been the one that had the misfire and not his wife, I'm guessing he would have known the rifle misfired.

My conclussion is that you are safe blowing down your barrel, but you are at risk blowing down someone elses barrel...

If his Daddy would have taught him the, "never point a gun..." rule, he might be alive today. :wink:

Had his wife told him the rifle did not go off he might be alive today. :wink:
 
Ohio Joe said:
Claude said:
Ohio Joe said:
Remember now, the fellow killed blew down someone elses barrel, not 'his' barrel... Had he been the one that had the misfire and not his wife, I'm guessing he would have known the rifle misfired.

My conclussion is that you are safe blowing down your barrel, but you are at risk blowing down someone elses barrel...

If his Daddy would have taught him the, "never point a gun..." rule, he might be alive today. :wink:

Had his wife told him the rifle did not go off he might be alive today. :wink:

True, but a man should really think for himself. :grin:
 
Claude said:
Ohio Joe said:
Claude said:
Ohio Joe said:
Remember now, the fellow killed blew down someone elses barrel, not 'his' barrel... Had he been the one that had the misfire and not his wife, I'm guessing he would have known the rifle misfired.

My conclussion is that you are safe blowing down your barrel, but you are at risk blowing down someone elses barrel...

If his Daddy would have taught him the, "never point a gun..." rule, he might be alive today. :wink:

Had his wife told him the rifle did not go off he might be alive today. :wink:

True, but a man should really think for himself. :grin:

Very true! :thumbsup:
 
:shocked2: My god, it has been written a lot since I checked this topic last time.

Blowing down the barrel can be dangerous and most time you´ll blown down you won´t be harmed.
Same as with helmets and safety belts - if you knew that today is the day you need them you would stay at home and everything would be ok. But you don´t know before...

Everyone who blows down the barrel will tell you it´s safe. "Never had such an accident".
Of course, when it goes wrong you probably can´t speak anymore.

I tried both, blowing down and loading without blowing down.
I can´t see much difference in the results.
So I now keep my head away from the muzzle.
Why should I practise such a ritual when I get the same results without it?

If any of the "blowers" is afraid of shooting now after reading this topic and is unable to get good shooting-results without blowing down... Fell free to send me your useless guns, I promise I will take them without asking any fee for taking them. :grin:

For handling MLs that didn´t go of there is a german solution by the way. All german shooting associations have strict rules to this.
A gun with a misfire has to be pointed in only one direction - to the target. And for minutes! If you do anything else you get kicked of the range.
 
I think both sides can get a bit testy and almighty on this one, makes no differnce to me I am set in my ways and will not try to convince others to follow BTW bles on the hammer handle and it worked, didn't hit my thumb that day, pinched my finger when pulling a nail and it gave way quickly, may be time for yet another hammer, otta be a safe one out ther some where.
 
"I Got It!" Seems we have way too many people that just feel they have to be PC and not ofend anyone. This old retired soldier has never been know to be PC or even socially acceptable, I blow down the barrel.
 
Hear! Hear! It' s about time for this thread to end, IMHO.
As for me, I carry an 8" piece of 1/2" surgical tubing in my possibles bag for use at the range.
Pete
 
Blowing Down the Barrel at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in phoenix Az first time will get you a Safety
Warning. If you do it again you will be asked to find another place to shoot.

If you use a BLOW TUBE, and the Blow Tube Keeps the Barrel away from your Body you are FINE.

Blowing Down the Barrel Violates Basic Gun Safety Rules.

**Never point a Firearm at anything you do not plan to Shoot, kill, or Destroy.

Believe the NMLRA does not allow the practice of blowing down a Barrel at its National Shoots either.... SAFETY THING
:thumbsup:
 
"Blowing Down the Barrel Violates Basic Gun Safety Rules. "

I think those that blow down the barrel would say that cleaning and loading a muzzleloader are violations of basic gun safety rules as well, according to the "don't point the gun at anything you don't intend to shoot" law...

Fact of the matter is, the accepted rules are often no more than soundbites (guns are always loaded, don't point at anything you don't want to shoot), and as a practical matter cannot be taken literally. In addition, some of the rules work with a breechloader but have to be modified with a muzzleloader - an example would be the rule to unload the gun before placing it on the ground to climb over a fence while hunting. They are helpful for training children and new shooters, but have to be selectively broken in practice.

As for myself, I have flexible enough lips that blow downward and across the muzzle without placing my head above it, especially if I use my hand to channel it, so thats what I will do. :thumbsup:
 
Runner said:
Cooner, if you ride a motorcycle without a helmet, hunt without orange, or act like a free man in any way, the other side can no longer understand anything you do!

Dang,

Ive been known to have riden across several states a day with no bucket.

Have NEVER wore orange

AND blow down the barrel of my flinter.....

Heck I even remember once I changed an M-60 barrel without pulling the ammo belt.

