'Twas a beautiful Summertime day in the early 1970's at the picturesque Shakertown, Kentucky state park. My Skirmish team had placed fourth or fifth in the Musket Team Match that Sunday Morning and while the final scores were being tabulated by the host team, we were engaged in a Brigade Shoot.
The target? Each "Brigade" had a railroad tie planted in the ground vertically out at 50 yards. Whichever "Brigade" cut their tie down by rifle fire first would be declared the winner. On that day I was shooting a replica M1855 Harpers Ferry Brass Mounted Rifle with a Whitaker barrel.
I had already fired about 20 rounds rapid fire and the barrel had heated up to the point when loading, I had to grasp the sling and sling swivel on the front barrel band because both the barrel and forestock were simply too hot to touch.
I was hurriedly dumping a powder charge into the muzzle when: "KER-BOOOOOOMMMM! The blast of the "Cook-Off" caught my hand at the wrong spot over the muzzle and literally blasted my right hand up, over my head!!!
I was literally stunned by the sudden turn of events. The unexpected blast, the pain in my hand and the first thought that ran through my mind was: "IT (the rifle) BIT ME!" I laid the rifle down, muzzle pointing downrange and stepped back from the firing line.
I looked at my right hand as I was in a fair amount of pain. The fingers were coated with a greasy, dark powder fouling and jagged little holes in my fore finger and index finger were seeping a dark colored blood.
In over ten years of shooting muzzleloaders and over five years of being a Skirmisher, this was my 1st "Cook Off." One thing for certain, it hurt! In a few minutes the Brigade Shoot was over and I retrieved my rifle from the grass and got "Cleared" off the line by the Safety Officer. Back in camp I received some sympathy from my wife and the 'medical treatment" consisted of washing my hands and then pouring some alcohol over my wounded right paw.
Obviously, my hand had been burned by the Cook Off but I decided to play "Tough Guy" and didn't bandage my hand, thinking that it would heal faster without the benefit of a bandage. The next morning I woke up in pain and my right paw had swollen-it felt like it has swollen up to the size of a baseball glove (although, in reality, it wasn't that big.)
A trip to the local Emergency Room at the county hospital was made and I was given several shots by a semi-sympathetic doctor. His comment while administering a shot: "I have always wanted to get one of those old fashioned guns, but just don't have the time to spare."
SOLVING THE MYSTERY....MAYBE?
Obviously, my "Cook Off" had been caused because my rifle was so hot from firing 20 odd rounds rapid fire-but everyone else engaged in the Brigade Shoot had fired just as many, if not more, rounds than I had and no one else had had a "Cook Off."
When I described the incident to my good friend, the late Guy Owen, Guy thought he knew exactly what the problem was. His comment: "I bet you have a build-up of "Cake" in your breech." I was somewhat mystified because I had always cleaned my barrel each and every time I had shot the gun. So, where did this "Cake" come from?
We went to my basement, disassembled that rifle and pulled the breech plug. Sure enough, Guy was right. There was a "build-up" of almost "rock hard" carbon fouling at the junction of the edge of the breech plug face and the sides of the barrel.
With the breech plug removed, it was easy to knock out the "Cake" from the rear. So, I began a regimen of annually removing the breech plugs from my Skirmish rifles and removing the built up "Cake." However, that did not stop "Cook Offs" because I tended to have occasional "Cook Offs." More about that later.
Removing the "Cake" by cleaning the barrel from the muzzle with a jag and various cleaning rods is well nigh impossible. The more rounds that were fired, the more the "Cake" grows. So how does "Cake" cause "Cook Offs?"
Well "the jury is still out" on that one. One theory has it that when the rifle is fired, burning grains of powder are blown into the cake. The combustion of these burning grains is retarded once they are in the cake and they remain glowing for a few moments-long enough to cause a "Cook Off" IF a fresh powder charge is dumped down the barrel immediately.
Another theory is that the "Cake" absorbs gun oil seeping down from the barrel, (as most guns are stored with the barrels pointing upwards.) This retained gun oil in the "Cake" can be ignited into a smoldering hot spot after successive rounds and that might cause a "Cook Off."
Could "Cake" cause something worse than just a "Cook Off?"
Here is a H.P. White Laboratory report concerning an India made replica "Brown Bess" that blew up at a re-enactment:
http://www.middlesexvillagetrading.com/special/HPWhiteReportWithPersonalInfoBlocked.pdf
What H.P. White probably missed is that when WD-40 is used to "spray down" a barrel after it has been shot with black powder fouling still in the barrel, the powder fouling will turn gray after a few days.
