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Author Topic: Removing the breech plug with a charge in?  (Read 1094 times)

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Offline BlueSky

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Removing the breech plug with a charge in?
« on: October 28, 2004, 06:41:23 AM »
Consider this:  the saboted bullet gets stuck hard part way down the bore and must be pushed out from behind.  The shooter takes out the breech plug, dumps the pellets and clears the bore.  The question is, is there any danger of a spark setting off the pellets when removing the steel breech plug from the steel barrel?  (There is no primer on the plug, of course!)  I watched this happen the other day and it made me a little uneasy.
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Offline tscott

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Removing the breech plug with a charge in?
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2004, 01:35:18 AM »
I leave a charge in for a few days (never more) all the time. What spark with no 209? I use 777 powder in my huntsman,  so my biggest problem pushing the charge out through the breech, is the powder sticking in the bore butter in the breech plug threads. I use pellets in my CVA, and that is no problem. I save the pellets in an airtight container, and use again. I like to stealth hunt. Even firing to unload at the end of a hunt spooks me more than just dealing with the charge at a later date. At the end of a 1 week season I shoot off, just to be sure of a good cleaning, befor putting the rifle up for the season.
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Offline Tcallbuilder

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Removing the breech plug with a charge in?
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2004, 02:07:31 AM »
Bluesky;
welcome to Greybeard!
I know some guys who (unload) in-lines by removing the breech plug, dumping the powder then pushing the ball out the breech end.
But it seems to me to make for a tougher cleaning job with the powder getting into the threads.
The chances of the powder igniting by removing the plug is very slim at best......but i still dont like turning medal to medal around black powder!
probably better off removing the barrel and soaking it in a tub of water and if possible removing the plug while in the water.

But either way never try to (shoot out) a ball that is not firmly seated against the charge!!!

TCB
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Offline Sourdough

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Removing the breech plug with a charge in?
« Reply #3 on: October 31, 2004, 07:52:44 PM »
With Pyrodex or 777 I just pull the breech plug.  BUT with Black Powder, I inject water or WD-40 through the flash hole with a hypodermic, before pulling the plug.  With water it takes two or three times to get it all wet.  With WD-40 it readily penetrates loose powder or pellets.  Here in Alaska we have very low humidity, and the air is charged with static.  Better safe than sorry.  Also a few years ago my best friend, set off a container of Black Powder, just by reaching for it, after walking across the rug in my room.  He lost all his hair, brows, lashes, and moustach.  His face blistered, but no permanate damage or scarring.  And he could not hear for several hours.  All because of one little spark.
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Offline BlueSky

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Removing the breech plug with a charge in?
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2004, 01:32:03 AM »
Thanks for the replies all, and the welcome, Tcallbuilder.  I realize the risk is probably low but the cost of failure would be very high.  Shooting WD through the flash hole to kill the charge sounds like a good idea, wish I'd thought of it.
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Offline tscott

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Removing the breech plug with a charge in?
« Reply #5 on: November 03, 2004, 05:18:48 AM »
GOOD ADVICE!!! I hunt with a physics teacher. He advises with a huntsman type gun no chance of ignition the way we handle, once the primer is pulled. Thats why I leave the charge in unprimed when not hunting for a week in muzzy season. That being said I really like the wd40 spray in the primer hole, before unscrewing plug. I'm going to start doing this. Whether I shoot a deer or not I'm always a little queazy upon pulling at the end of a season. Now I won't be!!
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Offline Ambushhunter

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Removing the breech plug with a charge in?
« Reply #6 on: November 04, 2004, 10:37:55 AM »
I've pulled the breech plug with pyrodex pellets in the breech many times and have never had a problem.  Maybe I'm  just lucky??? (Or stupid!!) :shock:
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Offline TCShooter

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Removing the breech plug with a charge in?
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2004, 04:14:00 PM »
Quote from: Sourdough
With Pyrodex or 777 I just pull the breech plug.  BUT with Black Powder, I inject water or WD-40 through the flash hole with a hypodermic, before pulling the plug.  


I read that Pyrodex was nothing more than black powder in pellet form.  So I would think twice about about not being as cautious with this as you are with the actual powder form.  As BlueSky said, the cost of failure would be very high.
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Gen 27:3  And now, I pray thee, take thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field and hunt me venison.

Offline Sourdough

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Removing the breech plug with a charge in?
« Reply #8 on: November 10, 2004, 08:22:59 PM »
TCShooter:  Negative, Pyrodex is a synthetic Black Powder substitute.  Pyrodex is classified by DOT as a flammable, like regular gun powder.  Black Powder is classified as an explosive.  Pyrodex is harder to set off than Black Powder.  Back when it first came out, those of us that used it had to drill out the nipple on our percussion guns.  The flash hole that we had been using for Black powder, did not let enough flame through.  For years I knew people that would not use it since it was so hard to ignite.  That problem has since been cured by the use of Hot Shot Nipples, or 209 primers.  I have never seen static set off Pyrodex, but I've seen a lot of Black Powder go off due to static.  That's why I got rid of all that I had, and don't want anymore in my house.  I got tired of replacing windows, repainting rooms, and rushing people to the hospital.
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Where is old Joe when we really need him?  Alaska Independence    Calling Illegal Immigrants "Undocumented Aliens" is like calling Drug Dealers "Unlicensed Pharmacists"
What Is A Veteran?
A 'Veteran' -- whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve -- is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America,' for an amount of 'up to, and including his life.' That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country today who no longer understand that fact.

Offline TCShooter

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Removing the breech plug with a charge in?
« Reply #9 on: November 11, 2004, 01:26:16 AM »
Interesting post Sourdough.  Thanks for the clarification!  

Quote
got tired of replacing windows, repainting rooms, and rushing people to the hospital
   

:shock: Not that I have been carless handling the stuff but I think I'm going to rethink how I store it.
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Gen 27:3  And now, I pray thee, take thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field and hunt me venison.
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