If you put a ramrod with a metal tip down the barrel of a muzzleloader, you can get an idea if the gun is loaded or not. Just let the ramrod fall down the barrel. If it sounds like the tip is hitting steel, the gun is probably not loaded. If it makes a thud, it probably is. This is not a perfect way to check, but it's a start. I bet the wife wasn't too happy about the car either.