Misfires and Malfunctions. It's all part of the game

[Tsalagidave]

Although I am certain that the majority here has logged their fair share of trigger time, it's important always go back and cover the basics.  There are so many would-be shooters out there who are afraid to ask basic questions and we should always be there with basic answers.

Recently, I suffered a malfunction at the shooting range. I used to cuss and get frustrated when this happened but then had a philosophical epiphany. The key to being a good frontiersman, let alone being a man who gets things done. It's what we boys (and the tomboys we love), do. I suddenly saw fixing my rifle in the same light as working on the car or building something in my workshop. Being able to skillfully get your weapon back on line in short order is just as important as fixing a saddle on the trail, fording a river and digging a wagon out of the mud. Deliciously gritty and so rewarding when you do it right....so hilarious to others when it doesn't go well. Okay, so gun repair in the field is a little more dicey...and the bloopers usually aren't funny at all. Here's a few tricks for the newcomer. As always, members are free to post their observations as well.

Below are the most common forms of malfunctions you are likely to encounter.

Short-started ball:
A shore-start is when your ball is not fully seated on your powder charge. It happens when you allow the fouling (burnt powder residue) to accumulate in your barrel to the point where it actually obstructs your ball, causing it to stick half-way down. (*Expert note: always spring your ramrod in an empty barrel when you first get your ML gun so that you know precisely how deep the barrel goes; where a properly seated ball should be; or if you have a short start.) NEVER....EVER try to shoot this out. Either your barrel will explode like a bomb (not fun when you are 15+ miles out into the mountains), or it will "walnut" or balloon out where the ball was. Either way, your barrel is ruined at the very least.  What happens is that a properly seated ball accelerates with the increasing pressure of burning gas until it exits the muzzle. When a ball is short started, all that pressure reaches a tremendous speed when it impacts a barrier (the short-started ball) transforming your barrel into an IED. Solution: Pull the ball as described below.

Wet powder load:

A sudden dismount mid-stream, carelessness in a rainstorm or bad footing crossing a stream are all the likely culprits of a soaked powder charge. I've heard of some old shooters wrapping the breech in a hot towel or laying the breech of their barrels close enough to the fire where it eventually heats the moisture out but always saw the latter as an unnecessary gamble with a disastrous ground discharge being a possible outcome. Also, it will be likely that the powder is so degraded to the point where if it even does fire, it may only short-start the ball. Solution: You guessed it, pull the sucker. -see below.

Broken mainspring:
I've known some shooters to take a lit cigarette or smoldering twig to clear the charge like a matchlock weapon. Keep in mind that you are discharging a disabled gun and the potential for a dangerous outcome is high. Also, if you find yourself staring into the vent (flintlock) or cone (percussion), you may be blinded in addition to flash-burning your fingertips.  Solution: I think you're following me by now. The ball's gonna get drilled right there and then. After that, use a spring-vice to swap out the broken mainspring. (Expert tip: Never use a regular wrench, pliers or C-clamp especially without a leather buffer to keep the metals seperated. Improper metal on metal contact may score the spring metal, weakening it to break again soon the same way glass cutters allow you to break glass in a straight line.)

Proper way to pull a stuck ball:

When your gun misfires, it can possibly be a slow-burning delay (hangfire). The good news is that this is dangerous only if you don't know what you are doing. When I have a misfire, I keep the barrel downrange; re-prime; and try it again. If it clearly won't shoot, first soak your cone (percussion) or vent (flintlock). Next bring your gun to the loading position with the barrel leaned away from you to the downrange position. Use a cup or canteen spout to pour a slow trickle of water down the bore to soak the charge. Let it sit for a minute. Now, affix your ball-puller to either your ramrod or service (cleaning rod), whichever is best suited to do the job.  Feed it down the barrel and thump the point of the puller into the top of the ball. Press down hard while twisting (usually clockwise) until the turn really fights your hand. It is usually out of a few turns but your experience will give you a feel for it. As you pull out the rod, they rifling will naturally turn your rod. Don't fight it. Let it turn as you use steady force bringing up the ball without sharp moves if you can help it. I drenched bore will break up fouling and soak the wadding to make extraction a lot easier.