That "unknown" gray fouling to H.P. White tells me that the owner of that Bess didn't clean it after events-just sprayed some WD-40 down the barrel and let it go at that. So, there is the possibility that the hardened "Cake" in the barrel, part way down the bore, formed enough of a constriction to raise the pressure enough to cause barrel failure. (That is just one theory-if you have another, please let us know!)
Whether we are talking about "Cook-Offs" or Barrel Failure-the lesson seems to be: Clean out that "Cake" from your bore!
[Side comment-unfortunately not all of the barrels that come on replica rifles have a removable breechplug like the originals. For instance, the original Euroarms Mississippi had a breech casting that came without a removable breech plug. There are also other replicas out there like that.]
Even though I thoroughly removed the "Cake" from my Skirmish rifles on a regular basis-I still continued to have occasional "Cook Offs." I noticed that there was a "pattern" to my "Cook-Offs:"
[1] They would take place when my rifle barrel was "Hot" after a rapid fire session (this was rather obvious from the beginning!)
[2] My "Cook Offs" ALWAYS took place on hot, Summertime days with a high humidity.
[3] Following the "Cook Off" I would pull the breech plug and find that there was some build-up of "Cake." Sometimes just a little.
FIRST AID FOR A "COOK OFF:"
I even developed my own "treatment protocols" for a "Cook Off." Following a "Cook Off" I would lay my rifle down, barrel pointing downrange and leave the firing line. I would go to my ice cooler that was full of soft drinks, ice and ice water and plunge my burning hand into the water and leave it there for a good 4 or 5 minutes.
Then wash the affected hand and flood it with Hydrogen Peroxide.
This seemed to work for me because the next day or so, my hand would always be fine.
ACCIDENTALLY DEFEATING THE "COOK OFF" DEVIL:
My last "Cook Off" occurred sometimes in the 1980's! I still religiously remove the breech plug from my rifles on a regular basis and remove the "Cake." But one other thing I do seems to keep me "Cook Off" free. Back in the 1980's I QUIT USING CRISCO in my lube formula!
What is so puzzling to me is that many Skirmishers continue to use Crisco and don't have problems with "Cook Offs!" All I know is what works for me and the lube formula I use now is 40% Bore Butter and 60% Beeswax.
CONCLUSIONS:
"Cook Offs" are still a bit of a mystery, but removing built-up "Cake" from your barrel is always a good idea. Same can be said with avoiding using Crisco in your lube formula.
Regardless, always follow N-SSA loading procedures by having that rifle or musket barrel pointed well away from your body when loading and using ONLY two fingers on the ramrod!
I would certainly Welcome any further discussion on "Cook Offs" and how to avoid them!
The target? Each "Brigade" had a railroad tie planted in the ground vertically out at 50 yards. Whichever "Brigade" cut their tie down by rifle fire first would be declared the winner. On that day I was shooting a replica M1855 Harpers Ferry Brass Mounted Rifle with a Whitaker barrel.
I had already fired about 20 rounds rapid fire and the barrel had heated up to the point when loading, I had to grasp the sling and sling swivel on the front barrel band because both the barrel and forestock were simply too hot to touch.
I was hurriedly dumping a powder charge into the muzzle when: "KER-BOOOOOOMMMM! The blast of the "Cook-Off" caught my hand at the wrong spot over the muzzle and literally blasted my right hand up, over my head!!!
I was literally stunned by the sudden turn of events. The unexpected blast, the pain in my hand and the first thought that ran through my mind was: "IT (the rifle) BIT ME!" I laid the rifle down, muzzle pointing downrange and stepped back from the firing line.
I looked at my right hand as I was in a fair amount of pain. The fingers were coated with a greasy, dark powder fouling and jagged little holes in my fore finger and index finger were seeping a dark colored blood.
In over ten years of shooting muzzleloaders and over five years of being a Skirmisher, this was my 1st "Cook Off." One thing for certain, it hurt! In a few minutes the Brigade Shoot was over and I retrieved my rifle from the grass and got "Cleared" off the line by the Safety Officer. Back in camp I received some sympathy from my wife and the 'medical treatment" consisted of washing my hands and then pouring some alcohol over my wounded right paw.
Obviously, my hand had been burned by the Cook Off but I decided to play "Tough Guy" and didn't bandage my hand, thinking that it would heal faster without the benefit of a bandage. The next morning I woke up in pain and my right paw had swollen-it felt like it has swollen up to the size of a baseball glove (although, in reality, it wasn't that big.)
A trip to the local Emergency Room at the county hospital was made and I was given several shots by a semi-sympathetic doctor. His comment while administering a shot: "I have always wanted to get one of those old fashioned guns, but just don't have the time to spare."
SOLVING THE MYSTERY....MAYBE?
Obviously, my "Cook Off" had been caused because my rifle was so hot from firing 20 odd rounds rapid fire-but everyone else engaged in the Brigade Shoot had fired just as many, if not more, rounds than I had and no one else had had a "Cook Off."
