Manual

16
Ignition in the G2 Contender
Muzzleloading Rifle
Considering that Black Powder ignites easily and burns almost instantaneously, it
would not seem that ignition could create problems for the muzzleloading enthusiast. Yet,
it was in the age of Black Powder that such terms as misfire, hangfire and flash in the pan
found their origins. The problem, of course, is that the muzzleloader requires a great deal
more care in its cleaning and handling than does a modern cartridge firearm (see section
on “Cleaning Your Muzzleloading Firearm”).
The propellant Black Powder charge may not ignite if the primer port is blocked by
fouling, if the charge is dampened by oil or water or if the powder and/or caps have been
allowed to deteriorate by improper storage (exposure to extreme temperature changes
and/or dampness). Maintain the high quality of your Thompson/Center muzzleloader by
meticulous cleaning. Make certain that the chamber, primer port, pan and flashhole are
free from oil, water or powder fouling. An appropriate nipple pick is a handy tool for
cleaning nipple ports and flashholes. Thompson/Center’s G2 Contender muzzleloading rifle
uses a #209 shotshell primer and it is important that the primers fit properly. Use only high
quality primers. When using the G2 Contender muzzleloading barrel on your G2
Contender frame, the manual firing pin selector located on the hammer must
be set to the centerfire position when using 209 primers.
Pyrodex and Triple Seven, while cleaner burning, is somewhat harder to ignite
than Black Powder. If while shooting, you should experience a misfire, hold the
firearm downrange and treat the firearm as if it could go off at any minute - it
might. After waiting at least one minute, remove the #209 primer. Double check
to make sure the charge is still fully seated against the breech plug. Replace the
#209 primer and try firing the firearm again. Continue to point the firearm down-
range to prevent injury in the event of a discharge and clean out the ignition
channel with a nipple pick. If, after several tries, the firearm still refuses to fire,
then the charge must be deactivated and pulled (See section on “Pulling a
Charge”). Failure to follow these instructions may cause damage to the firearm
and injury and/or death to the shooter or bystanders and damage to property.