Those who have and those who will !

[Daryl]

Most of us would realize we dry-balled immediately- instantly upon doing it - we do not have to attempt to fire the piece, as the ball, when loaded, gets pushed down into the barrel's area where there should have been powder - thus- dry- no powder. If the ball stops where it normally does - and the piece does not go off, it mostly likely does not constitute a 'dry ball' but a failure of the charge to manifest itself - a misfire, in other words.  Also, people who push the ball down to a certain mark of a rod then stop pushing, will mostly likely be in this second situation - that of not really knowing what they are doing.  The ball must seat upon the powder - every time, exactly the same - for at least SOME compression. If there is no powder, the ball will push PAST where the top of the powder charge should have been - lights should go on - oops - !@*% - dry-balled - again. If they don't, try changing the bulb.  NEVER stand in front of or over a loaded gun.

[WKevinD]

I have been at the range when a dry ball was pulled, had powder behind it and another dry ball behind it. A novice shooter assumed he had not loaded (distracted and nervous) and had then loaded carefully again but there was no boom when he finally called someone over he had already flashed the pan four or five times. Thankfully no powder on the first load and it never went off.

[Molly]

My flintlocks are the newest household acquisitions after many years of gun ownership and sport shooting interest.  Suffice it to say there a lot of guns in the house.  Some "senior" Winchesters, Marlins, Springfields, Colts, Mauser's, and some newer S&W's, Springfields, Kimber's and numerous "cowgirl"" replica's.  There are only two loaded and both are in separate locked gun safes as home defense weapons.  I never assume any of the "modern" guns are safe and unloaded.  But with the flintlocks I know they are not loaded.  And I know when they are loaded and I feel less danger handling a flintlock than handling any of the other "unloaded" guns.  But the oddity apparently is that carelessness in handling a flintlock, such as burnt noted above, can be equally dangerous.  Fewer accidents happen PROBABLY because fewer people shoot BP.  Wonder if there are statistics on injury numbers per BP shooter vs injury per modern shooter?  No question about following ALL appropriate safety procedures with any firearm...loaded or "not".  As I move around the world of primitive firearms I do hear of some who have "misfires".  But it seems far less of a complex picture to solve that trying to "fix" a semi-auto 380 which ALWAYS jams on the second round in the magazine.  (Not mine, BTW.)  If you get sparks and a pan flash it should go off unless there is an obstruction in the touch hole OR the breech...something has to be between the pan powder and the charge or maybe the powder is bad/wet.  A friend had a replica that would not regularly fire and no one could figure out why.  The individual who did figure it out simply cleaned the gun very well and got a ton of $#@* out of the barrel.  Secondly, he drilled the touch hole and inserted a liner of proper size.  It has not failed to fire since.  As to the 380, no one has that figured out yet.  (But I don't care!)
I cannot remember when I last fired a modern firearm.  Maybe I need to seel them and get more flintlocks!

[Jerry V Lape]

Your assumption is the ball is either dry or has a charge.  There are more conditions possible than that as Burnt points out above.  There may only be a very small partial charge because the shooter got distracted while measuring powder and only put a small amount down the bore.  Though small, it doesn't take much powder to fire a ball hard enough to cause severe injury right at the muzzle.  The other condition is multiple charges stacked in various combinations in the bore.  I had a friend experience a three ball combination with powder between each ball - all of which had been fired with a percussion cap so the bottom charge had been attempted three different times at least.  The middle charge let off while he was trying to pull the 3d charge from the muzzle end.  Both balls passed between his fingers and palm without harming him other than slight burns and abrasions.  Some folks are creative geniuses when it comes to creating problems it seems.  It wasn't my friends creation, as he was trying to help out.  He now carries a compressed air tank with hose and multiple nozzles when he works with groups and muzzleloaders.  I think there is extra underwear in his possibles bag as well. 

[Daryl]

  Some folks are creative geniuses when it comes to creating problems it seems. 

LOL
Isn't THAT the truth!

[smylee grouch]

I have re-plumbed a couple ,three, of the co2 ball dischargers for compressed air use. They work ok for the smaller bores or shorter barrel length bigger bores. As with the co2 units you have to have a good seal to get the ball going. If you can move it just a little you might be able to get some powder into her from the breech end and save yourself from having to pull the ball.

[Daryl]

I have re-plumbed a couple ,three, of the co2 ball dischargers for compressed air use. They work ok for the smaller bores or shorter barrel length bigger bores. As with the co2 units you have to have a good seal to get the ball going. If you can move it just a little you might be able to get some powder into her from the breech end and save yourself from having to pull the ball.

After getting powder in there to shoot it out, do not forget to re-seat the ball down onto the powder.

[Mike R]

Years ago[1978 I think] I dry balled a .45 longrifle I had made in a MLer building class--it was a percussion even though it had flintlock period styling because I had been told the available flintlocks were more tempermental than caplocks and i wanted a hunting gun--anyway I went to the wood shop of the guy that taught me how to build and, indoors, he pulled the nipple, dribbled some FFFg in, put the nipple back on, capped it and aimed at a thick wood post holding up a ceiling beam in the shop: BANG!  That .445 ball sunk out of sight into the post at 12 ft!!!  So be careful when you try that.  By the way his shop partner was NOT impressed with that stunt and it wasn't long before they split up and he had to find another workplace!!

[Keithbatt]

All good advice that will work but if you want embarrassment, try shooting your ramrod down range.  It can be a spiritual event.   

I once saw a man shooting an approximate 4" bore cannon go to fire it with the ramrod still in the bore.  I was well aside of the piece but barely got his attention jumping and waving my arms before pointing up to the muzzle. He still seemed confused, because from the breech end it was hard to see the rod out the muzzle.  He still almost fired it.

I was embarrassed for him, he seemed rather nonplussed about the whole thing.

Apparently the load is 3 lbs of powder propelling cement filled steel cans.   

Keith