Flintlock Musket Ownerʼs Manual

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Veteran Arms, LLC The operation of historical weapons differ dramatically from those of modern firearms. Take Flintlock Musket time to familiarize yourself with all the functions of your weapon - that includes reading and Ownerʼs Manual understanding this manual. ALWAYS keep the muzzle pointed downrange and away from others. NEVER fire WARNING - DANGER! your weapon except into an adequate backstop. Under the Term & Conditions of Sale, this NEVER fire unless you are sure of your target. manual MUST be read and understood in NEVER fire at rocks, water, or other hard its entirety before using your Veteran surfaces. Doing so may cause a ricochet which Arms, LLC musket. Failure to read and may cause damage to property and injury or fully understand the information death to you or others. WARNING - NEVER prime your weapon contained in this manual may lead to until you are ready to fire. Failure to abide by this serious injury or death. rule may result in accidental discharge resulting in property damage, serious injury or death. If, after reading this manual, you still have NEVER store a loaded firearm. All any question as to the safe and proper muskets should be discharged prior to storage. use, function, or operation of your NEVER transport a loaded firearm in any vehicle. Storing or transporting a loaded firearm may weapon, contact Veteran Arms, LLC result in property damage, serious injury, or death. (www.VeteranArms.com) for further This weapon is equipped with a Half- information. Cock / Safety. Carrying a loaded weapon should always be done with the weapon at Half-Cock / ATTENTION! - Gun Use Fundamentals Safety. Care should be taken not to drop, jar, jam, • Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction bump, or otherwise forcefully disturb a loaded away from other people. musket as accidental discharge may occur. • Never place your finger on the trigger until Failure to do any of the above may result in ready to fire. serious injury or death. • Never load your musket until you are ready to NEVER turn over possession of a loaded shoot. firearm to another or accept for firing a weapon loaded by another. NEVER lean a loaded weapon Proper Use of Veteran Arms, LLC against any surface, nor leave it unattended. Doing so may result in serious injury or death. Muzzleloading Black Powder Muskets. NEVER attempt to clean or disassemble If you are not familiar with the safe a loaded musket. Doing so may result in serious and proper handling of muzzleloading injury or death. weapons - STOP! Do NOT attempt to ALWAYS mind your weapon and keep it use this weapon until you have sought pointed in a safe direction. NEVER run, jump, and completed competent instruction crawl, climb, or do other such activities with a loaded musket. It may accidentally discharge administered by a professional in the safe causing serious injury or death. and proper use of blackpowder / ALWAYS inspect your weapon before muzzleloading firearms. It is YOUR loading and firing to ensure it is in safe & proper responsibility to consult a qualified working order. If you suspect your weapon may instructor. not be safe for firing - STOP - do NOT use it until it has been inspected by a professional gunsmith. If you are unfamiliar with any term used in NEVER use your firearm while under the this manual, consult a professional or contact influence of alcohol or drugs, or while you are Veteran Arms, LLC (at www.VeteranArms.com). tired or distracted.

