Where Is Your BP Container When You Squeeze The Trigger?

[bn12gg]

I ran across a couple YouTube videos of BP containers blowing up on a shooting bench when guys pulled the trigger. I guess sparks from the pan, off the cap or from the muzzle ignited a pound of BP. A pound of Goex or substitute that goes bang is real scary-- blew the shooters backwards off the bench.

I've developed the habit of taking the Goex container or 777 container and placing it in my wooden box behind me at the bench once I'm loaded up. It's a little awkward but I feel safe from a wierd accident when I squeeze the trigger.

Am I paranoid?

.02

David

[Fingers McGee]

No, just safety conscious; unlike the U-tube boobs

I load from a flask & it is never in the immediate vicinity when I pull the trigger. I never have an open container of BP (or any other powder for that matter) around.

[Hawg]

Either on the hood of the truck or on the tailgate.

[Beagle333]

On the loading table, in the house. (I shoot in my yard.)

[YARDDOG(1)]

+1 On the flask,, Mine is brass. I always load behind line of fire & all powder closed ; )
Y/D

[Hardcase]

Mine is always well behind me. Not because of safety, or not consciously, but because I like having a clear area around me when I shoot.

[B.L.E.]

I do most of my muzzle loading shooting at a muzzle loading club that has its loading benches behind the firing line. The club rules forbid capping or priming until the shooter is at the firing line. I have made it a habit to hang my priming flask by a leather lanyard from my spotting scope which is a few feet to my left, opposite the side of the rifle where the touchhole is.
In a situation where I have to have that priming flask on me, I swing it around so it's hanging behind me. It's one of those brass tubes with threaded end caps, in other words, a pipe bomb.

I have never had a powder flask ignite but once when I was shooting a flintlock off the bench, some spilled powder on the bench ignited when I shot. No damage or injury, but it did make me realize that it could just as easily have been a powder flask.

[kwhi43]

[IMG]gigkdleo

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

When I'm by myself at a club ranges bench rest area. I reload standing in front of a cast cement bench rest & table. (which I'm not allowed to do if someone other than me is there shooting in one of the other lanes.)
I accomplish the task with a un-ajustable 78 gr. loose brass charger & horn. (I never pour directly from the horn into my rifles barrel. >Never!!) Although I've seen it done by one club member who has a tube charger mounted directly to his horns outlet. I suppose it's good to be conscious of where ones powder supply is at all times.

S/S

[Doc Hoy]

Only revolvers.

I load the cylinder (Out of the revolver) on a press which is mounted to the shooting box.

The shooting box is on the tailgate of my truck.

My shooting bench is far enough from the tailgate so I can fit a folding chair between....5 or 6 feet.

I load the cylinder from a brass flask with a spring loaded valve. (I have a Treso and a CVA.)

The plastic powder cannister is inside a drawer in the shooting box.

One comment about loading directly from a flask to a previously fired cylinder; It is more potentially dangerous to load in this way than it is to load using a charge sized scoop. (An exploding flask filled with powder is more potentially damaging than the explosion of a single powder charge.) I advise shooters to understand the risks involved as completely as possible and make their decision to load directly from a flask to the cylinder based upon (a) a good understanding of the risks, (b) use of practices which reduce those risks and (c) a willingness to accept the residual risks.

I say again that I am somewhat foolhearty and accept risks which others find unacceptable. In the end there are elevated risks associated with loading directly from a flask to a hot cylinder.

[Rifleman1776]

Like BLE, on bench behind me.
Loading from a flask is dangerous and prohibited by most club rules.

[maillemaker]

I pre-load all of my cartridges at home at the kitchen table. They go in a shotshell box.

When shooting at the range, I take out 10 cartridges and then close the box.

Steve

[Pahoo]

Am I paranoid?

Not at all and have read that the "Paranoid" will survive. Regardless of how we protect our potention bombs from unintentional ignitions, this is a great point to bring up and post. Going to have to go in Utube and see. We thank you, sir !! ...

Cover, protect and;
Be Safe !!!

[chickenmcnasty]

I'm really glad this was brought up. I load my walker from the flask, but only because I hadn't considered this could be dangerous.
I'm a new shooter that unfortunately has to figure all of this out as I go. I'm thankful for the info.

[Roshi]

I've always loaded my revolvers from a flask. The flask is returned to my "possibles box" which is closed when firing. I do not consider the likelihood of more than what's in the spout going up from an ember in the chamber to be very high. However, even that could cause some serious burns. I will now make it point to blow into the chambers and allow some rest time between loads.

