The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The North Corral > Black Powder and Cowboy Action Shooting

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old June 16, 2013, 10:55 AM   #1
Pahoo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 16, 2006
Location: IOWA
Posts: 8,783
Listen to the gun !!

No, I was not smoking or hearing voices but my SideLock, was communicating with me, yesterday during one of our Hunter Safety classes. ..

At our M/L station, I do all the loading during our live-fire portion. I had a stack of .015 patches that I was using, as well as .490RB. My first two loads went well and on the third, it got tight. My SideLock was telling me that I now had gotten into some .018 patches. I then went to the bottom of that stack and again, it told me that I was still trying to use .018. I switched to a new stack and all was well. ....
Question;
I know we see this all the time and not restricted to M/L's, so I would ask;
When was the last time your firearm communicated with you???

Listen and;
Be Safe !!!
__________________
'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.
Pahoo is offline  
Old June 16, 2013, 11:42 AM   #2
n5lyc
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 11, 2009
Posts: 180
Feeling it..

Finally, someone who listens to machinery too.

I believe, if you use a machine enough, you get used to its sounds, quirks, and moves, as you use it, when something changes, you SHOULD notice its change.

My motorcycle, my truck, the printing press at work, even computers.
All talk to you..

My most recent firearm conversation was with my Mossberg M44US, it is normally a 1 whole gun from the bench.
One Saturday, it started opening up its groups.

I stopped, and checked things out, the front sling screw had backed. Out 1/8 turn, (this screw adjust the tension on the barrel band.)

I put it back to wher it was, and it tightened up its groups again.

Ian
n5lyc is offline  
Old June 16, 2013, 12:17 PM   #3
bedbugbilly
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 19, 2009
Posts: 3,282
I don't know about the "gun talking" but I do remember standing on the line down at Friendship years ago when the guy shooting next to me forgot to put powder in and he rammed his ball home . . . in that case though, HE was talking to the gun . . . I'd tell you what he said but we don't use language like that on this forum!

All kidding aside, it's important to "tune in" on anything mechanical whether it be guns, machinery, etc. The trick is to "hear it" and not let it go . . . I think the last time for me was when I was shooting my (new to me) Uberti '51 . . . it was telling me "change my nipples" as I had a number of misfires . . . and that little job is on my "to do" list.

I'm curious Pahoo . . . . were your stacks of patches "home made" or "store bought"? Did they accident;ly get mixed up or if store bought - did they come that way? I've had the same thing happen to me that you describe. I cut my own patches using a modified hole saw and drill press - does a pretty good job of it. But, I once bought some pillow ticking off of a "bargain table" and the thickness varied so much that I just scrapped the patches and started over with new material.

The important thing is, I hope the problem didn't slow things down for you and that those you were running through the station had a great time.
__________________
If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63
bedbugbilly is offline  
Old June 16, 2013, 01:31 PM   #4
Hawg
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 8, 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 16,175
Mine just says stuff like "you stupid SOB".
Hawg is offline  
Old June 16, 2013, 02:48 PM   #5
BirchOrr
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 25, 2012
Location: Eaton Rapids, MI
Posts: 445
^^^

LOL!!!!!

Yep... mine too.



Birch
__________________
Black Powder: Not because it is easy, but because it is hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win...
BirchOrr is offline  
Old June 16, 2013, 03:06 PM   #6
Pahoo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 16, 2006
Location: IOWA
Posts: 8,783
Past me but not my SideLock !!!

Quote:
in that case though, HE was talking to the gun
If you could put it into words, like the Hawg's did, it would say; "I'd work a whole lot better if you would have put some powder in me" .. ....
Quote:
I'm curious Pahoo . . . . were your stacks of patches "home made" or "store bought"? Did they accident;ly get mixed up or if store bought
These were store bought as the states provides most materials for our classes. In fact, these were probably made buy TC, Lyman or Traditions. They all support our courses. Yes, they got mixed up and past me but not past my SideLock ....

Be Safe !!!
__________________
'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.