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Propellants: exceed the maximum charge of black powder prescribed for your weapon in this manual. WARNING - DANGER! Exceeding the maximum charge may cause detonation of the weapon and serious injury or This weapon is designed for use with FF death to you and bystanders. Grade (“two F”) Black Powder ONLY. ALWAYS make sure that the ball is firmly Shooters should NEVER use any other grade of seated against the powder charge at the breach. black powder, any smokeless powders, mixed Care should also be taken to see that the black and smokeless powders, Pyrodex, Triple projectile remains fully seated against the charge Seven, or any other black powder substitute. Use during handling and aiming. If not properly of any propellant other than FF Grade black seated, the ball may roll forward in the barrel and powder may result in serious injury or death to create an obstruction. Failure to fully seat the ball you or others. against the powder charge may cause the barrel “Black Powder” means gun powder to burst posing a serious risk of injury or death to specifically designed for muzzleloading firearms. you or others. WARNING - Because a gun-powder is black in Only lead projectiles should be used in color does NOT mean it is Black Powder or Veteran Arms, LLC muskets. Care should be suitable for use in this weapon. Never use any taken when handling lead as it has been linked to powder unless you are sure it is Black Powder serious physical ailments. Always wash hands and of the proper grade. after handling lead. Your weapon is designed to fire FF Grade Black Powder ONLY. WARNING Black powder generally may be had in 5 grades: 1. Cannon NEVER exceed the maximum 2. F Grade recommended powder charge, or use 3. FF Grade anything other than FF Grade black 4. FFF Grade powder and the size ball recommended in 5. FFFF Grade the Specifications section of this manual. Cannon and F Grade powders are used Doing so may cause a weapon failure for large bore weapons. Neither of these grades is suitable for use in your Veteran Arms, LLC and the potential for serious injury or musket. death. FF Grade (called “Two F Grade”) powder is designed for muzzleloaders with a bore WARNING diameter over .50 caliber. This is the REQUIRED NEVER use any type of smokeless black powder for your Veteran Arms, LLC gun powder, “bulk” powder, Pyrodex, musket. FFF Grade & FFFF Grade black powders Triple Seven, or ANY type of black burn more quickly and create much higher barrel powder substitute. Just because a gun pressures than is safe for your musket and should powder is black does NOT mean it is NEVER be used. Using these grades of powder black powder. Know your propellant. could result in an explosion of the barrel and serious injury or death to you and bystanders. Other Cautions: The ignition systems of historical NEVER pour black powder from a can, muzzleloaders may produce sparks, flame, flask, or other large container into your weapon. smoke, metal or chemical fragments, and other Should a spark ignite the powder being poured emissions and particles which have the potential from a large container it may explode causing to cause serious injury or death. ALWAYS wear serious injury or death. ALWAYS use a measured, protective clothing and equipment when handling single powder charge to load your muzzleloader. or shooting your weapon. NEVER place any part of your body directly over Approved Shooting glasses should the muzzle of the weapon. ALWAYS be worn to protect the eyes. Ear ALWAYS use an accurate powder protection should ALWAYS be worn to protect measure in making up powder charges. NEVER

www.VeteranArms.com 3 hearing. A heavy shirt or jacket of non-flammable ๏ Using a worm, jag, or other device wipe the materials should ALWAYS be worn to protect from barrel free of excess oil. flying particles or sparks. Care should be taken to ๏ Pointing the weapon in a safe direction, pull the keep beards and hair away from the ignition cock back to half-cock/safety. Place a small system. mount of powder in the pan and close the pan. NEVER smoke while handling a black ๏ Place the butt of the musket on the ground in powder weapon. The flame may cause an front of you. Hold the musket upright and away accidental discharge, ignite loading or cleaning from your face and body. supplies, or cause an explosion of powder or ๏ Pour your pre-measured black powder charge primers resulting in serious injury or death. into the bore at the muzzle making sure not to ALWAYS keep powder, primers, and other place your hand or fingers over the barrel. flammables and explosives well away from the ๏ Place the appropriate sized musket ball into the firing area. Failure to do so may result in serious bore. It should slip in with no need for forcing. injury or death. (A piece of paper or wadding may be placed on top of the ball to prevent it rolling forward after Firing Blanks: being seated.) ๏ Remove the ramrod from its channel. Place the ramming tip into the barrel at the muzzle and WARNING using short strokes, seat the ball firmly against No less measure of care should be the powder. (At this point you may wish to mark taken when firing blanks from your the ramrod again at the muzzle. This will allow musket than when firing live. you to ensure that subsequent rounds are fully NEVER point a firearm at another person, seated.) WARNING - Failure to seat the even when firing blanks. ball firmly against the powder charge NEVER overload, or double may cause the barrel to burst upon charge your musket with gun powder firing causing serious injury or death to at any time, even when firing blanks. you or others. If the ball should become Even with no projectile, the increased pressures lodged in the barrel or otherwise fail to created by exceeding the maximum powder seat, STOP - do not attempt to fire the charges outlined in this manual may cause the musket. Carefully remove the stuck ball, barrel of your musket to burst causing serious injury or death to you or others. or contact a professional to assist in its removal. Remember to handle the Loading & Firing Procedure: musket as if loaded. The following is meant as a general guide ๏ Remove the ramrod and return it to its channel. Pick up the weapon and, pointing it in a safe to loading and firing your muzzleloading musket. ๏ direction, draw the cock back to the full-cock It is NOT meant to be a comprehensive guide. If position and take aim at your target. you are unfamiliar with muzzleloading arms - Pull the trigger. (The cock should fall, striking STOP. Do NOT attempt to load and fire your ๏ the hammer, which will ignite the powder and musket until you have sought out and obtained proper instruction by a trained professional. propel the ball toward your target.) WARNING - It is important to press the butt firmly Steps: against the shoulder. If improperly held, ๏ Remove the ramrod from its channel and insert the recoil of the weapon may strike and its tip into the bore. bruise the shoulder or face.) ๏ Gently lower it into the barrel until it makes ๏ Should you decide not to fire after bringing your contact with the breach. All but the very end weapon to full-cock, bring the weapon down should be inside the barrel. from the aiming position, but be sure to keep it ๏ Mark the spot where the ramrod exits the bore pointed in a safe direction. Support the cock at the muzzleʼs face. with your thumb to prevent its striking the ๏ Remove the ramrod from the bore. hammer. With your index finger, carefully squeeze the trigger to release the cock. Once

