Blowing down the barrel

[Sharpsman]

It's been going on way back when the ODG were buffalo runners and even before that! Warm/humid breath softens blackpowder residue and in lieu of wiping...it assist in making loading a ML somewhat easier!

When I see rules against....I sometimes wonder?.....just how much some folks know about shooting BP??

[moleeyes36]

........Placing any body part over the muzzle of a rifle/gun, apart from the loading process, is not a good practice to get into, to the point of it becoming a habit.  Just my opinion.

Exactly!

Mole Eyes

[Daryl]

When I shove the patched ball down the bore, the rush of air out the vent is quite noticeable. 
With my cap lock English Styled rifle, the hammer must be pulled back to 1/2 bent or the ball cannot be seated on the powder charge due to the nipple being sealed by the spent cap underneath the hammer and the bore being effectively sealed by the patched ball.

Shove the ball down without lifting the hammer and it will push right back up 6 to 12 inches.

List the hammer up, push the ball down and there is a whoosh of air out the nipple.

I do not have to blow down the bore to see if the vent or nipple is clear. When I load, I know it is clear.

Nor do I have to blow down the bore to make loading easier - it's already easy.

[Mike Brooks]

Well, I guess I'll just continue to walk the razor's edge.....

[smallpatch]

First rule of gun safety..... gun is always loaded.
Second, never point at anything you're not willing to destroy.

My face ain't pretty, but it's the only one I got.

[sqrldog]

Kinda reminds me of the first real introduction of black powder back in 79/80 the Guru he had a sorta custom rifle said you always fluffed the barrel with 5/10 grains of power before you loaded the first time. Realized shortly all I was doing was really fouling the barrel so badly I could barely load the first shot. Same way with kissing a barrel I found out they shot just as well without being kissed. Yep and I would pay to see someone to blow down the barrel of an eleven pound Hawken on a horse running flat out. Probably a lot of teeth scattered across the prairie.😊

[Marcruger]

I always run my brass pick into the touch hole before priming. I was taught that it makes a flash channel into the center of the charge, promoting better and faster ignition.  Since I pick, I don't feel the need to blow down the bore to clear the touch hole. 

When I have seen folks blow down the bore, I've seen some sort of half-heartedly blow "at" the muzzle.  With no "seal", I am pretty sure they aren't getting enough air pressure in there to blow anything out of a 1/16" touch hole.  Do the rest actually stick their lips to the muzzle and really put pressure down the bore?  Serious question. 

Different strokes for different folks.  God Bless, and best wishes,   Marc

[little joe]

Smallpatch is right. If I cannot point a unloaded gun at some one else why would I want to point it at my head, as hard as it is.

[Mike Brooks]

I always run my brass pick into the touch hole before priming. I was taught that it makes a flash channel into the center of the charge, promoting better and faster ignition.  Since I pick, I don't feel the need to blow down the bore to clear the touch hole. 

When I have seen folks blow down the bore, I've seen some sort of half-heartedly blow "at" the muzzle.  With no "seal", I am pretty sure they aren't getting enough air pressure in there to blow anything out of a 1/16" touch hole.  Do the rest actually stick their lips to the muzzle and really put pressure down the bore?  Serious question. 

Different strokes for different folks.  God Bless, and best wishes,   Marc

Yes, I'll put most of a full breath from the muzzle through the touch hole, especially when the humidity is low. When I used to shoot matches the time in between relays my bore fouling would really dry out. So much so that you couldn't load for the next relay. One big puff allows me to load easily for the next relay.

[Mike Brooks]

Kinda reminds me of the first real introduction of black powder back in 79/80 the Guru he had a sorta custom rifle said you always fluffed the barrel with 5/10 grains of power before you loaded the first time. Realized shortly all I was doing was really fouling the barrel so badly I could barely load the first shot. Same way with kissing a barrel I found out they shot just as well without being kissed. Yep and I would pay to see someone to blow down the barrel of an eleven pound Hawken on a horse running flat out. Probably a lot of teeth scattered across the prairie.😊

Oh, you're in trouble now. That rifle I built you was built as a blower......   I'll have to make some adjustments for a "non blower" on the next one.

[Black Hand]

Do the rest actually stick their lips to the muzzle and really put pressure down the bore? 

That's how I do it...

Edit:
I do tend to use the "make a tube from the fingers" for blowing down the barrel now. I bashed my front tooth against the muzzle one time and that was enough for me.

[Daryl]

Kinda reminds me of the first real introduction of black powder back in 79/80 [/b]the Guru he had a sorta custom rifle said you always fluffed the barrel with 5/10 grains of power before you loaded the first time[/b].

Yeah - did that in the early 70's as it was written up in a gun rag/mag & quit doing that in the early days - maybe only a day after I tried it.   

[thecapgunkid]

OK, OK...so we should not think about luring some sucker in the dead of winter to putting his lips on cold iron ala A Christmas Story.

I'm guessing nobody has the specific origin of the NMLRA Ban aside from that guy with his wife?

Don't shoot yore eye out, kid, or blow on the muzzle in the winter...

