How come BP rifles don't blow up during loading?

[MEHavey]

seriously doubt that conditions and training prevented issues such as residual powder left in the barrel....

Any "powder left in the barrel" was left as a small glowing ember, not fresh/unburnt/ready to ignite (itself).... and highly unlikely.

....that came in contact with the steel ram rod....

Again, steel ramrods used in every musket design I've ever encountered, don't engender shaving burning slivers off themselves and/or the surface of the bore. Just doesn't happen.

...and/or allowing the ram rod to be pointed at one's head.

While loading a musket might find the bore pointed at your own/someone else's head in the process, the ramrod never causes an ignition sliver of burning steel. A glowing ember of cartridge wrapper might ignite the powder when first poured down, but that's long before the ramrod is brought into play. And if the lubed bullet then pushes distributed powder up against a burning ember when rammed home... well then that's still altogether different from the ramrod igniting anything.


.

 

[CANNONMAN]

I agree with you. However with the extremely modest amount of knowledge I have on the subject I just gotta ask you, "Are you then willing to use and endorse the use of steel ramrods?"

 

[DPris]

I certainly am.
Started with a .58 Zouave in 1977-ish, still have that one.
Used steel rods several times elsewhere.

Zero concerns.
And they're less likely than wood rods to break while ramming a charge home & spear my hand.
Denis

 

[MEHavey]

"Are you then willing to use and endorse the use of steel ramrods?"

No problem at all.
- Steel in the `53 Enfield since 1976
- Steel in the `63 Zouave since 1980
- Steel in the `61 Springfield since 1981
- Steel in the Brown Bess for the last 5 years

Other than this I have no opinion....

 

[DPris]

I'm going to go out on a limb & call it an Official Non-Issue.
Denis

 

[Eurohead]

This guy's carelessness with black powder earned him a permanent place in medical history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Gage#Accident

 

[4v50 Gary]

Steel/iron ramrods were in use for over 100 years. I've read hundreds of accounts of soldiers here in America, Napoleonic Wars and Civil War. Not once have I ever read of a muzzle loader going off while a soldier was loading.

Now, cannons are a different thing altogether (and i think it's embers and a failure to swab or the thumb guy failing to keep the vent sealed).

 

[CANNONMAN]

OK, OK, OK! I agree with all of you. I thought brass, wood, plastic, etc. were used as ramrods because steel on steel was an issue. Now I realize its as fallacious as worrying about static electricity an BP. Old here learning new tricks. Per chance would you change lead milling balls to steel?