Firing old flint lock musket, Safe?

[Ninthinning]

I posted photographs of my flint lock musket earlier this month.  http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=42638.0
Thank you for all the amazing answers to my question about the age of the musket,  I am most grateful for your valuable time and knowledge.   I own several modern black powder pistols and rifles.   Would it be foolish to shoot my musket?   Would it be dangerous?  If not, what load would you recommend?

[JTR]

Would it be dangerous?
Impossible to tell from here.
If the interior of the barrel is in the same good condition as the exterior of the barrel, then it would probably shoot fine.

On the other hand, if for some reason it doesn't shoot fine, be prepared to loose body parts. Maybe fingers, thumb, face, nose, eyes, lips, etc. I guess it depends on how attached you are to those sort of parts!

John

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

John is not trying to be funny or condescending ( I think).  But he's right.  Take the gun to someone who knows of these things, and if still in question, do not shoot it.

[elk killer]

Put it in a tire, pull the trigger with a long string,
Let it tell YOU if it's safe

[Ky-Flinter]

Is the need/want to shoot it worth the chance that it (and you) might be destroyed in the shooting?

-Ron

[JTR]

Taylors' right, not funny or condescending, and I hope I didn't come across that way.
John

[120RIR]

The only original I have ever shot and ever intend to shoot is my Jacob Fordney bench rifle.  The barrel is massive and it would take a stick of TNT and a welded-shut muzzle to blow that thing up.  However, your musket barrel is far, far from that.  The risk to body parts, your life, and the musket is too great.  I'd get a nice repro and have fun with that.  The ultimate effect will be the same.   

[Mike Brooks]

If I  owned it I don't think I could come up with a reason why I needed to shoot it.

[TMerkley]

Put it in a tire, pull the trigger with a long string,
Let it tell YOU if it's safe

This is as safe of a way to do this. But, make sure you are behind a tree bigger that you!!!
We used this method on a restored double barrel 12 guage.  Barrels found in the bed of an old pick up truck going to salvage.  It was a breech loader

[Don Stith]

Just a pet peeve of mine but, Where do you find a knowledgeable person to look at an antique firearm and what does he look for.  A visual check is not going to verify anything that I would trust my eyes and fingers to. I am sure the mettalurgists amongst us can identify some sophisticated testing that might identify hidden flaws

 Even the old double load, double ball and tie it to a tire doesn't assure you it will hold up to future loads.  In fact it probably just creates previously unknown flaws.. Keep powder and ball out of the old arms.  That is the only safe approach There are enough suicide bomber candidates without adding your name to the list
 THat is my rant for the day and I feel better

[JCKelly]

Mr. Stith I surely do agree.

[Bob Roller]

Taylors' right, not funny or condescending, and I hope I didn't come across that way.
John

I wouldn't shoot it.There are replica military weapons that CAN be shot without
ending up as the center of attention in an ER or the feature attraction in a 3 ring
funeral. If you want to gamble,buy a lottery ticket.

Bob Roller

[Howard]

As these old gun barrels get older they seem to change & some get brittle.  Even most xrays  won't pick the hairline cracks.  There is a zyclo process  but the old finish would have to be removed. I don't know of any private shops that has this system.

[Ninthinning]

Thanks for the good advice.   I stick with shooting the modern black powder guns.

[frogwalking]

In the 1960's, Chuck and I were given an old percussion Belgian double 10 gauge.  When test fired it tied in a tire as described above, the left barrel let go.  I am glad we took the precaution to use the tire.

[lexington1]

I saw a guy lose a finger once when an original double barreled shotgun burst its barrel. I think about that all the time when I even remotely think about shooting one of the originals.

[FlintFan]

Where do you find a knowledgeable person to look at an antique firearm and what does he look for.

Really the only gunsmiths qualified to determine such things, are those that deal with vintage double shotguns on a regular basis.  One of the first things they do is take bore, and wall thickness measurements.  Very few "regular" gunsmiths have the specialized equipment necessary to take those measurements accurately.  Better smiths will also have bore scopes to inspect the pitting that is undoubtedly in the bore. 

[JCKelly]

How do these Better Smiths inspect the quality of that long forge weld in the barrel?

Can they Inspect whether 200 year old slag seams in the wrought iron have grown into cracks?

[oldtravler61]

  On any thin metal barrels that have bore pitting like shotguns. Your seriously hanging on to a disaster if your planning on shooting it. Just because the 3 idiots on a T.V. show say it's ok. Better give it serious thought before you do!   Mike

[Joe S.]

with all the discussions on barrel thickness related to dovetails and metal used for barrels,how much powder is too much,proofing barrels ect.and this is modern barrels.Its just doesn't make sense to even consider shooting a fossil one

[ron w]

the real truth is that no-one can look at a barrel and see the integrity of the hammer weld, unless it's obviously deteriorated. to assume it's good because there are no visible defects is asking for a disaster to happen. at the same time . it's reasonable to assume that the integrity of the metal itself hasn't changed simply from sitting around, buts actually the minor consideration.  unfortunately it's relatively expensive to have a piece of metal inspected metallurgically, but that's really the way it should be done. the expense isn't really worth the pleasure of being able to shoot the gun, in my opinion. to fire it without that extensive a level of inspection isn't worth the potential of loosing a hand or worse.  it's nice to have a rifle like that and it's nice to have all your body parts, as well.    i'd be darned if I would trust my hand/arm to someone's eyeballs and judgement  based soley on sight. hang it on the wall and look at it,.... is my advice.

[WadePatton]

Thanks for the good advice.   I stick with shooting the modern black powder guns.

thanks for listening.

Also, this is what replicas and bench copies are about--something to subject to our shooting needs(wants) without taking unnecessary risks. 

Maybe make one like it?  You have a full-sized, 3D model in hand!