Over 50 and still kicking.
 
Elnathan said:
"Blowing Down the Barrel Violates Basic Gun Safety Rules"

"...I think those that blow down the barrel would say that cleaning and loading a muzzleloader are violations of basic gun safety rules as well, according to the "don't point the gun at anything you don't intend to shoot" law..."
As I said before, I don't personally care what someone does to themselves...ie: you can blow down your barrel all you want, in fact I encourage you to.

But what I do care about is legitimate discussion so I'll add that "the blowers" who make the comment you referred to, make it as a self serving comment to deflect the discussion in an effort to gain support for their claim.

That sort of a comment is absurd in the context of the discussion...which was about blowing down a barrel in a live loading/firing/reloading environment.
That sort of comment would also instantly put all gunsmiths out of business.

So again, continue to blow down your barrel...I have no issue with you or any blower doing that.
I was just clarifying that blowers should not use deflection tactics in an effort to strengthen their position, and in particular that specific statement as it completely misses the point of the discussion.

:thumbsup:
 
I blow down the barrel to make sure the nipple/touch hole is clear. I see nothing wrong with this procedure as long as it's done "after" you fire it! I just blow a little air, just to see a little smoke.

I guess some people actually put their mouths on the barrel! I am not one for that, but if it is your thing, thing go for it.

Now trying to blow down a barrel cocked capped or primed is down crazy :youcrazy:
 
:wink: Gee Roundball, you are so smart and I am not joking. As you can see, I am not adding to this thread, just agreeing with you. :thumbsup:
 
Good point, Osprey. The only thing I would add is, I think you are supposed to write a note or something before you stick the muzzle of a gun in your mouth or next to your ear for whatever reason. :hmm:
 
roundball said:
Elnathan said:
"Blowing Down the Barrel Violates Basic Gun Safety Rules"

"...I think those that blow down the barrel would say that cleaning and loading a muzzleloader are violations of basic gun safety rules as well, according to the "don't point the gun at anything you don't intend to shoot" law..."
As I said before, I don't personally care what someone does to themselves...ie: you can blow down your barrel all you want, in fact I encourage you to.

But what I do care about is legitimate discussion so I'll add that "the blowers" who make the comment you referred to, make it as a self serving comment to deflect the discussion in an effort to gain support for their claim.

That sort of a comment is absurd in the context of the discussion...which was about blowing down a barrel in a live loading/firing/reloading environment.
That sort of comment would also instantly put all gunsmiths out of business.

So again, continue to blow down your barrel...I have no issue with you or any blower doing that.
I was just clarifying that blowers should not use deflection tactics in an effort to strengthen their position, and in particular that specific statement as it completely misses the point of the discussion.

I agree.
 
I don't get on this or any other forum all that often. I did start shooting muzzleloaders along about 1958 if I remember correctly. My father taught me to blow down the barrel after each shot "to put out the sparks and soften the fouling". I've done it ever since. Obviously, I'm still here. On the other hand, I can understand where the idea that doing so is dangerous came from. It certainly LOOKS dangerous and I agree with Zonie that kids might get the wrong impression and think this is a good idea with all guns including cartridge rifles that load themselves after every shot. Somewhere along the line we seem to have stopped educating kids about guns. I will point out that I carry a Model 1911 .45 automatic cocked and locked. I did so as a peace officer and I do so today as a CHL holder although nowadays it is concealed. That hammer being back sure looks dangerous and I suppose some kid might get the idea that all pistols should be carried that way. Again, we are back to education or lack thereof.

As for the danger of not blowing down the barrel, I can give a personal experience. Sometime in the 1970's I was shooting in a timed stake cutting match using a percussion rifled musket. I was loading with paper cartridges and not blowing down the barrel because of the speed factor. Along about the third shot I tore the paper with my teeth, dumped the charge down the bore, and the charge flashed. The result was nothing worse than singed fingers but I started blowing down the bore until no more smoke came out of the nipple before reloading. Sixty grains of FFg flash about a foot from my face was pretty exciting and could have been worse. I can only guess as to why it happened. The paper I had made the cartridges from was not treated with nitrate. I am fairly sure there was a smoldering bit of paper down there that torched off the incoming powder.

John
 
Apparently I need to learn how to work this forum. I intended to make this my reply to an existing thread.
 
Do a search on barrel blowing, blowing down a barrel, etc. It has been a much talked about topic over the years.
 
Stormrider51 said:
Apparently I need to learn how to work this forum. I intended to make this my reply to an existing thread.

The thread to which you attempted to add your post, "blowing down the barrel", is locked. "Locked" means that no one can add to the (locked) thread. Notice the little 'padlock' symbol by the thread. Threads that either generate animosity between members or where no meaningful resolution to a prolonged debate is in sight (in the case of blowing down the barrel, there are lots of strong and well informed opinions on both sides) can wind up being 'locked' by the moderators.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top