Last edited by Pahoo; June 16, 2013 at 04:11 PM.
Pahoo is offline  
Old June 16, 2013, 03:46 PM   #7
Old Stony
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 31, 2013
Location: East Texas
Posts: 1,705
I've watchd people fight their smokepoles many times in the matches. When loading mine, I want everything to be exactly the same every time I load it. I use the same amount of lube on the patch and try to use the same amount of pressure to seat the ball, etc... Any little deviation effects acccuracy. A lot of people don't realize the work that makes a muzzleloader work right, but a lot of people don't win at the matches either.
Good observation on your part.....
Old Stony is offline  
Old June 19, 2013, 02:41 PM   #8
BigG
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 19, 1999
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 4,334
Consistency is key. If something doesn't follow your consistent pattern in loading and shooting, find out why and fix it.
__________________
o "The Earth is degenerating today. Bribery and corruption abound. Children no longer obey their parents, every man wants to write a book, and it is evident that the end of the world is fast approaching." Assyrian tablet, c. 2800 BC

o "In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man brave, hated, and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." Mark Twain

o "They have gun control in Cuba. They have universal health care in Cuba. So why do they want to come here?" Paul Harvey

o TODAY WE CARVE OUT OUR OWN OMENS! Leonidas, Thermopylae, 480 BC
BigG is offline  
Old June 20, 2013, 08:24 AM   #9
shortwave
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 17, 2007
Location: SOUTHEAST, OHIO
Posts: 5,970
Listening to your equipment?....

....True tricks of the experienced and wise shooter.

Too, not listening to the report can be disasterous in certain circumstances...think squib load.
shortwave is offline  
Old June 20, 2013, 08:27 PM   #10
Sure Shot Mc Gee
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 2, 2012
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 3,876
Well Pahoo. With those old school intuition skills you have. I think you were born at least 160 years to late Sir. If there is a next time around for all of us. Perhaps we can go the other way in history. (earlier) Not only could you hear voices from your rifle then. You probably would be able to converse with your horse too._

The only time I hear from my rifle is when I pull its trigger. Occasionally it does show a sense of humor though. "Its ball down range ends up MIA" _

S/S

Last edited by Sure Shot Mc Gee; June 20, 2013 at 08:35 PM.
Sure Shot Mc Gee is offline  
Old June 20, 2013, 11:14 PM   #11
shortwave
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 17, 2007
Location: SOUTHEAST, OHIO
Posts: 5,970
Quote:
You probably would be able to converse with your horse too._
Sure Shot,

You mean you can't converse with your horse???

Hell, when I had hay burners they understood me better then the wife and the kids.
Just have dogs today and I know they understand me more then most people.
shortwave is offline  
Old June 21, 2013, 12:22 AM   #12
allaroundhunter
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 6, 2012
Location: Southeast Texas
Posts: 1,670
Re: Listen to the gun !!

Not my guns too often, but my hand primer I listen to, indeed. It will tell me if a primer pocket is too loose, if I primer is going in incorrectly, as well as other small but very important details.

When you use stuff enough you learn its quirks and you know how things *should* feel. It also is a good key so that when things don't feel right you take a second to diagnose the problem.
allaroundhunter is offline  
Old June 21, 2013, 09:54 AM   #13
Pahoo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 16, 2006
Location: IOWA
Posts: 8,783
Life is good !!!

Quote:
Hell, when I had hay burners they understood me better then the wife and the kids.
I don't have any hay burners but can relate to the wife, kids and grandkids part. Perhaps it's because our animals "still" feel we have something important to say. .....

Quote:
I think you were born at least 160 years to late Sir.
Oh, I know that to be true. Two years ago, we visited the Alamo and I put my fingers, into the dimples that the bullets made, in the walls. My thought was that I wished I could have been there; Oh yes, shooting out. However, I think I would have passed on Goliad. ....

Be Safe !!!
__________________
'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.
Pahoo is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:46 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.06086 seconds with 10 queries