Help Identify a muzzleloader

[Grendl]

If it was mine I'd make it a wallhanger period.

NO SAFE QUEENS! Only working girls allowed `round here.

[Tom-ADC]

I know its a little late but you did make sure its not loaded right? See if you can blow air thru the nipple air compressor good for that or take a long wood dowel and run it down the barrel until it bottoms out mark it at the barrel end then lay it along side the barrel and see if it reaches where the nipple is. How about a picture of the left side opposite the lock, I'm curious as the the two empty holes in the right side of the lock.
If you where closer I'd let you shoot one of mine I have two .50, a .54 and a .58.

[Eljay]

That's a good point about checking for unloaded. It's amazing how many of these things have powder and ball in them already.

And do take CSACannoneer up on his offer - black powder's a lot of fun.

[Tom-ADC]

This one hasn't been shot yet.

[Mr_Dunev]

Sounds like we need to get together and burn a little charcoal through it. If you're interested, shoot me a PM. I have .530 balls and thick patches or, we can make some wadding and shoot shot through it. If you're truly scared of it, we can always clamp it down, attach a string to the trigger and proof it before we shoulder it.

Hell yeah I am gonna take you up on that offer! What range do you usually go to?

[CSACANNONEER]

Hell yeah I am gonna take you up on that offer! What range do you usually go to?

Range? I don't need no stinking range. Actually, for safety reasons, if we are going to proof test this, we should do it away from others. So, I was thinking that we could do it at either my old place by Acton or my new place by Thousand Oaks.

[Mr_Dunev]

I know its a little late but you did make sure its not loaded right? See if you can blow air thru the nipple air compressor good for that or take a long wood dowel and run it down the barrel until it bottoms out mark it at the barrel end then lay it along side the barrel and see if it reaches where the nipple is. How about a picture of the left side opposite the lock, I'm curious as the the two empty holes in the right side of the lock.
If you where closer I'd let you shoot one of mine I have two .50, a .54 and a .58.

The 2 empty holes don't go all the way through. They look like little nails if you shine a light on them.

I just did what you said, and I think there might be something in there.... The rod looks like it come about an inch and a half short of the nipple. And I can't blow air through it either.

[Tom-ADC]

See if the nipple will unscrew and then try blowing thru it, a good air nozzle and compressor really help here. If the nipple is stuck (rust) I use a few drops of Oil of Wintergreen but PB Blaster etc will work, just don't strip it make sure the wrench or socket fits perfectly.

Since you don't have any idea what it maybe be loaded with, who knows could be smokeless or ?? Don't try shooting it.

[Eljay]

The inch and a half gap is very suspicious. There are a couple of safe ways to remove a load. The easiest is with a CO2 unit if CSACannoneer has one of those - it will blow everything out with carbon dioxide.

[Tom-ADC]

These work: Make sure gun is pointed in a safe direction which ever you use.

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_99_322&products_id=9299&osCsid=9qgfb0941h0rj5du71hk5d6rq1

[CSACANNONEER]

My wife is out of state right now. So, I don't have anything to blow balls out with. We might have to do it the old way and just use a ball puller and keep yanking on it until it comes out. It should only take a few minutes to do it that way.

[Eljay]

The man's a saint.

[Tom-ADC]

My wife is out of state right now. So, I don't have anything to blow balls out with. We might have to do it the old way and just use a ball puller and keep yanking on it until it comes out. It should only take a few minutes to do it that way.

Maybe you'll get lucky and its not a ball thats loaded but shot!

[Enfield47]

One of those snake cameras would come in hand for this situation so you could see what's there.

[Eljay]

Usually if you can shine a small light down there you can get some idea what's on top but it helps less than you might think. Basically either you push it out with pressure from the rear (carbon dioxide, air pressure, even a grease gun) or you get something pointy and start digging in from the front. If you hit a ball you twist in and start yanking. If you hit a wad you tease it out and maybe shot will fall out, or maybe powder if it was a blank, or maybe somebody put a wad over a ball for no obvious reason. Could be some of each - buck and ball load. And you basically keep going until you hit the right depth.