leaving my gun loaded?

[smoothshooter]

A clean chamber containing black powder will not rust. A loaded or empty chamber that contains ANY BURNT black powder or Pyrodex fouling will start rusting within about 24 hours or more, the time and severity depending on any residual lube traces present and humidity. Unfired black powder is not corrosive at all; if it was we would be plagued with the powder eating through long-loaded brass cartridge cases, and the steel cans that most powder manufacturers package their product in. Smoothshooter

 

[faste350]

mine stays loaded and goes down in the basement where the wood stove is and is very warm. i lower the hammer down on a wad of paper towel. been doing that for many, many years and never had any firing problems. when season goes out, i pull the load. if its been fired, i clean it.

 

[smoothshooter]

A clean chamber containing black powder will not rust. A loaded or empty chamber that contains ANY BURNT black powder or Pyrodex fouling will start rusting within about 24 hours or more, the time and severity depending on any residual lube traces present and humidity. Unfired black powder is not corrosive at all; if it was we would be plagued with the powder eating through long-loaded brass cartridge cases, and the steel cans that most powder manufacturers package their product in. Smoothshooter

 

[silly goose]

Mine stays loaded. I have a family of four, and I must be the oddball, but all in my family would know what to do if I were to pass in the middle of deer season(one of them better go and finish the job ). My 9yo would leave it to his momma or older sister, but that may change soon as he will be getting his first percussion gun on Christmas.

I use to use a toothpick, but now I use a small rolled up piece of leather in the pan, held by the flint. I like it because its a visual, as well as no chance of breaking anything off in the vent. :grin: :grin:

 

[S.Kenton]

Ive left mine loaded between Shotgun season (Nov. 29th and M'ler season (Jan. 7th) many times. I've never had a failure to fire or a hangfire. I make sure the bore is completely free of oil by pouring a little alcohol or brake cleaner down the bore and swabbing it out..then I dry it out really well. I run an Olive Oil lubed patch down the barrel and set it outside the evening before the hunt. The next morning I load it, I don't unload until I see a deer....or after M'ler season over..whichever one comes first. While it's loaded between shotgun season and M'ler season I leave it in my garage (which is very dry) and don't bring it in the house at all.

 

[silly goose]

My rifle has been loaded for about 10 days until this afternoon. It went right off and dropped a nice doe at appx 60 yards. Kept in an unheated garage with a small piece of rolled up leather under the flint, blocking the vent.

 

[excess650]

A friend of mine had left his flintlock loaded after the season....and forgot. :shake: He dryfired it in the basement one day WITHOUT powder in the pan, and it went off.

I have left mine loaded with a PRB for several weeks(starting with a clean bore), but use mink oil as a patch lube. I use a round toothpick in the vent as a reminder, when transporting, or moving it inside. My preference is to unload them, and store them clean if not going to be shot for an extended period of time.

 

[S.Kenton]

A friend of mine had left his flintlock loaded after the season....and forgot. :shake: He dryfired it in the basement one day WITHOUT powder in the pan, and it went off.

The trick is remembering that the firearm is loaded...

 

[bpd303]

Along with dropping the ramrod down the barrel every time you pick up a gun (even your own) just to make sure it isn't loaded. How much time does it take, maybe 5-10 seconds.

 

[Claude Mathis]

A friend of mine had left his flintlock loaded after the season....and forgot. :shake: He dryfired it in the basement one day WITHOUT powder in the pan, and it went off.

The trick is remembering that the firearm is loaded...

Well, let's see.. An unloaded gun can't harm anyone, but a bad memory can kill.

Which one do you want to put your trust (or life) in? I think I'll go with the unloaded gun.

 

[inthex]

I know a gent who agreed to solder something back together on a caplock for a fellow. They tell me when the torch passed the nipple things got real crazy in the shop for a second er two. Best to treat them all as if their loaded.

 

[tom deinek]

"What if you get in an auto accident and are rushed to the hospital and someone else picks up the firearm?"

I can't control that. I carry a loaded handgun -- Should I put a feather or CynthiaLee's sign on that?

The actual point is that every gun should be always be treated as if it's loaded.If you so fear such bizarre misadventure, it's your obligation to unload it.

 

[crockett]

Is it just me or are we having an awful lot of questions recently on leaving a muzzle loader loaded? Muzzle loaders so far have been given preferential treatment by law makers because they are seldom (never?) used in crimes and accidents in the home, etc aren't common. I think if you are a hunter and you are in camp with adults for a week or you live in a State with a 3-4 day Muzzle Loader season and you'll hunt 3-4 days in a row, THEN it is okay to leave the firearm loaded as long as it is under your control BUT otherwise, I think it is poor practice to leave the firearm loaded. Let a few children get killed by playing with a loaded muzzle loader and a lot of the preferential treatment given muzzle loaders will disappear.
Most of the law makers think muzzle loaders are "safer" than modern firearms. Few lawmakers consider or realize muzzle loaders have no safety devises, etc. Things could easily change.

 

[chuck-ia]

It's so easy to see if a modern gun is loaded, Not so with a muzzleloader, especially if one is not familiar with one. flinch

 

[S.Kenton]

I spose I should have said that I also hang a red tag on mine that says" Loaded" I put it around the hammer or trigger guard. Thats my trick on remembering if it's loaded or not. I also score my ramrod for both loaded and unloaded, on every Muzzle loader that I own.

 

[S.Kenton]

It's so easy to see if a modern gun is loaded, Not so with a muzzleloader, especially if one is not familiar with one. flinch

I teach a Hunters Ed. class for the DNR.. one of the primary rules of firearm handling is this: Treat Every Firearm as if it's Loaded. I live by that as do the rest of my family.. my memory isn't that great so I red tag it so I don't double load..or check it with my ram rod.
Also, if someone is not familiar with a firearm.. they have no business touching it, especially if it's mine...

 

[Archer 756]

:hmm: Goodthing you all dont live in NY

 

[stude 283]

Why? Muzzleloader is considered unloaded if no cap or empty pan in NY.

 

[chuck-ia]

You teach firearm safety to those who want to learn, that is why they come to your class. My point about leaving a muzzleloader loaded, is about those who are not gun savvy. A lot of people say, no one in the house but me so I leave it loaded, or my kids know better than to mess with my guns, I can understand about leaving it loaded overnight, (with a tag) but am against leaving it loaded more than that, just my opinion. Another example, went with a friend to the range, he went to pop a cap on his percussion gun to clean out the oil, guess what???? I just consider cleaning (or pulling the charge) a part of it, not a big deal. flinch

 

[S.Kenton]

Exactly and it's the same in Ohio. A M'ler is not to have a cap on the nipple or powder in the pan while transporting to and from the woods in a motorized vehicle...While at home and between seasons, if I leave a load in the rifle,I DO NOT leave a cap on the nipple nor powder in my priming pan...My caps are locked up as is my powder.I even take my flints out of my jaws sometimes....I'm trying to figure out where the danger is? A warning tag should be plenty to remind oneself of a charge left in a M'ler..But to each his own... :v