In your kit:

*Turnscrew (screwdriver): Allows you to disassemble the threaded end connections throughout the weapon. This should have a cone *wrench for removing the cone on percussion arms.
*Flint hammer (flintlock only): is used to sharpen the edges of gun flints
*vent pick: small wire tool that allows you to clear
*wiper (worm): prong cleaning head that attaches to a ramrod or cleaning rod to carry a cleaning patch or clump of tow, cedar fibers or lichen to the breech and back for the purpose of scrubbing out the barrel.
*ball-screw: used to drill into the ball and extract it from the bore.
*Spring-vice: Removes the mainspring from the lock
*Tompion: (typically in military arms) plugs the barrel to exclude foreign particles
*Tumbler and Wire Punch: used in removing furniture pins and disassembling the lock mechanism.

Please add any feedback or requests about other mishaps you've encountered.

-Dave

[James Hunt]

Dave: Interesting post and concur with all above, yet ...

I have  always wondered about how much an individual trapper or plainsman carried to fix their gun. They did not seem to talk of it much. Did Osborne Russel, Joe Meek, or Bridger never run befoul of such a crisis. Hard to believe that a stuck ball never occurred. But you never read of one saying - "I took my ball screw out of my shot pouch and ..." Maybe the brigade carried such implements for the group? After all Bridger was a blacksmith I believe.

I don't normally carry a ball screw when shooting or out hunting. If need arose I would just return home (mad that I didn't carry a ball screw in my pouch, I think that has happened but once). If I did carry my flintlock for an extended trip where I was dependent on it working I absolutely would carry a ball screw. But how come we don't read of it. I have read (somewhere) of them taking the breech plug and pounding a ball out. Of course if they thought enough about carrying a wrench to remove the breech plug - they did tighten the breech plug well during the period did they not? - why would they not carry the more convenient ball screw?

Another thing, many old guns have been found with just a wiping stick and no capacity to attach any tool to it. I have thought of this having broken more than my share of wiping sticks. One can always (eventually) find a green stick and whittle down a new wiping tool, but in the field one may not successfully attach any sort of tip to it. Or maybe it is lost. On one of my guns, the one I carry horseback (the one with the period rawhide repair to the wrist that came after I landed on it), I have long since carried a wiping stick that I fashioned without a tip. When I wish to wipe the gun clean I get along fine with a piece of cord carried in my shooting pouch that I simply attach to some tow or cloth. Dipped in hot water I just shove it down the bore with my "tipless"  stick and then draw it back, same procedure for providing grease. Works great. But I have also thought how do I get a ball out when the gun won't shoot.

The image of a trapper laboriously pouring enough fresh powder thru the touch hole (which was larger in the day) to reach the ball, and then lighting that up comes to mind.

So when I venture into the mountains or onto the plains with my 21st century mind set - I go prepared with my ball screw and cell phone, in fact I probably carry to much crap. But I wonder how much the individual trapper would have carried.

And while I am on the topic of wiping sticks.... Looking at those great Millar drawings we always see those "things" sticking out of the muzzle with "stuff" hanging down from them. My theory? These guys were out on the plains so often, not necessarily near a source of appropriate "sticks" be it a Home Depot or a grove of oak or hickory, they would have wanted a second wiping stick less their gun become useless. Carrying it in the barrel provided absolute security for that stick. I have found that wrapping some rawhide or leather about the end of my stick and hanging a few whangs from it keeps the stick secure in the barrel and allows me to grab the stick and remove it easily since I have secured it somewhat in the barrel - and of course reminds me NOT to shoot the stick down range with a mental lapse. Although that looks pretty cool when seen in the "Mountain Men."

Didn't mean to ramble,  your point is cogent ... however, so much minutiae and so few answers. Regards, Jim

[Davem]

Something just occurred to me that I never thought about before. On a few muzzle loaders the breech face is coned or concave rather than flat.  If you want to clean fouling you don't use a flat scraper but rather a rounded scraper- hopefully that matches the contour of the concave cone.
Why was this done? Up until now I never gave it any consideration.
I am wondering if the concave cone makes it impossible to ram a dry ball (no powder charge) all the way up to the breech plug- the cone stops it. This leaves a void and you can dribble powder through the drum or flash hole into this void and shoot out a dry ball. I have no idea if this is why the concave cone breech face is seen- just thinking.

