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Author Topic: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!  (Read 15473 times)

Offline pathfinder

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Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« on: January 13, 2013, 03:53:09 AM »
Let this start out saying, EVRYONE IS A OK! Again, EVERYONE IS FINE!!!!!

While at the shoot today in Laingsburg at the Lansing Muzzleloaders winter shoot,one of our members here,MiFlinter had his powder horn BLOW UP WHIKE HE WAS WEARING IT!
Eric D Lau was having trouble getting his flinter to go off and decided to step off the line to clear the gun.

I wasn't there at the station where it happened,so this is as Eric described the incident. The horn he had on had a slight crack in it that he had "fixed" with some epoxy. He was wearing it on his left side. He then held the firearm at waist level,pointed kinda to his left, with a pan FULL of prime. When he lit her off,the people who WERE there described it as Eric being enveloped in an orange fireball!

Apparently the flame shooting from the touch hole found a small gap in the epoxy repair and set off what was left in his horn. The only casualty's were his horn of course,and his left sleeve's,they were smoldering ember's that could not be put out.





When I got home I did give my wife an extra hug and the dog's some extra kibble in their bowl's.

I think the low pressure created by a "vented horn" was the ONLY reason nobody got seriously hurt. Caution should NEVER take a break. The thing's Eric did is something that anyone one of us has done MORE THAN ONCE in our career's as muzzleloader's,at least I have.

I guess the only lesson I'M taking from this is I will continue to NOT epoxy the base plug's in my horn's to act as a "Pressure relief valve". Beeswax to "seal" it as best as possable,but NO GLUE!!!!!!
« Last Edit: January 13, 2013, 06:46:43 AM by pathfinder »
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Offline WadePatton

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2013, 04:09:31 AM »
Incidents like this usually go a long way to improve the habits of those who were lucky enough to witness it and even some of those who weren't. 

Glad everybody is okay.

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mjm46@bellsouth.net

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2013, 04:55:27 AM »
WOW!!!  It is truly amazing that no one was hurt. And they say cats have nine lives.
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Offline Bull Shannon

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2013, 05:06:41 AM »
No laughing matter and I am glad he came out unscathed, but it did give his outfit a little more "character".  Beating the odds like that would make me want to go buy a lottery ticket.

Was this his main horn or his priming horn? 
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Offline Michigan Flinter

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2013, 05:09:47 AM »
The man upstairs was looking over me today .I am very lucky to come out of it with just a slight burn on my arm . I have been shooting black powder since the midsixties and have tried to be safty minded . If you have a horn that has a crack in it put it on the wall and retire it . Thanks Pathfinder for posting this .
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Offline pathfinder

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2013, 05:11:02 AM »
Eric,I'm MORE than happy to post this because of the geat outcome. It was great to meet you too!

« Last Edit: January 13, 2013, 05:15:03 AM by pathfinder »
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Offline Bull Shannon

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2013, 05:26:20 AM »
Quote from: Michigan Flinter on January 13, 2013, 05:09:47 AM
The man upstairs was looking over me today .I am very lucky to come out of it with just a slight burn on my arm . I have been shooting black powder since the midsixties and have tried to be safety minded . If you have a horn that has a crack in it put it on the wall and retire it . Thanks Pathfinder for posting this .
I've had dealings with Pathfinder before but never met him in person.  I am glad you are alright and you've met a good friend in Pathfinder.
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Offline wattlebuster

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2013, 05:11:56 PM »
WOW Made me just give all my horns a good lookover. Im glad nobody was hurt
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Offline Luke MacGillie

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2013, 05:25:02 PM »
Im more freaked by the images of a trigger finger necklace.......

Glad the guy didnt get hurt to bad, but well that finger.......
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Offline Eric Laird

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2013, 06:08:12 PM »
Luke,
How can you be sure that's a trigger finger? It might be the middle ("Guy gave me the finger - so I took it! Put it in my pouch right next to the evil eye someone had given me the week before....)!  :D

Eric
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Eric Laird

Offline Eric Laird

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #10 on: January 13, 2013, 06:09:03 PM »
And I'm glad everyone's okay!
Eric
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Eric Laird

Offline Kermit

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #11 on: January 13, 2013, 06:11:36 PM »
Anyone else think maybe folks should oughta remove horns and flasks and such when messing with clearing a misfire? It seems most times I see people trying to get a misfire to go, the gun is not at the shoulder, farther from the storage device. I've suggested to more than one person that it might not be wise to be setting off a prime closer to the horn than would normally be the case in shooting from the shoulder. Just sayin'........
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Offline Luke MacGillie

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #12 on: January 13, 2013, 07:04:39 PM »
Its already to the point that to start a flint and steel fire you have to take your pouch and horn off, cause its dangerous to strike sparks below your horn, yet its somehow safe to strike sparks above the horn while shooting.  I think the thing to do is not leave your horn uncapped either to allow sparks to fall in the spout, or dump powder on your tinder nest.......Personal Responsiblity trumps some new rule everyday in my book.

