I was just going through my North American Hunter magazine. In the magazine they had an article about muzzleloaders and why they failed to fire, and one incident of why it misfired.
One of the authorities was a guide. He was telling how they were hunting in snow and cold. How the hunter had prepared the rifle, and even popped primers. When it came to crunch time, it failed to fire. He was then telling about the firing pin in new inline muzzleloaders and how in cold and damp they can get stuck. I was wondering what all of you do to insure that the firing pin in say your Knight, Thompson Centers, Genesis, Etc.. all work the way they are supposed to? Makes the old hammer striker models look a little better. Although, they have to slide as well.
I guess I have over looked the importance of that firing pin being not only clean, but perhaps treated with something so that it would not freeze up in the cold and snow. What would be a good thing to treat it with? Silicon, graphite powder, oil, leave it dry?
The article went on to tell of a hunter having a slam dunk shot at a trophy buck. He pulled the trigger and flat out missed. The expert was positive that his EZ load sabot had moved just a little off the powder charge. He then suggested to check that load with the ramrod from time to time. Could this be the reason some of us are missing? Are you checking your load? This is one thing I am kind of anal about. I check the load when I head out to make sure it is seated tight. When I get to a blind and get seated, I will often check the projectile again. And this is done because I normally hunt with slip fit conicals or sabots. Round ball I have never found yet, to have moved off the powder charge.
Just some things I have been reading.
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I've never experienced any freezing of a firing pin. But then again, I don't hunt extremely cold weather. In the teens is about as low as I see it buy normally not below the mid 20s.
I think that's why several people I know keep a hand warmer on the action of their guns. I think Jim Shockey is one that does it as well.
As for charges slipping. I always check it when I get to the stand. I've never had one slip but I still check it every time. It only takes a second to do it, and it could save you a lot of stress in the long run.
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Somehow I've never gotten around to worrying about frozen firing pins.
But my feet seem to get cold when it drops below forty degrees.
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Dave - I also just got done reading that article. The only thing that I did not agree with is the author smacking his ramrod 3X over the charge to make sure the bullet was seated. And he never once made any reference to putting a reference mark on the ramrod. Something that I bet every one of us do.
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cayugad
I grew up and spent most of my life in norther IL where it gets cold in the winter. The way I was taught to deal with cold was to wash out all the oil when I am going to hunt I normally use alcohol for this then I use powdered graphite to lube all the moving parts. I have hunted in below 0 weather a large number of times and never had any problem.
I also think the loading processes described in the article sounds like a beginner.
Well I was shocked about some of the things they mentioned, even though they wished to appear as if well versed in the workings of a muzzleloader.
That graphite sounds like the way to go. I have a small tube with graphite dust in it. The directions state to clean all surfaces, and then dust only the moving parts. Sounds like it should work. After all my Knight Disc has a firing pin, as does my Genesis.
Now all of us remember to throw that ramrod down the bore on top of the projectile.. The last time I remember reading about that practice was when they loaded muskets in the civil war. They would bounce the steel ramrod three or more times to seat every thing, and then fire.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
I live in Canada and often hunt in -20 F I use synthetic pats oil and never had this problem.As for th load moving, I always have combo load that require 40 to 50 pounds of pressure to set the load so I never checked before.But I'll try to check with the ramrod to be sure.
Thanks for the infos
Taureau noir
Can you get the load packed too tight? Might be a stupid question but I'm a fairly good sized fella and I always feel as though something's gonna happen when I'm pushing down real hard. I use pellets BTW
Good reading this month
The last time I remember reading about that practice was when they loaded muskets in the civil war. They would bounce the steel ramrod three or more times to seat every thing, and then fire.
