Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders TC scout blow back problem

I was cleaning and shooting a TC Scout the other day and when I shot it it blew back through the nipple anyone ever hear of this happening ,I got a good black eye out of it dam lucky that is all I got

I'm not real familair with that model.Is it a break open type with a soldid back .Are you using BH209 or another BP subsitute? Some ML's you can not use 209. If it is straight back from the nipple wit hno breech block,you probably can't use the 209. I know my Black Diamond I can't.

Were you using Blackhorn 209 powder?

Never had it happen with mine. The nipple is vented out the sides to vent back pressure away from the shooter. The first thing that comes to my mind is that the nipple may be eroded and letting more gas bleed back than the two vents can handle. The base hole on my new spare nipple measures .028". Too heavy of a load or as T7 mentioned BH209, which is not a good match for that type breech, could also be contributing factors.

Using ff black powder just a 85 grain load and a power belt bullet new nipple and the vent holes brushed out and clean .the scout is not a brake open action .
I know one thing I am getting a pair of poly carbon safety glasses

I shoot 80 gr of 3fg of black powder an a sabot of 255 gr. black sabot no problem an shot deer at 100 yards with this load

I have a tc Hawkins and when the nipple gets worn it spits a little but this thing blew back .could maybe the hammer spring be to weak and let it blow back .
It dosent have a removable breach ,could maybe the breach be brunt out

nhFrank,

The [bleep] in me says you need to sue...

What caliber Scout?

50 Cal suing is a term I hate it is an old rifle I guess the best thing to do is send it back to TC and see what they can find I know they aren't the company they used to be I hear a lot of bad things about them since they got bought out

T/C no longer services those.

Best bet might be to have it rebored to .54, or sell it.

Before they were bought out it was a good company I don't know if I would buy from them again .like all good things they come too and end

Agreed.

Is it possible that the tapered end of your nipple is not bottoming out and sealing against the matching taper at the bottom of the breach plug? The breech plug has a substantially larger hole through to the powder, so the nipples .028" bottom hole is the only thing containing blow back. If the nipple doesn't seal the breech there'd be a lot of blow back around it.

If its not working and unself why bore it out and then sell it to someone else ?


As was mentioned early on , the scout has vent ports that are supposed to reduce the chances of an issue like this happening .
You said those where clean .
So that leaves a couple of things
the nipple . Is it worn out / burnt out . Did someone drill it out . Could it be the wrong nipple IE is a short neck when your rifle takes a longer necked nipple .

Hammer spring .
The hammer not only sets off the cap but acts like a pressure relief valve . So if the hammer spring / main spring , gets to weak , it wont have enough pressure to hold the hammer against the nipple . On the scout , that would mean you would get pressure vented at the hammer first . Then once the main spring became strong enough to force the hammer back on the nipple, it would vent out the side vents .
The spring can weaken for many reasons . Could have just been a bad spring or it could have been over compressed or extended from the blow back of an over charge ……….
While the scout is a newer type of muzzleloader , its still one made from the principles of a very early inline ignition . Thus it can suffer from the same issues as a side lock .
Case in point , what the Hammer actually does .
Thus when manufactures recommend a max load , its not just about how much the barrel can stand but the total design of the rifle .
To heavy of a load can remove drum bolsters . The increased blow back can rip hammers right off the lock or remove the lock completely . At the very least if it doesn’t happen immediately it can over time damage the inner workings of the lock .

So this is what I would do . Double check and make sure your side vents are clean .
Replace the nipple with a new one of the proper size and thread for your rifle
Check that your breech threads are in good condition
Check the main spring . The hammer should cock with authority . IE it should take some strength to pull it back . If its rather easy it’s a sign of a weak or weakening main spring
Is there play when the hammer is down . IE can you wiggle the hammer forwards and back when it should be setting tight to the nipple . If so then you have eather a bad main spring , bad nipple or wrong nipple .

Captchee,

The nipple and breechplug on the Scout are all one unit, so it can't be anything other than the proper nipple.

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/667/1/PLUG-TC-SCOUT-11

You may be on it, though, with the weakened main spring.

Not to nit pick, but to show the Scout ignition "system" if you don't have one in front of you as I do. The breech plug proper is 2.75" long and serves to plug the bore, lock the mounting lug to the barrel and receive the nipple at the back. There is a 5/32" (guesstimate) hole through the breech plug from the bore reducing to approx .055" before it breaks through to the nipple chamber. The rear is tapped and machined so the coned end of the nipple bottoms out in a matching chamfer in the plug. The flash hole at the bottom of the nipple is .028" opening to .094" to the cap and is cross drilled .062" just behind the smaller hole. The Scout breech plug and nipple "system" is designed to prevent blowback from reaching the shooter, however just like a side hammer, it is dependent on the .028" nipple orifice and correct loads to keep it at a manageable level. I'm not sure what kind of blowback you'd get if the nipple did not seal the larger through hole in the breech plug but I'm sure it would be substantial.

So the nipple should seat up against the hole in the breach am I getting you rite .
Are the holes is the nipple for the side ports suppose to line up with the receiver blow holes?

Yes, and yes.

OK yes and yes if the nipple is tightened all the way in the side hole's don't line up .if this is so you don't screw the nipple in tight ?

Back it off until the holes line up.

Sounds like you need a new nipple, even if that one is brand new.