What a PITA!!!
My nephew called me this evening and asked if I would help him clean a muzzleloading rifle. I asked the usual questions, "What cal. is it?, Is it still loaded?, How long since it's been fired?, etc." Well, he brought it to me and I looked it over (a T/C Renegade Flint) and it was OBVIOUS that the gun had been fired and not cleaned as the bore and lock were covered with BP residue and starting to show signs of rust. I asked again, "Is it loaded?" he said "I didn't load it because I haven't shot it". I pulled the ramrod which was one of those all steel T/C rugged rods and dropped it down the bore...it went "tink". I dropped it again and "tink" (not a dull "tunk") which led me to believe the rod was hitting the breech and not a lead ball or bullet. I said "lets get a pan of hot soapy water and get it flushed out". I removed the lock then the barrel and proceeded to attempt to flush the bore but something didn't feel right. I couldn't pull any water into the bore and it appeared as though black powder was seeping into the water from the touchhole (the liner was frozen in place and I was only able to remove it after it had soaked a bit). I said... "This d@mn thing has a load in it!!" I screwed a puller onto my range rod and sure enough, it screwed right into a bullet which I might add I COULD NOT BUDGE! After numerous attempts including putting the barrel in a padded vise and trying to pull it, I was getting nowhere. I dried the barrel and poured in some KROIL, let it sit awhile and still no dice! Finally I heated up a pan of boiling hot water and let the barrel sit in it for 20 min. or so. I then screwed the puller back into the bullet and could feel it move ever so slightly back and forth until it finally loosened and I was able to pull it out. You guessed it! Out came a @#%$ Powerbelt bullet! I then proceeded to let the boy flush and clean repeatedly with warm soapy water followed by just warm water. We then ran dry patches then some Break Free lubed patches followed by alcohol patches and more dry patches and finished it off with some Ballistol. It really needed some JB paste after it's first drying but it was getting late and the boy had school the next day. My nephew told me that his neighbor (who is near 80 yrs. old) had shot a deer with this gun several weeks ago and called my nephew to ask if the boy would help him get it out of the woods. After he got the deer to the man's house, the older gent said, "Here, I got a deer with it now you take it and use it." Well, my nephew is not ignorant to the proper method of loading and shooting a Flintlock as he has shot them in 4H and YHEC shoots so he agreed to take it. The Ol' fella gave the boy the necessary things he needed and sent him on his way. My nephew never got out with the gun and only wanted to repay his neighbor for letting him use it by bringing it back clean. I am SO thankful that the kid never tried to spark the lock out of curiosity as that could have been disasterous!! I told him that if he got the urge to try hunting with a Flintlock next season to come see me. I would NEVER give someone a loaded gun to use! Sorry for the rant....BPS
Last edited by Blackpowdersmoke; 01-26-2012 at 11:11 AM.