how long will my charged rifle last

[white eagle]

wondering if the charge in my rifle will still be good
I loaded it Friday night 12-5 and it is still in my rifle
stored it outside in my truck to try and keep the temp and moisture out its loaded with Goex

[dondiego]

I left a couple rifles loaded for over a year and they fired after the storage as if they were loaded 5 minutes ago. I used gun powder.

[starmac]

In New Mexico the elk muzzle loader hunt is, or used to be 4 days. I have hunted in the gila when temps got as low as 10 below at night and at the end of the hunt it fired fine. I left some speed loaders loaded 2 years. These were kept in a dry place, but I loaded them out of curiosity and they fired fine.
I have heard several times of people buying an old rifle and haveing a negligent discharge because it had been left loaded for years. As far as how long would it still work, who knows, probably a lot of variables.

[white eagle]

I thought our season was over this past Sun. however after looking more closely it seems to run through tomorrow
I guess I will have to trust that a mountain man did not clear his rifle at the end of the day

[Drdarrin]

There are stories of black powder guns found after decades of neglect that would still fire. No personal experience here though.

[lancem]

the picture of the rifle over the fireplace is often seen, the reason was because the rifle was loaded and the place over the fireplace was always a fairly constant temp, keeping it ready for instant use whether it be days or weeks after loading. I have witnessed several antique guns that were purchased loaded, that we pulled the balls on and the powder flashed with a match just fine.

[CastingFool]

I have left mine charged up to a year and half, and the charge has gone off without a hitch. After going hunting, it will be nice and cold. I just bring it in and prop it in a corner in the furnace room. Do that every time I go hunting, till the end of the season when it goes back in the gun locker. Sometimes, I shoot it the following spring or summer, clean it and oil it, till next season.

[fouronesix]

As long as it was clean and dry when loaded, it should fire into the next century. The only caveat to that would be migration of lube into the powder or storage conditions.

Early on in muzzleloader shooting and hunting, I noticed a small shift in POI after leaving one loaded for a while. I assume because either a small amount of lube migrates into the powder or the lube dries out a little and changes how it affects the bullet flight down the bore.

Because of that small shift in POI, I try to shoot, clean and dry at end of day- then reload the next morning. That change in POI, even though small, bugged me. Since discovering it, I just try to avoid the possibility.

[bubba.50]

I don't know how long it will last but my personal experience is one I loaded before huntin' season one year & shot it the next year so I could clean it & load it for the new season. seemed the same as if I just loaded it.

[Harleysboss]

Depends on "murphy" and his weird laws. If there is a big buck standing broadside you will most likely get a hang fire. Now if you are just aiming at a stump to test fire it will most likely go bang right now. I'm with everyone else..it "should" fire fine.

[Omnivore]

Depends on "murphy" and his weird laws. If there is a big buck standing broadside you will most likely get a hang fire. Now if you are just aiming at a stump to test fire it will most likely go bang right now.

Exactly. I've left my rifle loaded for a week, going out in near zero F and bringing it into the house. Late in the week it fired perfectly, dropping a young buck in its tracks.

This season I had the gun out in the rain, keeping the nipple area and muzzle protected as best I could. I was not worried about it, so I didn't bother to empty it and reaload for the next outing. When I had a super close shot, right between the eyes of a nice doe, the cap exploded and the main charge completely failed to ignite. I've never had that happen before. Hang fires, yes, Caps failing to ignite because they were fit too tight, yes. I fixed that by using the right cap. Never a total failure to fire after a cap exploded though. That was the only deer I had a shot at this season and she trotted off into nowheresville. Sure suprized the heck out of her though. I wasn't more than 45 FEET away when the hammer fell. I might should have used a condo over the muzzle.