The Capgun Kid

[mustanggt]

I've shot BPCR guns for almost 10 years and of course we blow the safe way. But I am as fond of my face as the next guy so the only reason I blow into a fintlock is because I don't want a still burning ember blow my charge up in my face. Way more chance of that happening without blowing than with.

[Darkhorse]

I don't put my lips on the barrel. I make a sorta tube with my finger and thumb and put my lips on that. I have never heard of doing this to clear a vent only to extinguish any remaining embers. Any vent or nipple clearing I do from the other end.

[Jerry V Lape]

If you want more moisture for the fouling or to see the smoke come out the touchhole why not run a slightly damp patch before starting the reload?  First rule of firearms safety is treat all firearms as if they were loaded.  Second is all ways point the muzzle in a safe direction.  That is why the no blowing rule exists.  It eliminates several possible problems and maintains consistency across all firearms.  I wouldn't want some kid at one of our ranges or demonstrations watch a shooter put the muzzle in his mouth and not understand the context.  If you must blow down the muzzle use a piece of tubing. 

I would note that if the 12,000 plus psi of the shot doesn't clear the touchhole you are unlikely to get it done with your 14 psi lungs!!  But you might manage to blow some debris into the touchhole though..   

[sqrldog]

Mike
The rifle (Wally Nut Rifle) you made for me is about as fast of a flint rifle as I have ever shot in spite of me never having kissed her or blew my moist breath down her barrel. Maybe I don't blow enough hot air for it to work. Shot her several times last week. Brice shot her hit a gong a long way off and then tried to buy her. Not for sale. I just don't see any need to deliberately put my head and face over the muzzle of a rifle, when it works fine without doing it. But each to his own. Tim

[Mike Brooks]

If you want more moisture for the fouling or to see the smoke come out the touchhole why not run a slightly damp patch before starting the reload? First rule of firearms safety is treat all firearms as if they were loaded.  Second is all ways point the muzzle in a safe direction.  That is why the no blowing rule exists.  It eliminates several possible problems and maintains consistency across all firearms.  I wouldn't want some kid at one of our ranges or demonstrations watch a shooter put the muzzle in his mouth and not understand the context.  If you must blow down the muzzle use a piece of tubing. 

I would note that if the 12,000 plus psi of the shot doesn't clear the touchhole you are unlikely to get it done with your 14 psi lungs!!  But you might manage to blow some debris into the touchhole though..   

Because it's a PITA. That's why I blow.  Everyone in my old club were blowers back in the 80's, 90's and 00's. I'd  suggest all of those that are terrified by my gun handling not shoot with me.

[EC121]

Mike.  The Wally Nut rifle fits me well.  I had to show off a little with it.  I'd like to say the gong was way off, but it was only 150yds.  Still not a bad shot for offhand, Kentucky windage shooting.   

[Mike Brooks]

Mike.  The Wally Nut rifle fits me well.  I had to show off a little with it.  I'd like to say the gong was way off, but it was only 150yds.  Still not a bad shot for offhand, Kentucky windage shooting.   

150 yards is a long way for me!

[EC121]

It was a big gong.   As Ivan Boggs used to say: "It's my lie I can tell it any way I want to."    One time at the Southeastern National Rendezvous at Fort Toulouse, AL we shot at a gong across the Alabama River.  Looked like 150-200yds.  We could see where the balls were splashing in the water and then pick out a spot on the bank that high above the gong as an aiming point.  Not every shot was a hit, but hits were regular enough to make it fun.   We ceased fire and waited when the water skiers came by.  Amazingly, the park people said as long as we had a range officer of some type they were OK with it. 

[RonC]

I am a late starter at this muzzleloader game, so I didn't bring many long term habits to it.

However, I use the same rules of safety when I shoot black powder that I do when shooting the unmentionable firearms. "All guns are always loaded. Never point the gun at anything you are not willing to destroy."

That is my habit and I don't see any reason to change it when I shoot my flint or cap locks.

Ron

[Woodsrunner79]

I've always been a blower. That being said, I've only been shooting BP since 1998. So, I don't have as much time under me as others. IIRC, I first read about it in a book on fur trading in the 1820's, but that was in elementary school so.....

Back on point. Blowing is the reason I don't shoot with other people anymore. Went to a shoot here in '05 and caught $#*! for it and was asked to leave. Then again in '07 at a local snowshoe run/shoot. So, now if I do shoot with anybody else it's either my brother or my father and, yes they blow too.

[rfd]

yet again ....

i make NO excuses for blowing down the barrel - it is the correct and SAFE thing to do.  as a certified NRA RSO, i know the letter of its laws.  in this litigious society, we have this overwhelming stupid desire to protect dumb people at the expense of the smarter ones.  yes, such a practice is verboten at most NRA, NMLRA, club and other ranges, and in those instances i'll use a neoprene blow tube.  thankfully, there are still public ranges around (and dwindling fast) where yer on yer own. 

it's a libertarian thing

[hanshi]

Blowing down the bore seems to be quite ubiquitous.  I, along with many on the forum do it.  While blowing down the bore is, IMHO, quite acceptable, Do not...DO NOT suck.