[Blair]

Anybody!
Care to see what 1820 to 1840's period sportsman/gunnery tools look like?
Pm me with your email address, or contact me through my email address in my profile.
I will send them to you with all the documentation for conformation.
My best,
Blair

[Tsalagidave]

Brother, I absolutely would love to see those tools. Sorry I didn't hit you up sooner
-Dave

[Blair]

Images sent this morning.
The forth image is of a few of the new made period gun tools I has collected.
My best,
Blair

[Blair]

It is amazing to me that out of more than 1700 "views" of this thread, I have only had two request for the information I offered.
You all have a nice day.
My best,
Blair

[Jake MacReedy]

Blair, sent you a request for pictures, sir!

Thanks!
Jake,aka Ron

[Blair]

Ron,

Copies in an e-mail to you.
My best,
Blair

[Vernon/IN]

Blair,

You have a PM inbound, with a request for the information.

Thanks for making it available.

[Blair]

Hi Vernon/IN,

I am sad to say that I just had a computer crash.
I have started getting it back up and running, but have found I have lost the images like you are wanting and that I have offered.
I will save your PM and try to get back to you a little later.
I can see about scanning them later, but I don't even have my e-mail up and running just yet.
Perhaps Dave can send them to you?
My appologies and my best,
Blair

[Vernon/IN]

Blair,

No problem, thanks for the reply.

I understand about computer problems.

Vernon

[Tsalagidave]

Blair, PM me about which email account you sent these images to and what email address you sent them from. I am having difficulty locating your message.  I am averaging about 2000 emails a week (mostly noise) but it is easy to lose gems like the one you sent in the pieces.  This kind of stuff should be on the page for everyone to see and I'd like to make sure it is.

Thanks

-Dave

[Blair]

Hi Dave,

PM sent.

The book is a reprint of the original catalog, and is currently under copyright by the new Publisher.
This is why I didn't post the images on a public forum.
My best,
Blair

[Tsalagidave]

Understood. Thanks Blair. I'll track it down.  There is no legal harm in showing excerpts from a book  that is being used in a discussion free from financial gain so long as the whole work is not pirated.  Besides,  I intend to mention the publisher with the picture shared so that those interested in getting the reprint will know the source.

A big part of my job is with magazines  so we aren't crossing any lines with a couple of pictures and a positive endorsement of someone's book. Now, if we made this an ebook on the site, or reproduced the entire article, that could be problematic.

Dave

[Blair]

Dave, good to know. Here is the info from the book.

"Tools for the Trades and Crafts"
An Eighteenth Century Pattern Book
R. Timmins & Sons, Birmingham

Published by
Ken Roberts Publishing Co.
Fitzwilliam, N, H. 03447

First Published in 1967. I bought my copy in 1989, I do not know if it is still in print
My best,
Blair

[Tsalagidave]

Well it took me long enough but here are Blair's photos and they are really informative.  I have also posted links from various sources if you are interested in buying like items.

Here are some links.

Cleaning Rod Sets: http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/33/1
Bag Moulds (gawd I miss Rapine Bag Moulds): http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/109/1
Spring vise: http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/115/1
Turnscrew: http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/120/1
More: https://www.smoke-fire.com/shooting-accouterments-1.asp
More stuff: http://www.crazycrow.com/black-powder-supplies

Blair, what was the name of this publication? I'd like to give them credit for the images.

-Dave

[Blair]

Vernon/IN,

I hope the images posted by Dave gives you what you had requested from me.
Again, my apologies for not being able to fallow through with your request.
My best,
Blair

[Vernon/IN]

Blair,

Yes, the photos help.  I was not after anything specific, the information sounded interesting and I thought it would be a good idea to have a copy.

Dave,

Have you had a chance to examine any of Larry Callahans bag molds?  I have one of his in .485 for my .50 caliber Longrifle as well as a .490 Rapine.  Larrys molds are good, and a very good value.  His standard sizes are $50.00 and custom sizes are just $70.00, plus shipping in both cases.

Here is a link to his web site.
http://bagmolds.com/

[Tsalagidave]

Vernon, thanks for the  great lead Pard.  I was not even aware of this maker.  Just what I love about the group here; can't make it through the day without learning something new.

-Dave