I really don't know what caused the failure. I removed the nipple, dumped out a few grains of powder, worked in a few grains of fresh 3F, reinstalled the nipple and fired it. Same main charge. She went off no problem. That would at least suggest, if not prove, that the problem was at the nipple end, rather than the muzzle or ball end. My best two theories are that there was some grease in the flash channel, though I did pop a cap AND swab before loading it. What seems more likely is that, since I had removed and re0installed the cap several times, to climb a tree and whatnot, and leaving the nipple off while in the house, the very hunid conditions combined with coming in from the cold resulted in just enough moisture in the flash channel to kill the shot. It sort of contradicts my earlier experience of coming in out the very cold conditions several times, also with the cap removed from the nipple, and not having any ignition problem at all. On a very cold day however, the hunidity is very low inside, where you're running your furnace all the time.

I've left percussion revolvers loaded for months and months, in my vehicle in all weather, and they fired all chambers. The only caveat there is that if you have a greased wad on the powder, the ample grease can degrade the powder over time and result in a very light shot. For a lubed patch and ball, I wouldn't be concerned about lube contamination of the powder at all. In my case this season with the rifle, the problem was definately at the ignition end.

Obviously I need to go out and practice shooting in the rain, to see if I can find out what can or cannot be done about it.

And that brings up the bigger subject of being prepaired and practiced. Ideally we should already know the answers to these questions before we head out into the field to shoot for blood, because we've tested these things ourselves and have a body of experience from which to draw solutions. There's that subject, compounded by the fact that range shooting, at static targets at standard, measured distances, in good light, with easily visible targets, from a bench, in good weather, where we went there knowing for sure we'd be pulling the trigger, and shooting just as much as we feel like and no more and no less, pulling the trigger we WE are ready to pull the trigger and not before and not later. Usually, NONE of those conditions exist in the hunting field, and so we must be thinking along the lines of hunting conditions when we practice. The timing, the lighting conditions and all the other natures and characters of the shot are dictated by the game and by circumstances not in your control. In short, shooting for blood is almost entirely alien to the shooting range experience.

The most awesome experiences you'll have is when everything comes together and you respond exactly right. Maybe it's something like dominoes falling. You're not in control of the situation so much as the situation is in control of you, but it all works out because you're ahead of the decision curve. I can't put it into words. Many people have tried. Maybe the best explanations focus on the fact that you got in your experimentation and practice to the point where you can forget about all of it, and respond intuitively to the moment wiothout the distractions of technical details and techniques.

[Boz330]

For hunting I never fire a cap to clear the flash channel, because it leaves residue that will attract moisture. I pull the nipple and clean with a pipe cleaner and brake cleaner, then clean the barrel of oil as well. After I load I lube the barrel with the same stuff that I lube the patch with. I do pull the cap at the end of the day and place a patch on the nipple under the hammer.
When I guided hunters in NM I had them use this method and never had a gun even hang fire. One particular week we hunted in the rain every day of the hunt. The hunter didn't get a shot and was interested to see if the rifle would fire at the end of that week, it did. Another hunter had 3 caps fail to ignite a load on an elk shot. The elk got tired of waiting and left. That particular hunter didn't properly clean his rifle after sight in and it cost him dearly. Unfortunately I was the only guide that had ML hunting experience. The rest were use to dealing with center fire rifles. They made their hunters dump the load every night and clean the guns like they had read had to be done. They also told my hunter that his rifle wouldn't work when needed if he didn't do that.

Bob

[Col4570]

Reminds me of the Song " I did,nt know the Gun was loaded".I was once asked to do some work on a Drum and Nipple that was knocked about.I was just about to warm it up with a Propane Lamp when I decided to check down the Bore.Sure enough the Rod stopped 3 inches from the Breach Plug.I found it had a Ball wrapped in striped ticking that had gone brown.The Powder under it had gone brown with rust but it still lit on the Bench.It was a nice original about 36 cal Rifle,very long and slim made on your side of the pond.It was later blown up by somebody who made a crude Ball and did not get it down on the Powder.

[starmac]

I have a question. I have stated that I have left one charged for 4 days, which was the length of the elk hunt. Even at that I was a little nervous that I might be making a mistake, but I was camped in the hunt unit, and didn't want to needlessly fire it. What is the thinking behind leaving one charged all year only to fire it and clean it when the next season rolls around? Is it just to test it and see if it will fire after staying charged all year?

