Mistake made with flintlock

[George T.]

It is easy to point fingers after the fact! However my guess is that many of us do dumb things and usually get away with it. I have been guilty many times of thinking that the new shooters shouls know things that they did not!

This fellow will be hindered with a bad hand to remind him of his stupid moment. I will try to learn from his mistake! Geo. T.

 

[Richard J.]

Update: They connected all tendons but one. It will be joined with another finger so that they will operate together. There is a two and one half inch hole in the top of his hand. They will be doing a lot of bone grafts. He has feeling in all fingers so he is lucky there. Brother disarmed all weapons in the house and put mags and ammo away. His brother is coming to get all the weapons and take to his place. Claims ( for now ) that he doesnt want to see another weapon again. I am sure that will change over time. One thing for sure is he should be a lot more carefull after this. Going to be a long healing process.

 

[jethro224]

In Illinois the law states that the pan must be completely empty, the frizzen open, and the hammer all the way down to be considered unloaded and legal for transport in a vehicle.
I still consider my flintlock loaded in this condition.

 

[jethro224]

It is easy to point fingers after the fact!

Well, for everybody but the guy who had the accident anyway.

 

[Treerat]

I have to agree with Jack. Half cock is not a safety. Lower the cock all the way and plug that vent. I know the odds are high that the frizzen could get bumped closed, the half cock fail and a spark land right in the touch hole all at the same time but why risk it? I once lowered the cock to where the flint just touched the frizzen and let her drop. It slide slowly down and dropped a big spark in the pan. Had it been loaded it would have fired.
Bill

 

[Matt85]

what if you pant leg pulls the hammer to full cock when you walk past it. then a dog/cat/child/raccoon runs in and knocks the gun over causing the frizzen to close and the impact on the ground sets the gun off. which kills a bus driver out on the street leading the bus to run over a half dozen people before impacting a building killing all the kids inside.

dang these things are dangerous! :wink:

-matt

 

[zerb]

A guy I knew, and hunted with once in WV. Was removing his flintlock from his vehicle after getting home from a hunt. He was removing the rifle muzzle end first, the gun fired, and hit him in the lower chest, and killed him. I never did hear how the charge was set off, but the safety rule of not having your muzzle pointed at anything you don't want to shoot was obviously not followed. Don't matter what position your frizzen or cock is in, that rule should always be followed.

 

[jamesthomas]

After hunting if I did'nt fire my rifle I always empty the pan, stick a pipe cleaner in the touchhole an wrap the excess around the top of the hammer an have the hammer all the way down. The pipe cleaner does two things, helps keep moisture from the main charge, an there is no way for a spark to cause the gun to go off. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[silly goose]

I like to do a little trick I learned from Brian Beckum. Take a little piece of rolled up leather in the pan to rest the flint on and cover the touchhole.

 

[David W.]

Personally, I would use something like this.

 

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

I am truly sorry for this man's misfortune and accident. Ido hope he does recover soon and has his hand fully healed. This kind of aacidents is the reason for our gun club to monitor novice shooters of any gun discipline and hold a yearly obligatory safity course for all the recent new members... Even then - you have to keep your attention into danger mode whenever you handle guns... Inexperience makes it all the more dangerous for yourself and all others within range of your gun!

 

[gearheart]

If you check the accounts of the great treks to the West 1849 gold rush, Oregon trail etc. It becomes obvious that Darwin was at work thinning the herd. The number of deaths caused by careless handling of guns kept loaded and ready just in case of an NDN attack exceeds the number of immigrants killed by the NDNs.

 

[silly goose]

flintlock 62, I tried that, don't care for it as much as having the touch hole covered. What I like about the way I do it now, is nothing can accidentally get into the touch hole, moisture or otherwise.

 

[buzz]

couldnt agree more cynthialee
only gun i keep loaded in my house is my modern (1920's) shotgun with rock salt in teh shell and fewe buck shells near by but then again kids have been in our house since well cant remember so jsut med and wife
keep safe and remember treat any gun as if it is loaded knowing it or not
ps gald this guy is safe we should all chip in and see if this guy wants to trade for a fishing pole

 

[jamesthomas]

There will be a lot of phyical therapy for sure. Its an unfortunate thing to happen. 10 minutes of just going over the basics and this might not have happened. BTW Leaving a bunch of guns around the house loaded is just unthinkable to me :youcrazy: . He is lucky he has'nt accidently shot himself or someone else before this.

 

[voltigeur]

it's sade but with an instructor like him, no need to have the Criminal, to take a bullet.

do not think that firing blank is safe, a drunk reeacting to show that his gun is safe despite it being loaded and cocked ,kick by holding the muzzle on the ground and of course the shot is fired and his hand flies away.
The worst thing is that a child who was near him, was hurt by the slide of the gun.

 

[Spikebuck]

In Illinois the law states that the pan must be completely empty, the frizzen open, and the hammer all the way down to be considered unloaded and legal for transport in a vehicle.
I still consider my flintlock loaded in this condition.

Jethro...I agree. If my gun has powder and projectile in it, it's loaded! Which brings up a good point....how one puts it in one's vehicle. When putting my muzzleloaders in a vehicle "loaded" I always try to point it in such a way that if it went off it would not hit anyone in the vehicle or perhaps into another car on the highway. Whether in the back of my SUV or pickup, I try to make sure it's not pointing directly forward or backward.

Someone also mentioned the Brian Beckum tip about the rolled up leather placed in the pan, which I also use. That is a good one.

 

[Moose Guide]

Accidents(stupidity) will happen, never point at something you don't want shot!!!

 

[mark/wi]

I work as range officer at our club and even old timers screw up. Every one dose dumb things, most of the time no gets hurt. You must watch the new guys, and every one else. Mark

 

[Joel/Calgary]

I like to do a little trick I learned from Brian Beckum. Take a little piece of rolled up leather in the pan to rest the flint on and cover the touchhole.

I recall reading that the French military sometimes did something similar rather than use a hammer stall (frizzen stall). They used a pad (tampon in French) that covered the pan and the touch-hole with the hammer (frizzen) open, held in place by the flint in the lowered cock. The tampon was attached to the trigger guard by a string or thong just as one would a hammer stall, and could be used with or without priming in the pan.

If an idea is good, it will be rediscovered when needed.

Regards,
Joel