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released, let go of the trigger and slowly lower unsafe handling or resale (except by the cock back down to the half-cock / safety authorized dealers). Veteran Arms, LLC position. Remember that your musket is still assumes NO liability or responsibility for loaded and treat it accordingly. property damage, injury, or death Failure to Fire: resulting from intentional misuse, accidental discharge, or for any other Should your musket fail to fire - STOP. Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Re- circumstance beyond our control prime the musket and fire again. including but not limited to, improper NEVER attempt to dislodge a ball that handling, improper loading, unauthorized has failed to seat properly by discharging the modification, neglect, or carelessness. weapon. The musket could explode. Manually See Terms & Conditions of Sale for more extract the ball, or consult a professional to assist information. in extracting it.

Cleaning Your Musket: Limited Warrantee Veteran Arms, LLC will repair or Black powder is corrosive, and failure to properly clean your musket may lead to poor replace, at its sole and exclusive performance, destruction of the weapon, or injury discretion, any defective part within 3 to those who attempt to use it. Care should be months of the first sale of the musket to taken to keep the weapon clean. its original purchaser. Purchaser MUST There is no need to remove the breach- contact Veteran Arms, LLC prior to plug for regular cleaning, and removal should not returning any item for repair to get be performed in any case except by individuals qualified and experienced in the proper procedure approval. This warrantee does not cover for removal and reinstallation. any other damage including, but not Water is generally all that is needed to limited to, scratches, dents, dings, or adequately clean your musket. Use water and a damage caused by use, modification, cleaning patch (on a jag) to swab out the barrel alteration, misuse, or neglect. until all fouling is removed. Clean other metal parts including the hammer. Thoroughly dry all metal parts with swabs and a cloth. Finish the cleaning by applying an adequate coat of oil. If you are unfamiliar with the proper procedure for cleaning your musket, contact a professional. Never attempt to clean you musket until you are certain that it is unloaded.

Prooﬁng: All Veteran Arms, LLC muskets come pre- proofed. NEVER attempt to re-proof the musket as injury or death may result. Veteran Arms, LLC will not be responsible for any damage to property or person resulting from any attempt at prooﬁng.

DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY Your Veteran Arms, LLC musket is a DANGEROUS WEAPON. Veteran Arms, LLC assumes NO liability for