[bedbugbilly]

Over the years, I have worked on many original ML rifles/shotguns and haver run across more than one that was loaded - and still very capable of firing.

A number of years back, I was on the firing line down at the Nationals at Friendship when the RO gave the order to "snap caps" - a procedure where you cap, lower your muzzle down range and check to make sure the nipple is clear prior to loading. There was a kid next to me that was going to shoot his TC. When the RO gave the go ahead, he capped his, pointed it own range and when he pulled the trigger . . . BOOM! Needless to say the RO was right there wanting to know what the H - - l was going on. The kid had a sheepish look on his face and replied . . . "I guess I forgot to unload it after deer season last year". When the RO was done chewing him a second one, both myself and the fellow on the other side of him took up the slack and put our two cents in as well . . . and then we both moved on down the line away from him.

I can see leaving a rifle loaded during season . . . but for safety sake unload it afterwards. Too many have been killed by "empty guns". It's your choice but for goodness sake, tag it as well to show it's loaded. We all have a way of "forgetting" over time. Just because you "can" leave it loaded all year doesn't make it the wisest decision.

[white eagle]

my original inquiry was for the remaining season
if I load it for day one of season will it still be useful at season end
then I discharge load

[fouronesix]

my original inquiry was for the remaining season
if I load it for day one of season will it still be useful at season end
then I discharge load

No one has a crystal ball. The ONLY way to answer that is to answer it yourself. Do the test before or after the season when the temps and humidity will be similar. Load and sight-in as per normal, mark the shots on that target. Keep the target. Load the gun. Leave it loaded for the time of whatever your season length is. Store and handle it as you would do during a hunting season. At the end of the season length, take it to the range. Put up the same target as was shot before, at the same distance as used for the last sight-in session. Shoot the same way as it was last shot- hopefully a stable rest. Shoot it. Compare that single POI to the group previously shot.

[pietro]

my original inquiry was for the remaining season
if I load it for day one of season will it still be useful at season end
then I discharge load


It should fire OK, provided the gun hasn't been subjected to humidity/moisture, like hunting fruitlessly in the rain, or bringing the rifle from a colder outside enviroment to the inside of a hotter/heated house/cabin - all of which can dampen the main charge enough to mis or hang fire.


I've loaded a cleaned gun for the beginning of one year's deer season, but never fired the gun - why I left it loaded until the following year's season.

BUT, I also never left the gun with an open/uncovered nipple (the route to the powder for moisture) - there was either a cap on the nipple (while hunting_ of a piece of leather (during transport & storage).

.

[Boz330]

We have 2 ML seasons here in KY. The first in the middle of Oct the second the middle of Dec. Many times I have loaded in Oct and not had a shot and carried in Dec. The gun went in the safe (with a loaded tag) between hunts. In more than 30 years I have never had so much as a hang fire. Wasn't a problem this year since I scored opening day. I'm headed out this weekend for the second half of the ML season. Need some more deer for summer sausage and jerky.

Bob

[docone31]

I picked up and old crappy Traditions .45cal caplock about six years ago. I went to clear the barrel to redo it, and felt a ball in the bore. I pulled the ball, and it felt like the chamber was empty. Cool beans. The previous owner had put it aside 20yrs before I got it. He said he had a stuck ball in the bore. Well, I pulled a dry ball and thought all was well. I capped it to test the chamber, pulled the trigger, and shush-Booom! Full charge and ball.
So there is 26yrs of storage and it went off. It was Pyrodex also. I could tell by the smell.
The chamber was clean, the patch I found, still intact and the shape of the ball. I fire lapped it and it is one durn good shooter. I cleaned out the drum and chamber. My wife has it now. I full stocked the rifle and redid everything.
Check the chambers! You never know.

[nagantguy]

Load my front stuffer Nov 14th for MI opening day on tb 15th don't unload it except by firing it at deer until season is over on Jan 1, late doe. In 15 years had one misfire, from a batch of powder that produced a few, for what ever reason that jug of powder was lousy. Dumped it in the rose bed and never had another problem. If memory serves it was the old white rectangle pellets sold by Jim shocky.