[brazosdave]

I usually close my flask up and place it on my box behind me. Occasionally, I will have a sealed flask on the table, fairly far away from the gun. That you tube video you are referring to, I believe it was pellets of pyrodex that were out in the open that caught that spark. In a well sealed flask, you would really have minimal problems with that. Still, closed and behind you is the best practice.

[TomADC]

On a table 5 feet behind me.

[bedbugbilly]

Depends on the situation - if I'm using a bench to load at, it stays there and is covered up when I go to shoot. Usually, I load from a flask or a horn. If I'm loading from my pouch, the horn is swung behind me before I fire.

Glad the OP posted this - never hurts to have a safety reminder - regardless of how long a person's been shooting. It might do well to mention "smoking" as well . . . I've seen some pretty stupid things done over the years and I also remember a accident at a club I belonged to in the 60s where several folks were injuried and one killed by an open powder container.

I've chewed out more than one person for smoking while handling powder - even thought they were closed containers. Sometimes "you just can't fix stupid".

One thing to always be aware of when shooting and loading at a bench . . . and I've noticed this not only at Nationals but smaller clubs as well . . . at times you can't help but spill a few grains when loading - they can accumulate in cracks, etc. on the bench and even on the ground at the loading bench - be aware of that and cap your containers tight or secure them so a spark isn't going to cause a problem. Usually the "accident' that happens is the one you'd least expect.

[bn12gg]

Bedbugbilly-- Thanks for bringing up smoking. While I gave up pipe/cigars 20+ years ago, we have a nice elderly range officier who smokes cigars constantly while walking the benches. He is a great guy and very knowledgable, but I'm going to keep an eye on him and really cover up if it is one of my black powder days with him watching the line.

.02

David

ps-- I love the smell of a cigar, cheap ones- expensive ones, makes no difference just love the smell!

[maillemaker]

I've always loaded my revolvers from a flask. The flask is returned to my "possibles box" which is closed when firing. I do not consider the likelihood of more than what's in the spout going up from an ember in the chamber to be very high. However, even that could cause some serious burns. I will now make it point to blow into the chambers and allow some rest time between loads.

Cookoffs are rare but can and do happen, as any N-SSA veteran can tell you.

I would not want to experiment to see if only the powder in the spout went off leaving the rest of the flask untouched. I would expect the whole thing to go off.

Steve

[Rigmarol]

I usually take up two shooting lanes, one for loading one for shooting. If someone needs the lane, I slow way down, cap up powder and primer box and remove from the lane until fired, then bring it all back to reload.

When shooting from the truck with benches, I try to set up a card table to spread out on. it's next to the tailgate where all the powder and caps are. Hard to explain, and no picture but basically more than an arms length between where I shoot and where I reload. I recap all containers before I shoot.

Recently went to a conversion in my Dragoons so I'm loading a lot less at the range.

[Fingers McGee]

Originally Posted by Maillemaker

Cookoffs are rare but can and do happen, as any N-SSA veteran can tell you.

I would not want to experiment to see if only the powder in the spout went off leaving the rest of the flask untouched. I would expect the whole thing to go off.

Steve

While the possibiity of a 'cook off' in a rifle or single shot pistol is a very real possiblity; and, happens from time to time; I do not know of any documented cases of it happening while loading a revolver from a flask.

[Pahoo]

I would not want to experiment to see if only the powder in the spout went off leaving the rest of the flask untouched. I would expect the whole thing to go off.

What we teach;
We teach that you only load from a calibrate measurer as this would cause minimal danger, in the presence of any embers. We also teach to pump the rod and wait ....

What I do;
On rifles and single-shot pistols and on the bench, I load from a flask or horn with a calibrated spout. I do take precausions to eliminate any embers, such as "pumping" the rod and wait.

In all cases, we never blow down the bore and I know full well, that some of you do. .....

Be Safe !!!

[B.L.E.]

All the clubs I shoot at go by the NMLRA rulebook, so loading directly from a flask with a calibrated spout is forbidden, along with blowing down the barrel.

Most of the target shooters wipe the bore with a damp cleaning patch between each shot anyway.
For what it's worth, in the many years I have been going to black powder shoots, I have never witnessed a cookoff during loading.

The trap and skeet shooters usually don't wipe the bore before reloading, but they have a short walk back to the loading table which gives any ember time to go out and I have never seen a cookoff at the shotgun range either.

I would guess the situation where a cookoff is most likely is a skirmish match where a team of shooters is shooting and loading as fast as possible.

[David13]

Back bench. Caps are on the front bench.
Or back table. Caps on the front table.
It's the rule in some places here, but it's my rule wherever I go. Back bench and front bench.
(Unless I'm on the motorcycle. And I have yet to do any black powder shooting off the motorcycle. As yet.)
dc