About 10 years ago I sold my house. The buyers had come over to look at some things they wanted to do to the yard. When they found out that I was a black powder nut the man told me that he had a TC Hawkin that his brother n law had sold him.He asked if I would show him how to load it.

I told him that he needed to pop a couple of caps before loading. I was demonstrating andI placed a cap on the nipple and pointed it at the ground(in a safe direction) pulled the trigger and BOOM. The rifle had a full charge. To this day I ALWAYS check to make sure a rifle is unloaded. Reciently I was to do some repair work on a rifle for a man and found that it was loaded.

I bought myself a EZ unloader that used a co2 carterage to discharge a loaded rifle or a dry balled rifle. It has come in handy more than a few times.