[KCSO]

Keep it dry and it will last a long long time. I plug the touchhole of my flinter and have shot a deer a week after the gun was loaded. In fact I pulled a loade from a shotgun with newspaper wadding dated 1869 and the powder still went woosh and the gun would have fired i,ll bet. The problem is keeping the touchhole or nipple clear and getting the spark to the powder and that taked a little work.

[Col4570]

I personaly would not leave a muzzleloader loaded. since the human mind is fallible and one could be demonstrating the gun to someone by fitting a Cap when boom "whoops now look what you have made me do".

[dondiego]

"All guns are always loaded!"

[pietro]

.

FWIW - I always placed a large red-colored "LOADED" tag to any frontstuffer I bring home & place in my safe.


.

[Col4570]

"All guns are always loaded!"
Sound advice indeed.

[starmac]

All guns are always loaded is something to live by, but I leave mine loaded while hunting, but clear it when I leave camp. Whose to say I will even be alive next week, and my wife wont sell my loaded muzzie to someone that doesn't know all guns are loaded.

[dondiego]

All guns are always loaded is something to live by, but I leave mine loaded while hunting, but clear it when I leave camp. Whose to say I will even be alive next week, and my wife wont sell my loaded muzzie to someone that doesn't know all guns are loaded.

Very true. I did buy a ML at an estate auction from a deceased hunter. Got it home and noticed that the ramrod did not go deep very near the nipple. Put a cap on it and it fired!

[bob208]

I have seen guns go off after being loaded for more then a year.

[Zouave 58]

Black powder is usually coated with graphite or some other anti-caking moisture deterrent and will stand a lot of condensation or humidity and still fire. I suspect that condensation in the ignition channel is a prime culprit in mis-fires but even then I suspect it would take a lot of moisture to kill an ignition flame given a good hot cap. So I'd say that a rifle that was loaded for a few days and stored at an even temperature should shoot just fine. Over the years I've worked on a number of rifles that were still loaded so it does always pay to check. And there is the true story of an antique cannon that was recovered from the Penobscot river in Maine that laid on the shore for many years until some children were playing around with it and matches and it discharged killing one of the boys.

[mooman76]

Very true. I did buy a ML at an estate auction from a deceased hunter. Got it home and noticed that the ramrod did not go deep very near the nipple. Put a cap on it and it fired!

Not really a good idea to do this. Not knowing who loaded it or what he loaded it with, for all we know he could have been one of those idiots that thought he could load it with a reduced charge of smokeless powder.

[white eagle]

all is fine she went boom this morning into a stump

[dondiego]

Not really a good idea to do this. Not knowing who loaded it or what he loaded it with, for all we know he could have been one of those idiots that thought he could load it with a reduced charge of smokeless powder.

Never even considered that.........but will next time! There was quite a selection of older firearms at the sale.

[TCLouis]

A fellow shooter came up on the firing line in May or June with his trusty RockLock he had loaded with FFG and PRB in December for second muzzleloader season.
Primed the pan, went to full cock and cut the X out of that 25 yard 6 bull like it was a math and points counted.

Years ago a loaded cap and ball revolver was found in a wall of a house over in Spring Hill and it fired and the assumed age of the loads was over 100 years.

If you gun has been fired then it should have been cleaned long ago!

[snoopy]

i don't do it ,but a friend of mine gave me a revolver that he had kept loaded for years. Every cylinder went off just fine.

[Dan4570]

I would suggest discharging it, and putting a new load in the gun every day you take it hunting to avoid hang fires, and missfires the next day. No biggy to discharge it before you get in the truck to go home, and if your using real black about 1 patch wet with water, followed a few dry ones to ensure its dry inside and re-lube the bbl with a natural, petrolium free lube. Snap a few caps in the morning, run a dry patch or 2 and place a fresh load in it before you head out.
I will on occasion (camping) keep a load in my cap and ball pistols for a solid 24 hrs max or over night, but that is a bit different than a rifle or shot gun being relied on to harvest game.