But what was the root cause?  I dont know the guy, and what I say will make me a bunghole, but his horn broke, instead of replaceing the horn, he tried to fix it, and the fix really wasnt a fix......

If the horn had sentimental value, it should have been retired to the mantle.
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Offline smokinbuck

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #13 on: January 13, 2013, 07:13:58 PM »
Eric,
had a similar incident occur to a freind down here a few years back, open top pouch and loose residual powder. Glad to hear you are okay. I guess some of us old dogs can  learn new tricks, a new horn isn't so costly sometimes.
Mark
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Offline Michigan Flinter

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2013, 12:09:07 AM »
Gentelmen I take full respoonceability for this misshap .I hope my goofup will save someone from the same mistake . I'm very lucky to not have burns on my body. I didn't sleep well last night just thinking of this.
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Offline pathfinder

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #15 on: January 14, 2013, 12:51:00 AM »
I had some trouble myself!

Kermit,you are absolutly right and you are very far from being a bunghole! Who would have thought it would be an issue? I sure wouldn't have. I feel that this is a wake up call for us all! And when I have to "clear" my firearm,I alway's shoulder the gun and aim at a target,NEVER WASTE A SHOT!

No blame can or should be put ANYWHERE! No matter what we do to avoid them,accident's will continue to happen.

On a side note and to lighten it up a bit,it's another reason left handed gun's are wrong! LOL ::)
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Offline Roger Fisher

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #16 on: January 14, 2013, 02:25:36 AM »
Quote from: Michigan Flinter on January 14, 2013, 12:09:07 AM
Gentelmen I take full respoonceability for this misshap .I hope my goofup will save someone from the same mistake . I'm very lucky to not have burns on my body. I didn't sleep well last night just thinking of this.
Hey Flint:: I'm sure everyone here thanks you for posting this inc ident.   It may save more...

I have seen 1 horn go up (unplugged horn on bench alongside open box of caps and shooting from the same bench) and know of 2 others and one hand grenade brass plunger primer (primer in open topped shoulder strap pouch with plunger up not pretty and he left a fine blood trail)  Now don't depend on large end plugs waxed in to save the horn from shattering.....This was written up couple or three years ago in M Blasts...
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Offline Topknot

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #17 on: January 14, 2013, 02:56:37 AM »
Eric, thank the good lord that you are alright. Something like that happening is a real eye opener. It wil make all of us check and double check our horns alot more often. 

                                                                                          topknot
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Offline pathfinder

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #18 on: January 14, 2013, 03:23:58 AM »
Quote from: TOPKNOT on January 14, 2013, 02:56:37 AM
Eric, thank the good lord that you are alright. Something like that happening is a real eye opener. It wil make all of us check and double check our horns alot more often. 

                                                                                          topknot

AMEN Brother! All thing's concidered and seeing how much we all shoot,AND how conscience we all are when it comes to saftey, this is a very safe sport! It takes a great deal of skill and commitment to saftey for us to be able to maintain our record of safe shooting. A huge round of applause need's to go to the fella's in Eric's shooting group for the quick action on their part to get Eric's smoldering sleeves off and preventing even more damage to him and others in the area!
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Militant_Hillbilly

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #19 on: January 14, 2013, 04:39:57 AM »
Glad to hear you're alright Eric.
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C. Cash

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #20 on: January 14, 2013, 04:31:31 PM »
Glad all is OK!  It really bothered me that my own dye tipped horn was split along the dyed portion.....so I sawed it to where no one can use it ever again.   Better that than someone getting hurt.
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Offline t.caster

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #21 on: January 14, 2013, 08:15:39 PM »
Eric, I am so glad to hear you are OK! At least physically...I know that will weigh on your mind awhile.
"Sticky" was over yesterday ordering up a new RIFLEGUN, and told me about the incedent!
We may laff about it now that no one was hurt...but there is a serious lesson to be learned from it. We will discuss this and other safety issues at the Feb. club mtg.
I guess I should have looked CLOSER at the repair job a week ago when you showed it to me.
So, how do you like your new handle? "Runnin Torch"??

Lovingly, Grits
« Last Edit: January 14, 2013, 08:18:37 PM by t.caster »
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Tom C.

Offline Jerry V Lape

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #22 on: January 15, 2013, 01:43:32 AM »
Running Torch?  I bet Swampy Shorts is also accurate!    Glad you weren't seriously hurt.  Bet your outfit has rather strong smell of sulphur.  Might scare some folks!
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Offline t.caster

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #23 on: January 15, 2013, 02:57:33 AM »
Yah, there have been discussions about the strong smell of his outfit, even before this happened :D
Hornblower might be a good tag too!
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Tom C.

Offline Michigan Flinter

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Re: Horn Blew up TODAY!!!!!
« Reply #24 on: January 15, 2013, 04:07:11 AM »
 You know we could all be friends if you only tried . I'm honored to have such good friends . They say things happen in threes ? Hope I don't pick up another name down in South Carolina this weekend when I'm on a hog hunt. I do appreciate everyones concern on my well being.
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