Muzzle Loader Question.....

[Richard]

Ok, so I have what I'll affectionatly call a muzzle loader, HA!!

Dad acquired this probably 50+ years ago. He's 92 today and his 65 year old wife doesn't want it in her house.....so I brought it home with me a couple weeks ago.

I have ten cannon balls....well, sort of. I have nine balls in hand (no jokes please lol) and one of them is in the barrel. I don't know if it's literally stuck or just wedged in with some dirt or a twig or something.

We used to stuff it with rags and fire it off. Given how long ago that was, I have no memory of how much of what, was used. We had black powder, we had primer powder and fuses. My memory says we put "X" amount of powder down muzzle, stuffed rag in there and tamped it down. Put "X" amount (very small as I recall) of primer into the torch hole and then stuck a ?? (10?) inch fuse in the hole and lit it. We did this literally on the back patio of the house, facing away (of course) towards the woods.

I need to get that ball out of there. I may not worry about it until spring.... or a "warm" day. I do know I don't care to wrestle with it in 30/40 degree weather.


So..... if I can get the ball out and it comes time to fire it, does anyone know what a SAFE process would be and amounts of powder to use.....and where to get said powder? I think I learned today that black powder is no longer made in the USA.

If this was in your hands, what process would you use to fire it?

 

[i7win7]

It was designed for black powder, do not use modern powders. Is there a group of civil war re-enactors that can look at it and give better advice? Don't know what happens to powder trapped in barrel for decades, can draw moisture thru touch hole.

One of the problems with black powder is misfires. If you try it fire it and it doesn't go off, it may have a delayed fire, keep it pointed down range and don't mess with it for 10 or more minutes

When I was shooting muzzel-loading rifles. An extraction screw could be attached to ramrod, screwed into lead ball and a tug-or-war contest to remove it.

Many states have muzzel loader seasons so the powder should be available.

 

[Roadworthy]

The old black powder may no longer be available but there is a modern equivalent out there. You do not WANT a current powder used today for reloading ammunition but if you do a web search for black powder you will find it is available. Once you get the cannon ball out you can probably fire the cannon in the future without a ball, just the powder and a wad will give a significant noise.

 

[5030]

You want Pyrodex or Goex black powder for muzzle loaders. and some cannon fuse (Hodgdon has it), think you can buy it at Cabelas or Bass Pro.

Years ago we cut the top off an welding oxygen cylinder, drilled a hole in the bottom side, dumped in a bout a pound of Western 409 muzzle loading powder (it's for inline 409 style front stuffers), shoved in some cannon fuse, about half of a sunday paper and dropped in a bowling ball and leaned it against a picnic table for elevation. Lit the fuse and got way back Sucker went off and the bowling ball went out of sight... and the bottle buried itself about 2 feet in the ground.

One time was more than enough for that. Glad we live in the country.

 

[jyoutz]

Ok, so I have what I'll affectionatly call a muzzle loader, HA!!

Dad acquired this probably 50+ years ago. He's 92 today and his 65 year old wife doesn't want it in her house.....so I brought it home with me a couple weeks ago.

I have ten cannon balls....well, sort of. I have nine balls in hand (no jokes please lol) and one of them is in the barrel. I don't know if it's literally stuck or just wedged in with some dirt or a twig or something.

We used to stuff it with rags and fire it off. Given how long ago that was, I have no memory of how much of what, was used. We had black powder, we had primer powder and fuses. My memory says we put "X" amount of powder down muzzle, stuffed rag in there and tamped it down. Put "X" amount (very small as I recall) of primer into the torch hole and then stuck a ?? (10?) inch fuse in the hole and lit it. We did this literally on the back patio of the house, facing away (of course) towards the woods.

I need to get that ball out of there. I may not worry about it until spring.... or a "warm" day. I do know I don't care to wrestle with it in 30/40 degree weather.


So..... if I can get the ball out and it comes time to fire it, does anyone know what a SAFE process would be and amounts of powder to use.....and where to get said powder? I think I learned today that black powder is no longer made in the USA.

If this was in your hands, what process would you use to fire it?

Take it to a gunsmith

 

[CobyRupert]

Spray some brake cleaner in its touchhole and light it with a long stick. Have it aimed in a safe direction. Might knock it out.

 

[CalG]

Get some help if you need it, but just up end the cannon (muzzle down) on a firm surface "like a stump"

lift the cannon a few inches above the surface and let it fall. once , twice , ten times.. whatever it takes, that ball (and powder) will fall.

As far a charging, the model cannon guys will give a lot of suggestions. Take four or five suggestions, and pick the one that you might live with.

Throw a rug over the cannon the first time ;-)

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Start off by taking a yard stick and measure the distance from the ball to the end of the muzzle, from inside the bore.

To get the ball and powder out, I would start with compressed air. From the touch hole, put an air nozzle up against the touch hole with about 100-120 psi of air in the compressor. It would be better if the air nozzle was the type with the semi-pointed rubber tip, to give as good an air seal to the touch hole as possible. While holding the nozzle tip firmly against the touch hole, hit it with a shot of compressed air and see if the ball moves forward by comparing it to your first yard stick measurement.

If it does, then "Bob's your Uncle" and keep doing that multiple times, should push the ball all the way out of the bore.

If it doesn't, you may have to stand the cannon muzzle up and dribble some solvent or penetrating oil around the bore and let it sit over night.

Try the same method the next day with the compressed air and a tight fitting nozzle.

 

[Egon]

When purchasing your muzzle loader powder realize it can come in different grain sizes for different applications.

 

[5030]

Western 409 only comes in one grind. Far as Gooex is concerned I don't know, never used it. I only load Western in my inline.