Funny Stories about Muzzle Loaders that left you wondering.

[Maven]

Every November prior to deer season, my club opens its range so as to allow people to sight in their rifles. Several years ago a fellow showed up with a traditional caplock rifle with a huge telescopic sight mounted on it. He proceeded to load, cap, and fire it, BUT the 'scope went flying up and ultimately to the concrete floor. He was more than embarrassed by it. We never determined what load he was shooting (the gun was undamaged) nor did we ever see him again. Actually, this was funny only for a moment, sad really, but we had to wonder whether the scope mounting was done by himself or a professional (perish the thought!).

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Any of you have the opportunity to visit a "public shooting range", and spend any time there will quickly realize many who own fire arm do not know much about what they own, be it modern, or front stuffer.

I always felt besides being a volunteer safety person, my second mission was education of those thirsty for knowledge.

I call 'em "The Gang Who Can't Shoot Straight". Holes in the ceiling of our indoor range, people who shoot at target stands to see them splinter, the list goes on and on! And this is at a Club's private range! Hate to say it, but some of our members shouldn't be allowed to reproduce :youcrazy: :shake: :shocked2: let alone handle explosives.........

Dave

 

[Norinco]

My elementary school textbooks said that muskets were extremely hard to load and were extremely unreliable.

My professor last semester (Rise of the West) told us that muskets will overheat and burst if you fired them too fast and that was a common problem on the battlefields of the day, so soldiers ****** on the barrels.

 

[hoochiepapa]

My elementary school textbooks said that muskets were extremely hard to load and were extremely unreliable.

My professor last semester (Rise of the West) told us that muskets will overheat and burst if you fired them too fast and that was a common problem on the battlefields of the day, so soldiers ****** on the barrels.

:rotf: :rotf:

 

[rafterob]

And we wonder why our children are behind other developed countries in education. Everyone knows its machine gun barrels you piss on, not muskets :grin:

 

[CaptainKirk]

Well, once or twice, I've said "piss on this gun" when experiencing technical difficulties. Maybe someone took it to heart.... :idunno:

 

[lakota]

Those old soldiers must have been lightning fast on the reload to get their front stuffer barrel hot enough to the point that it would need ****** on :surrender:

 

[Norinco]

He told me he knew it was fact because he's read French accounts of that happening (he's a scholar of French history). Maybe it was just soldiers cursing their guns like you do.

 

[akapennypincher]

My buddy own a small gun shop in the West Part of the Valley of the Sun. One Saturday I was in the store when this old gentleman brings in an Old British Cap Lock Rifle (aka Percussion), he is interested in selling it, and honestly it has not much value. Rust, and looks like el crapo.

We start talking about the condition of the bore, and for some reason I drop the Metal Ram Rod down the barrel, and hear a cut thud, not a metal to metal ping.

I say I think there is a Ball or Mini Ball in the Rifle, as it sound like lead, plus the Ram Rod don’t reach the breach.

Plus probably Powder behind the Ball. So I suggest I drive home for my KAZOTTEE, that does a great job of pulling balled.

I return in about 15 MINUTES, Pull a Lead Mini Ball, turn the Rifle over, and sure enough Powder comes pouring out.

The story is the guy’s father gave him the rifle 50-60 years ago, and he never did nothing with it.

I suggest it is now safe to hang over a mantle, and because of the RUST, he better not shoot or try, and shoot it.

 

[Zonie]

I'm sure Musketman won't mind if I mention him taking his Brown Bess out for some shooting.

Noting some hay bales handy he rested his trusty gun on them and touched her off.

As the smoke didn't clear as quickly as he thought it should he looked around to discover the hay was burning brightly! :rotf:

 

[David W.]

What was the condition of the powder? Just curious.

 

[Claude Mathis]

I call 'em "The Gang Who Can't Shoot Straight". Holes in the ceiling of our indoor range, ...

I visited an indoor range once. This was a place where anyone could rent a pistol to try it out or just have some fun shooting. Well... there were bullet holes not only in the ceiling above the stalls, but there were holes in the tables of the stalls and in the dividers between them. I haven't been to an indoor range since.

 

[akapennypincher]

What was the condition of the powder? Just curious.

I assume you were talking about the Powder in the Old English Rifle? It looked like Black Powder, and was still granulated.

No we did not try, and see if it would burn. Some had work it way into the Nipple, and we did our best to try, and tell the gun not to shoot it as I am sure it was a ticking time bomb if someone loaded it, and tried to fire it.

 

[biliff]

I was at our BP range shooting my flintlock with a nice striped maple stock. Some guy I'd never seen before walks up and starts telling me how those stripes are all fake. Even though I told him repeatedly it was not fake he kept insisting because he was a "wood products expert" and knew for a fact you couldn't get wood like that.

Finally, I pulled the lock and showed him the grain pattern inside the lock mortise. His reply: "Well, its a really GOOD FAKE."

 

[ord sgt]

Although I didn't witness this incident, it was related to me by another range safety officer.
Guest shooter comes into the range with his new muzzleloader, wanting to try it out. RSO hears a rather loud boom from the new guys rifle, so RSO walks down to see what load new guy was using. The RSO sees a can of smokeless powder sitting on the bench. New guy had 80 grains of smokeless powder ready to pour down the barrel before being stopped.
The clerk at a gun shop sold the powder when the rifle was bought. Another accident averted.

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Had a fellow show up at one of the club shoots with a Hawken style gun. Said he hadn't shot it much since getting it for Christmas. Asked what the two triggers were for. After going over the way to use them he still ended up shooting up in the air (thankfully) pulling on the triggers to see which one did what. He didn't come back!

 

[CaptainKirk]

One of the beauties of the Internet is the fact that you can find virtually anything you want to know with a minimal of time and effort.
I know when I sarted shooting BP and bought my first BP revolver ('58 Remmie) the clerk at the store was oblivious to any of my questions...he literally had NO IDEA what size ball, type of powder, load, or type of grease to put over the ball. He had no clue as to what size cap it took. I knew far more than he, and that was because I'd absorbed one of Sam Fadala's books cover to cover.
It's not surprising that even with today's information, people (especially those who don't listen well) continue to hurt and maim themselves while delving into black. There is still a lot of 'word-of-mouth' information circulating out there. I'm grateful for forums like this one that can dispel some of the smoke.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I've read that the British used that pee trick in the water jackets of their Vickers machine guns in WWI; but you'd have to be pretty quick to load fast enough to cook off a Bess.

 

[jtmattison]

Funniest thing I've seen is a guy shooting a fancy new inline with powder pellets. He loaded the pellets but forgot the bullet. Those pellets make great smoke trails as they fly down range!

HD

 

[ken.clements]

I'll never forget the first time I went to a range to shoot BP ML.
A friend of mine had been helping me with all the "you need this, don't need that" stuff. Told me about measuring powder and the PRB's....pretty much got me up to par to go to the range.
Being in Germany, many people and clubs here are traditional, some with clothing, some with somewhat funny rules and regs.
Anyway, we met at the range for my first time (and I didn't know this at the time) he had called a couple of friends who shoot Brown Bess to meet us there.
My friend is talking me through the process of loading and everyone else (4-5 guys) is looking and grinning. I was pretty embarased at the time (stuck up attitude) and somehow got through it.
My friend tells me its tradition with a first timer on the range for everyone to shoot together.
these guys line up next to me with Brown Bess's (I didn't know this at the time) to the left and right of me.
I hear ready aim fire and my world explodes next to me and target is destroyed (seemed so at the time).
I was so suprised I yelled "holy $%&$", dropped my rifle on the table in front (I had already shot), took a couple of very quick steps backwards (all at the same time) and fell onto the loading/ storage table.
These guy's were laughing so hard they couldn't stand up straight.
They planned all this ahead of time. These guys shot the target legs or as close a possible to them at the same time I was to shoot.
That was my welcoming to ML. Needless to say we had a good laugh after in the club over sandwiches and beer.
Since then I was hooked on BP.