I'd like to try live firing my Springfield (it's an Armi Sport btw).  Just wondering if you more experienced fellows could offer any saftey tips....  things to be aware of that you may not see in the usual sources.  

I've read the info on loading and firing.  I've fired blanks from an Enfield, but what kind of recoil can I expect with a live round,and with a springfield? Should I aim low?  That sort of stuff.

Thanks

I've live fired my springfield a number of times with no problem using a 65g charge.  The recoil to me is insignificant but then I weight 235 lbs so I'm a load to move.

I do use bore butter on the rounds to help maintain the barrel.

As to aiming, that depends on the target range.  Because of its low velocity the bullet's ballistic arc is quite pronounced at long range so you actually have to aim high in order to hit a target a long way away.

There is a natural tendency of soldiers to aim high anyway so you may want to take that into account.

Depending on how well your powder burns you may find the barrel fouling after a number of shots making it harder to load the bullet, so bring your cleaning gear.

Bob Sandusky
Co C 125th NYSVI
Esperance, NY

Thank you Bob.  Now if I get a day off with little or no snow I can go try 'er out.  I'm very new to this and I'd like to get some practice in with blanks and live fire.  Well live fire is just for the experience of doing it.  But I don't want to be getting off 2 shots to everyone elses 4 or something.  I want to get well aquianted with my firearm.

Anthony,

The most important thing is to keep the end of the rifle with the big hole pointing away from you!    

I was just kidding, but that is actually very important. When loading, make sure to keep your face and hands away from the barrel. After just one round fired, there is the remote possibility of a hang fire and 500 grains of soft lead can mess up your entire day. I know this just seems like common sense, but it's easy to get careless.

When charging your weapon, hold the cartridge between your thumb and forefinger, and keep the rest of your hand below the muzzle, just like you learned when practicing loading in nine times. Never charge you weapon directly from a flask. An excellent way to blow yourself up in the event of a hang fire.

Make sure your minnie bullet's grooves are lubricated with bore butter or any of the other products or mixtures available. Every shooter seems to have his own special lube he swears by!

When ramming, do not put your hand on top of the ramrod. This is a real temptation after a few rounds, when it gets tougher to seat the bullet. You want to make sure the bullet is firmly seated against the powder. A space between powder and bullet can result in very unsafe pressures. Wearing a burst barrel will also tend to ruin your day. When on the range, I use a wooden ramrod that about a foot longer than the barrel. It makes it much easier to load safely. I mark my ramrod so I can visually check that the bullet is properly seated.  

--Last edited by Bill on 2007-01-30 16:47:49 --

Live fire safety, Part two:

Do not cap your rifle until the weapon is pointed safely down range. If you are shooting from a rest, just get the rifle in position and than cap it. If you are shooting from the standing position, just cap the weapon the way you've been taught when in ranks. If you use a cone that has been drilled out to fire blanks, replace it with a cone with the correct aperture for live firing.

After every three or four shots, wipe down the barrel with a patch dampened with powder solvent. You aren't trying to clean the rifle, just get rid of the worst of the powder fouling. It will make the weapon easier and safer to load. It will also improve accuracy.

The quality control on modern repops often leaves something to be desired and you will sometime find a rifle, whose the main spring is too weak to hold the hammer down after firing. You can also find this condition on antique weapons, where the mainspring has lost temper over time. If you shoot your weapon, and it cocks itself, DN NOT shoot again. You have a weak mainspring or a drilled out cone. In either case these faults must be fixed before live firing another shot.

I always wear shooting gLasses and hearing protection when shooting any weapon. It's a good habit to get into. Accidents do happen and it's no fum picking shards of metal out of your eyes.

There is a school of thought that says you should never use a barrel for reenacting that you've used for live firing. The fear is a minnie ball ring will be left in the barrel after shooting and may come flying out while shooting blanks. To me, this is a non-issue, as long as the weapon is carefully cleaned and a breach scraper is used to check the face of the breach for any remaining lead.

I've been shooting CW rifle muskets for forty-five years and it's a safe and enjoyable experience. Just remember you are dealing with a deadly weapon and treat it with the respect it deserves.

I think I covered most of the basics. If there are any other shooters out there, please feel free to chime in.


   

Great info gents.  Thank you very much.  I just may hold off on the live fire though until I can get a pard to go with me.  It never hurts to have someone more experienced to coach you.

Well I took the Springfield to the range yesterday.  I'm happy to report that it functions great. I shot some live rounds, and it took me a couple tries to actually hit the target, and I still wasn't very acurate.  It got really hard to ram the ball in after a little while.  I fired a bunch blanks already so I packed up head home before the weather turned on me.  It was great to get the practice in.  It sure did take awhile to clean though.  

Thanks again for all the advise.  It was a HUGE help!  

--Last edited by TheBaldYankee on 2007-02-13 20:25:15 --

"It got really hard to ram the ball in after a little while."

Anthony,

Did you remember to swab out the barrel after every three or four rounds fired?

I remembered that while I was trying to ram the ball down.  But, since I'd already been there awhile, shot a bunch of blanks, and some live rounds, and it was starting to snow, I decided to head for home, rather than keep firing.  I was at The Log Cabin in Lodi, OH, so I had a 40 mile drive back to Cleveland.

The good news is I felt much more comfortable loading and firing the blanks then the first time I tried it with an Enfield.  I was able to go faster and I didn't spill any powder.  Now when I take the field I won't look like such an amature.

One last tip if I might; I see a lot of folks putting the minie too far into the bore--like all the way in--before ramming. This is a natural thing, but in order to get it there one has to get his thumb or some part of his hand too far over the bore. Use thumb and forefinger to just seat the minie as far as it takes to cover the grease grooves--the point of the ball will still be out. Then use the rammer.
This way only the very tips of finger and thumb are ever over the bore.
Once you have ever had a 'cook-off' just once, you will never forget this! It stings the **** out of your thumb and finger--but doesn't take any part of them with it.

Spence, I've witnessed two cook offs and they aren't pretty.  One was right behind me in ranks and it scared the B-Geebies out of me.