When I described the incident to my good friend, the late Guy Owen, Guy thought he knew exactly what the problem was. His comment: "I bet you have a build-up of "Cake" in your breech." I was somewhat mystified because I had always cleaned my barrel each and every time I had shot the gun. So, where did this "Cake" come from?
We went to my basement, disassembled that rifle and pulled the breech plug. Sure enough, Guy was right. There was a "build-up" of almost "rock hard" carbon fouling at the junction of the edge of the breech plug face and the sides of the barrel.
With the breech plug removed, it was easy to knock out the "Cake" from the rear. So, I began a regimen of annually removing the breech plugs from my Skirmish rifles and removing the built up "Cake." However, that did not stop "Cook Offs" because I tended to have occasional "Cook Offs." More about that later.
Removing the "Cake" by cleaning the barrel from the muzzle with a jag and various cleaning rods is well nigh impossible. The more rounds that were fired, the more the "Cake" grows. So how does "Cake" cause "Cook Offs?"
Well "the jury is still out" on that one. One theory has it that when the rifle is fired, burning grains of powder are blown into the cake. The combustion of these burning grains is retarded once they are in the cake and they remain glowing for a few moments-long enough to cause a "Cook Off" IF a fresh powder charge is dumped down the barrel immediately.
Another theory is that the "Cake" absorbs gun oil seeping down from the barrel, (as most guns are stored with the barrels pointing upwards.) This retained gun oil in the "Cake" can be ignited into a smoldering hot spot after successive rounds and that might cause a "Cook Off."
Could "Cake" cause something worse than just a "Cook Off?"
Here is a H.P. White Laboratory report concerning an India made replica "Brown Bess" that blew up at a re-enactment:
http://www.middlesexvillagetrading.com/special/HPWhiteReportWithPersonalInfoBlocked.pdf
What H.P. White probably missed is that when WD-40 is used to "spray down" a barrel after it has been shot with black powder fouling still in the barrel, the powder fouling will turn gray after a few days.
That "unknown" gray fouling to H.P. White tells me that the owner of that Bess didn't clean it after events-just sprayed some WD-40 down the barrel and let it go at that. So, there is the possibility that the hardened "Cake" in the barrel, part way down the bore, formed enough of a constriction to raise the pressure enough to cause barrel failure. (That is just one theory-if you have another, please let us know!)
Whether we are talking about "Cook-Offs" or Barrel Failure-the lesson seems to be: Clean out that "Cake" from your bore!
[Side comment-unfortunately not all of the barrels that come on replica rifles have a removable breechplug like the originals. For instance, the original Euroarms Mississippi had a breech casting that came without a removable breech plug. There are also other replicas out there like that.]
Even though I thoroughly removed the "Cake" from my Skirmish rifles on a regular basis-I still continued to have occasional "Cook Offs." I noticed that there was a "pattern" to my "Cook-Offs:"
[1] They would take place when my rifle barrel was "Hot" after a rapid fire session (this was rather obvious from the beginning!)
[2] My "Cook Offs" ALWAYS took place on hot, Summertime days with a high humidity.
[3] Following the "Cook Off" I would pull the breech plug and find that there was some build-up of "Cake." Sometimes just a little.
FIRST AID FOR A "COOK OFF:"
I even developed my own "treatment protocols" for a "Cook Off." Following a "Cook Off" I would lay my rifle down, barrel pointing downrange and leave the firing line. I would go to my ice cooler that was full of soft drinks, ice and ice water and plunge my burning hand into the water and leave it there for a good 4 or 5 minutes.
Then wash the affected hand and flood it with Hydrogen Peroxide.
This seemed to work for me because the next day or so, my hand would always be fine.
ACCIDENTALLY DEFEATING THE "COOK OFF" DEVIL:
My last "Cook Off" occurred sometimes in the 1980's! I still religiously remove the breech plug from my rifles on a regular basis and remove the "Cake." But one other thing I do seems to keep me "Cook Off" free. Back in the 1980's I QUIT USING CRISCO in my lube formula!
What is so puzzling to me is that many Skirmishers continue to use Crisco and don't have problems with "Cook Offs!" All I know is what works for me and the lube formula I use now is 40% Bore Butter and 60% Beeswax.
CONCLUSIONS:
"Cook Offs" are still a bit of a mystery, but removing built-up "Cake" from your barrel is always a good idea. Same can be said with avoiding using Crisco in your lube formula.
Regardless, always follow N-SSA loading procedures by having that rifle or musket barrel pointed well away from your body when loading and using ONLY two fingers on the ramrod!
I would certainly Welcome any further discussion on "Cook Offs" and how to avoid them!
Bringing the