Unsafe Condition?

[TomP]

About 30 years ago my Dad and I put together a 45 caliber percussion muzzleloader from a kit.  I used it for plinking and rabbit hunting for a few years and then kinda retired it in favor of better toys.  Today I dragged it out of the closet and decided to give it a thorough cleaning, including unscrewing the breechplug.  I found that the male threads on the breechplug were .465 inches long but the female threads in the barrel were over an inch long.  In other words, there was a .585 inch long and .630 diameter chamber at the breech end of the gun.  That explained why I always had such a hard time getting it cleaned.  But what got me to wondering is the fact that the walls of this "chamber" are only .126 inch thick right where pressure is highest.  That's about half the barrel wall thickness everywhere else!   :eek: I'm glad I never used anything but roundball and 45 gr FFFg.

Anyone else ever seen a rifle built like this?

BTW, I won't shoot it again.

[lostid]

well, welcome to owning a "jukar".

 If you "pulled" that drum,,then the breech plug. good luck. ya just ripped the crap out of those breech threads.

your right,,don't ever shoot that again.

It' would have been a good idea to check "on-line" with BP folks before you cleaned it.

if your gunne don'y say jukar on the side then i apologze.

[TomP]

Glad to make your acquaintance, lostid.  No, its not got the JUKAR name on it but it was made in Spain and sold under the CVA brand.  This one doesn't have a separate drum, the percussion nipple threads right into the breechplug so no threads were damaged when I took it apart.  But you're right, I'll not shoot it again.

BTW, I have a couple other ML's now.  When I clean them, I use boiling water.  Gets 'em clean as a whistle with little trouble.  Wish I'd known how to clean like that 30 years ago.