cayugad
Blowing down the barrel...
The whole purpose as explained to me about blowing down the barrel was to blow embers out that might still be glowing down there....
Which makessense because the air coming out of your body is mostly carbon dioxide - which would/should put an ember out - BUT what if there were more than one ember or maybe even some unburned powder and you grabbed a bunch of fresh air in your mouth and then blew down -you actually supplied those embers with a goodly supply of oxygen rather carbon dioxide. Same senario only this time with a warm barrel and burning embers only this time you push down an alcohol patch. The warm barrel accelerates evaporation, squeezing the patch in the barrel actually rings some alcohol from the patch and it runs down the barrel to the breech, both of these createfumes - fumes contact ember and any possible un-burnt powder. Why take a chance? And again would you offer this to you son or a beginner that were instructing. I am thinking if the range officer thought about that pure alcohol down a warm barrel they would probably not allow that either. liabilty - liabilty
Now i know the possibility of this happening are extremly remote 1/1000 or even greater, but as a school teacher you are trained in todays world don't even take chances that you know might cause an accident. To many parents and lawyers out there waiting for that one.
Just a few thoughts from a brain washed teacher and an ex-government employee.