This Probably Won’t Happen to You

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I had a near catastrophe a while ago that I want to share.

My .45-70 has tight chambers. Sometimes a round will not chamber, maybe due to the 540 gr. boolit having a seam from the mould that too pronounced or maybe the boolit has backed out of the case slightly. Sometimes these rounds that won’t chamber also won’t eject. I push the cartridge back in the chamber enough with my thumb to try to eject them with the ejector again. This one was really stuck so I knocked it out with the rod.

Before I chambered the next round I checked the bore. Who was the idiot that left the rod on the bore?!? That could have been lively.

I watch gun blow-up and plane crash videos. My incident had all the makings of a disaster. I was distracted, working on an unusual problem and I didn’t think I was in trouble. I have had success in solving difficult problems but just like the plane crash videos I can get into trouble being distracted and complacent.

With my vision being what it is, I switched glasses from my shooting glasses to my other glasses to knock the stuck cartridge out of the chamber. Another minor distraction.

[country gent]

Like the false muzzles used to have your rod could be fitted with a disk to block the sights if left in place. The false muzzles were usually set up with a piece that blocked seeing the tragets if left in place. I have seen ram rods shot from muzzle loaders a couple times but these were the old light wooden ones. Not a heavier brass or steel rod. I'm glad you caught it before a accident occurred. Also Glad there was no injuries or damage done.

[nicholst55]

Professional Gunners do the same thing with boresight devices. That's why the pre-firing checklist has a check to insure that the boresight device has been removed from the muzzle. The shop I inherited at Yuma Proving Ground had a collection of 'short' barrels from where the checklist wasn't followed.

[bob208]

in muzzleloading some guns use a false muzzle. so many have been shot down range that now they are required to be hooked to the bench with a chain.