* I do not suggest keeping load beyond 24 hrs unless it is contained within a metallic cartridge, paper cartridge/tube, flask, or other approved storage device for it. Those newfangled plastic speed loaders are OK too I guess.

Historical Note for you:
Wild Bill Hickok used to discharge, and clean his pistols daily... that means target practice, and a fresh load in your gun for when you need it....not a common practice with all frontiersmen, I have read where loads were left for nearly a month, and the firearms owner was robbed and wounded do to his firearm not working. I'll let you decide why he (Wild Bill) was noted as being so deadly.

FYI, just so you know I ain't talking out my ear, I have been shooting BP since I was about 13, I'll be 40 in April, I have spent a lot a lead, powder, and cap in my time, and worne out several Cap&Ball hand guns, single shot handguns and a rifle with Black Powder. I have learned a lot by trial and error, I have also developed my own concoction of BP lubes, and lubricants, (working on a patent currently) I use BP on a regular basis, ie I rely on my firearms to work, when its time to work.

"I still stand by the idea that smokeless powder is nothing more than a novelty; a passing fad that will undoubtedly never catch on nor have any practical use."

[koehlerrk]

Friend of mine, well, her father passed away this summer, and one of the things she inherited was his old cap-n-ball revolver. Not knowing anything about it, she brought it to the one person she knows who has experience with Ye Holy Black. That would be me. It's a replica 1851 Colt Navy with a brass frame, made by Pietta. Nice gun, but the very first thing I noticed when she uncased it was that there were caps on all but one of the nipples... one empty under the hammer. Pulled the caps, then pulled the cylinder out and... you guessed it, five loaded chambers. Pulled the balls, dumped the powder into a pan and went out on the back porch. Powder went Foomp! when touched with a match. Re-assembled the revolver, put the caps back on, and by now it was dusk. All five caps shot sparks out the barrel. I have no doubt it would have fired just fine.

I asked Robin how long that gun had been sitting, and the last time she remembers her dad shooting black powder she was in highcschool, so call it 25 years or so that it sat around, waiting. He quit shooting his revolver at that time because a friend of his killed himself with one identical to it, so the gun got put up and left as he couldn't bear the memories.

So, how long will Black stay good? If kept dry, a very long time.

[Boz330]

If you are in a primitive hunting camp it is impractical to dump a load every night, especially if you have a patent breach. The chances of creating a dud or hang fire are real high. My buddy who taught me about leaving a gun loaded dropped a cow elk after hunting nearly a week in MT in the snow and cold from a spike camp.
If you want to dump the load every night, have at it, all I'm saying is that it isn't necessary. If you have a no fire or hang fire you probably did something wrong and it probably would have happened regardless of length of time loaded.

Bob

[nagantguy]

To give you an idea, since this post has been on my mind I loaded the encore with 90 grains pyrodex on Nov 14th, hunted with it several times and last night after several days of rain I saw a stump that badly needed shooting, last night was Dec 15th a month and a day of being loaded and hunted with in rain and snow and kept in the barn, it fired fine just as if it was fresh loaded.

[Outpost75]

the picture of the rifle over the fireplace is often seen, the reason was because the rifle was loaded and the place over the fireplace was always a fairly constant temp, keeping it ready for instant use whether it be days or weeks after loading. I have witnessed several antique guns that were purchased loaded, that we pulled the balls on and the powder flashed with a match just fine.

I have done the same thing numerous times. Whenever buying any antique gun the first thing you should do is check the bore with the ramrod and determine if it is loaded. Many are. I pulled a charge from a shotgun which was wadded with newspaper mentioning President Garfield's assassination, which occurred in 1881. The powder was still clean and black, like finely screened coal, and lit off in an ash try when the newspaper was set alight.

[Zouave 58]

Even a rifle that appears to be unloaded can still have a residual charge of caked unburned black powder. I heat and quench to free stuck breech plugs and a number of times I've gotten a pop and a puff of smoke out the muzzle. Muzzle control is everything!

[Geezer in NH]

I'll bet it goes boom same as always:cool: