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Posted: 1/1/2007 3:54:51 PM EDT
Had the wife and son at the range for a little bit of fun today, when a guy shows up with an expensive looking muzzle loader rifle. He decides to set up at the bench just to my left, between us and a couple of guys with a nice AR15 varminter setup.
While I'm shooting, my wife overhears the varminter guys speaking to the muzzle loader guy, "Are you going to shoot that right now?" Muzzle Loader Guy, "No" Varminter guys, "Oh good, we just wondered since you have your ramrod in the barrell still..." Apparently, the Muzzle Loader dude couldn't really hear them or was just stupid. I look up after emptying my magizine, because I heard the varminter guys yelling. Muzzle loader dude fires his weapon with the ramrod still in the barrell - what followed was a tremendous blast that almost knocked this inattentive idiot off of his bench. Smoke was issuing from the area near the trigger. The varmint rifle guys were checking themselves for shrapnel wounds, but the rifle held together. The funny/sad thing was the puzzled look on that guys face afterwards. The guys on his left had to explain to him (this time with his ear muffs off) that he had left the ramrod in the barrell. He packed up his stuff without a word - his facial expression about the same as when he arrived  . He was evidently not the sharpest tool in the shed. The only good things that came out of this were #1 - without a ramrod, he wasn't able to try and fire his compromised rife again (I almost suggested to him that he try some of the rebar used to hold up targets as a substitue ramrod as a joke, my wife said not to give this guy any ideas) #2 - It makes for a great story on Arfcomm. #3 Nobody was seriously injured. |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 3:57:22 PM EDT
[#1]
inattention and guns..... a combo made in heaven!
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:00:17 PM EDT
[#2]
That happens more than you'll ever know.
A guy I know did it about a month ago, funny thing is I told him when he got the gun. "don't shoot the ramrod". No harm done, good material to give him shit about though. Would have been better if he had got his deer with the ramrod though. |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:04:47 PM EDT
[#3]
That's why a lot of the re-enactors won't allow a ram-rod anywhere near their shindig.
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:09:58 PM EDT
[#4]
What an idiot. Glad nobody was hurt!
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:12:45 PM EDT
[#5]
Well, if he had a metal ramrod maybe... This guy had a synthetic ram rod and we looked for pieces of it during the cease fire... couldn't find any pieces. |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:15:05 PM EDT
[#6]
Definite sign of addiction. Glad everyone was ok. Sounds like he needs more drill time from a 18th century drill sargeant. |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:16:50 PM EDT
[#7]
Guess he's never read the part in Hatcher's Notebook about barrel obstructions...
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:17:12 PM EDT
[#8]
Oh he only found about a foot of the rod in the dirt. Said it kicked like hellhinking.gif |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:17:55 PM EDT
[#9]
Wow, thats insane! After makeing sure everyone was ok I'd have probably been laughing my ass off
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:18:58 PM EDT
[#10]
It's for more than just forgetfulness. Pieces of ramrod can break off. That blank cartridge then becomes something a lot less pleasant in the re-enactment. "Oh, look how well that reenactor is feigning a leg wound. Spurting blood and all!" |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:19:50 PM EDT
[#11]
As loose as the ramrods fit in the barrel, it's probably still in one piece...somewhere. 
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:20:41 PM EDT
[#12]
Glock makes a muzzleloader?
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:23:02 PM EDT
[#13]
there was no KB. |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:32:02 PM EDT
[#14]
In the army we used to stick cleaning rods down the barrel and launch them out with blanks.
Great fun!!! |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:36:53 PM EDT
[#15]
Fixed it for you. |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:41:21 PM EDT
[#16]
I was at a range the other day at the 50yd lane dialing in a .22 scope.
The guys next to me were on the 25yd lane, with an AKM, and kept taking turns firing from a standing position. Problem was after one would sight in, the other would take a turn and move the sights, and this went on back and forth for about 20 minutes. Finally, one of the guys pulled out a pistol, and started walking toward the 25yd target, He never even warned any of the shooters, which were firing. I actually like the regulars at our range with muzzleloaders to set up next to me, because of the cool cloud out of the muzzle. |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:43:10 PM EDT
[#17]
I cut my teeth shooting a CVA .50 cal Hawken when I was a kid. My Dad taught me to re-insert the ramrod back into the stock BEFORE placing a percussion cap on the nipple, making the rifle ready to fire. Never saw anyone fire their ramrod before, too bad you couldn't get some "after" pictures.
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:46:55 PM EDT
[#18]
Complacency is your worst enemy.
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:48:06 PM EDT
[#19]
Couple of years ago, had a old guy at a local range not take the cleaning rod from the barrel and fired a round. He was breaking in a new barrel and cleaning after every shot.
Blew up the receiver, got shrapnel in his face. He really had no business shooting, or driving, for that matter. He just forgot. |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 4:48:13 PM EDT
[#20]
I just knew the word "ramrod" would be instrumental to this story.
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Posted: 1/1/2007 8:28:41 PM EDT
[#21]
Wow! I remember a story about Jedediah Smith or some other mountain man shooting a ram rod out of a black powder rifle to kill a bear. I can't remember if it was because he ran out of time to pull it out or if he was out of bullets... |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 8:43:10 PM EDT
[#22]
I never use the wooden ramrods with my muzzleloaders....once you have one break while stuffing a projectile down the tube, you learn very quickly that synthetic rods are much better.
I follow a very specific routine when I load....I do NOT variate from that routine. If I have a load in the tube...it is going down range asap. To date I have not had any fuck-ups with my front stuffers....knock on wood. |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 8:48:16 PM EDT
[#23]
It was Hans Sprungfeld and he killed the bear with his bare hands. |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 8:52:49 PM EDT
[#24]
Unfortunately - some of the scariest things I have seen in my life have been the actions of others at ranges.
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Posted: 1/1/2007 8:54:20 PM EDT
[#25]
I learned the same thing the hard way. I switched to synthetics also. |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 9:09:31 PM EDT
[#26]
ranges are scary places because the guy next to you may have little or no common sense at all. an RO was in the process of kickin out a fucktard when he got shittysaid "fine mutha fuka" and jerked his AK from the bench and somehow in his movement blasted his foot.
another time a spanish speaking only (I don't) spoke to me and handed me his jammed glock, after he had fumbled and swept it all over the place I was considering wearing armor untill I got into a private shooting "range" |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 9:17:37 PM EDT
[#27]
I got muzzle swept yesterday at an indoor range....by the RO
 I called him on it...ass didn't even have to guts to apologise. |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 9:26:21 PM EDT
[#28]
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Posted: 1/1/2007 9:45:33 PM EDT
[#29]
I took one of my freinds shooting for his first time with my ak. After he lets loose about 10 or so rounds from the hip he turns facing me rifle still at his hip now pointing at me saying somthing like "fuck yea" or something. I quickly slapped the rifle aside knocking it out of his hands and had him by they throat before i even thought about it. scariest moment of my life. and hopefully his.
he has since learned his leason and become very safe with fire arms. |
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Posted: 1/1/2007 9:50:14 PM EDT
[#30]
Glad nobody got hurt.
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Posted: 1/2/2007 5:31:48 AM EDT
[#31]
And this board gave me grief when i mentioned that I wore body armor to the range.
Wait until you come across one too busy yakking to realize he's loaded the damn thing twice. That was one strong rifle.
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Posted: 1/2/2007 5:41:42 AM EDT
[#32]
A friend of mine did that. It destroyed the gun and injured his shoulder.
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Posted: 1/2/2007 5:45:15 AM EDT
[#33]
When guns turn from tools into toys...everyone loses.
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Posted: 1/2/2007 5:52:47 AM EDT
[#34]
"I'm da only one here professional enough to shoot this muzzle loader!"
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Posted: 1/2/2007 5:57:34 AM EDT
[#35]
This actually happens a lot at BP shoots. I've never seen it, but have heard numerous reports about it.
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Posted: 1/2/2007 6:49:43 AM EDT
[#36]
No, it doesn't happen a lot. It happens infrequently enough that when somebody does it it's a topic of conversation for a long time. That's why you hear about it so much, because it will be remembered as "the year the guy shot his ramrod downrange". That said, I did see a guy manage to shoot his *brass* range rod (as opposed to the regular ramrod that sits beneath the barrel, this is usually a larger rod with a handle) downrange. Blew the hammer back to halfcock and knocked him down. By sunset he was bruised purple from nipple to elbow and halfway down his ribcage. It really knocked him silly. The funny part was......the gun was undamaged. The guys gave him the mountain name "Harpoon" because although we looked, we never found the ramrod, so somebody started giving him hell about trying to use his rifle like a harpoon gun. |
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Posted: 1/2/2007 7:05:43 AM EDT
[#37]
+1 The most dangerous people I see at the public range are the once a year "Elmer Fudds". Who also happen to be the ones who bitch about those "black rifles" that are only for killing people and "should be illegal". Fucking 'tards
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Posted: 1/2/2007 7:10:17 AM EDT
[#38]
I have had the opposite experience, and have a Sako stock splintered from a 7.62x39 round to prove it. Asshattery is not specific to weapon type.
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Posted: 1/2/2007 7:27:40 AM EDT
[#39]
Ah, muzzle loaders and stupid go hand in hand sometimes. I guy I hunt with at deer camp loaded his CVA rifle with 100 grains of Red Dot!
He read the instructions and it clearly said to use 100 grains of powder. I was not present, but was told it was one hell of a loud BANG! Gun held together, but that was one hell of a proof load!
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Posted: 1/2/2007 7:28:50 AM EDT
[#40]
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Posted: 1/2/2007 7:43:25 AM EDT
[#41]
True But for each 'tard with an AK, I meet ten with a "thutty thutty". 
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Posted: 1/2/2007 7:59:11 AM EDT
[#42]
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Posted: 1/2/2007 8:12:58 AM EDT
[#43]
Darn fine question. I did hear one year about a guy who had used his cap & ball pistol at home and then brought it to the re-enactment, forgetting that he had loaded it. He loaned it to someone, who never asked what it was loaded with, who fired off the whole cylinder and almost put someone else down for the count. IIRC, they had an ambulance waiting on the sidelines at Perryville last year, just in case. |
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Posted: 1/2/2007 8:43:02 AM EDT
[#44]
Just throw the charge down the bore and touch it off.
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Posted: 1/2/2007 9:58:20 AM EDT
[#45]
Supposedly during Civil War battles, flying ramrods were not an uncommon sight.
Granted, those guys had a lot of things on their minds at the time, so it’s a little more understandable. OTOH, losing your ramrod means you can’t reload your rifle, which is really bad when someone else is trying to kill you!  |
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Posted: 1/2/2007 10:17:55 AM EDT
[#46]
 Glad everyone is safe. |
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Posted: 1/2/2007 10:30:10 AM EDT
[#47]
I thought this was going to be another story about a guy who filled the ENTIRE barrel with powder.
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Posted: 1/2/2007 10:59:12 AM EDT
[#48]
A hunting buddy loaded a powder charge/patch/ball over another charge/patch/ball when we were hunting one time. He tried to pull the second ball with one of those corkscrew type bullet pullers, but the corkscrew head broke off of the rod while it was screwed into the ball.
We decided to lash the rifle (.50 cal Hawkin type) to a tree with para-chord and fire it from a safe distance with some more para-chord. It shot fine and we saw two impacts downrange. No harm to the gun at all. Black powder rifle barrels made with modern steel are pretty darned tuff to damage with black powder. |
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Posted: 1/2/2007 11:05:26 AM EDT
[#49]
Ahhh Darwin in process.
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Posted: 1/2/2007 12:04:35 PM EDT
[#50]
Interesting, I did not know this. How do they reload???? |
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