Rossi Muzzleloading Rifle Instruction Manual

							ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
9
On the muzzleloading rifle, if the powder has discharged, open the
breech and carefully remove the primer while keeping the muzzle
pointed in a safe direction. Then, using the breech plug wrench,
carefully remove the plug and look down the bore. If you cannot see
clear through then there is something lodged in the barrel. Do not
attempt to “shoot clear” the obstruction.
If the bore is obstructed, do not attempt to shoot it out by using
another shot shell or cartridge or by blowing it out with a blank.
Such techniques can generate excessive pressure, wreck the firearm
and cause serious personal injury.
If the obstruction can be removed with a cleaning rod or the muzzle
loading ram rod, clear any unburned powder grains from the bore,
chamber, and mechanism before resuming shooting. If the
obstruction cannot be dislodged by tapping it out with a rod, take the
firearm to a gunsmith.
8. Dirt, corrosion, or other foreign matter on a shot shell or cartridge
can impede complete chambering and may cause the shot shell or
cartridge to burst upon firing. The same is true of shot shells or
cartridges which are damaged or deformed. Sabot projectiles which
are deformed or damaged may jam in the barrel causing an unsafe
situation. If the Pyrodex pellet is broken, chipped or otherwise
damaged, do not use it.
9. Do not oil shot shells or cartridges, and be sure to wipe the chamber
clean of any oil or preservative before commencing to shoot. Oil
interferes with the friction between shot shell or cartridge case and
chamber wall that is necessary for safe functioning, and subjects the
firearm to stress similar to that imposed by excessive pressure.
10. Use lubricants sparingly on the moving parts of your firearm. Avoid
excessive spraying of any aerosol gun care product, especially where
it may get on ammunition. All lubricants and aerosol spray lubricants
in particular, can penetrate shot shell or cartridge primers and cause
misfires. Some highly penetrative lubricants can also migrate inside
shot shell or cartridge cases and cause deterioration of the propellant
powder; on firing, the powder may not ignite. If only the primer
ignites, there is danger that the shot shell or cartridge may become
lodged in the barrel. 
						

							ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
10
Muzzleloading Glossary
Muzzleloading is an exciting and different part of the shooting sports. As
with any other specialized area, muzzleloading has its own set of terms
and definitons. It is very important that you learn and understand these
key terms to ensure safe and enjoyable shooting.
Charged:A muzzleloading firearm is considered charged when the
Pyrodex or powder has been put into the barrel.
WARNING:A charged muzzleloading rifle must be handled with extreme
care. The muzzle must be kept pointed in a safe direction and the fingers
kept well clear of the trigger and trigger guard.
Primed: A muzzleloading firearm is considered primed  when the
primer has been inserted into the breech plug.
WARNING:A primed muzzleloading rifle must be handled with extreme
care. The muzzle must be kept pointed in a safe direction and the fingers
kept well clear of the trigger and trigger guard. A primed muzzleloading
rifle is one step away from firing and should never be set down or
carried any distance. If you must carry the firearm after priming, open
the breech, remove the primer and carry the rifle with the breech open.
Breech Plug:The screw-in plug at the receiver or breech end of the
barrel. This breech plug effects the seal and serves as the primer carrier.
WARNING:After removing the breech plug, clean away any powder grains
that may be in the barrel threads before attempting to reinstall the plug.
Black powder can be ignited from the friction of screwing in the plug,
and can result in accidental death or serious injury.
Ramrod: A long rod designed specifically for this firearm to be used for
the insertion and tamping down of the Pyrodex charge and the projectile.
WARNING:When using the ramrod, hold it with your fingers around its
shaft. Do not cup your palm over the end of it, and keep the muzzle
pointed in a safe direction. Use only the ramrod provided with your
firearm. Use of an improper ramrod or unsafe handling while using the
ramrod can result in accidental death or serious injury. 
						

							ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
11
Warning
Discharging firearms in poorly ventilated areas, cleaning firearms, or 
handling ammunition may result in exposure to lead and other
substances known to cause birth defects, reproductive harm, and other
serious physical injury. Have adequate ventilation at all times. Wash hands 
thoroughly after exposure.
Operation of Your Firearm
Warning
These firearms have a “transfer bar” firing mechanism. This means that
when the hammer is in the fully forward (rest) position, and the trigger
is released, there is no mechanical contact between the face of the
hammer and the rear of the firing pin. When carrying the firearm, the
safety lever should be “on” and the hammer resting on the safety
intercept bar.
When the hammer is manually pulled back to its rearmost position (full-
cocked), the transfer bar moves up and is positioned between the face of
the hammer and the rearmost portion of the firing pin so that when the
hammer is released from the fully-cocked position by pulling the trigger,
the face of the hammer will strike the transfer bar which, in turn, strikes
the firing pin which fires the shot shell or cartridge. When the trigger is
released, the transfer bar drops down leaving a space between the face of
the hammer and the rearmost face of the firing pin.
THESE FIREARMS ARE DESIGNED SO THAT THE BARREL AND CHAMBER
CANNOT BE EITHER OPENED OR CLOSED WHEN THE FIREARM IS FULLY
COCKED. ATTEMPTING TO FORCE THE CHAMBER OPEN OR CLOSED
WILL DAMAGE YOUR FIREARM AND MAY RESULT IN ACCIDENTAL DEATH
OR SERIOUS INJURY.   
						

							ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
12
Manual Safety
These firearms are manufactured with a manual safety - USE IT!
Make the Firearm Safe — The safety lever
must be rotated counter-clockwise, fully, so
that the lever covers the red Fand exposes
the green S. THE SAFETY LEVER CAN BE
ROTATED COUNTER-CLOCKWISE TO THE
SAFE POSITION WHEN THE HAMMER IS IN
THE REARMOST FULLY COCKED POSITION
OR IS PULLED TO THE REAR ABOUT 1/2”.
NOTE: IN THIS POSITION, (HAMMER DOWN
ON THE MANUAL SAFETY INTERCEPT), THE
ACTION CAN BE OPENED AND CLOSED.
If you wish to safely decock the hammer from
the fully cocked position, engage manual
safety as described above and with the
hammer under the full control of the user
and 
keeping the muzzle pointed in a
safe direction
, holding and controlling the
hammer with the thumb, pull the trigger and
slowly and carefully let the hammer move
forward until same is intercepted by the
manual safety.
The manual safety can be disengaged with the
hammer in the forward safe position or with
the hammer in the fully cocked position by
rotating the manual safety lever clockwise to
the position where it covers the green Sand
exposes the red F.
“Rest” Position - Fully Forward
“Intercept” Position - Safety On
Fully Cocked - Safety On 
						

							ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
13
De-Cocking
If the firearm is fully cocked and the user desires to place the hammer in
the rest position, then the hammer must be under full control of the user.
KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION. PUT THE SAFETY
LEVER ON. 
WHILE CAREFULLY HOLDING AND CONTROLLING THE HAMMER WITH
THE THUMB, PULL THE TRIGGER, SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY LET THE
HAMMER MOVE FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 1/2” AND RELEASE THE
TRIGGER. 
CONTINUE TO LET THE HAMMER DOWN UNTIL IT IS RESTING ON THE
MANUAL SAFETY INTERCEPT BAR.
CAREFULLY OPEN THE ACTION AND REMOVE THE PRIMER FROM THE
BREECH. THE DE-COCKING PROCEDURE IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL THE
PRIMER IS REMOVED AND SAFELY STOWED.
Warning
You should practice this method with an empty firearm until you
are completely familiar and comfortable with this procedure.
Ramrod
Your Rossi Muzzleloader is equipped with a collapsible ramrod. The
ramrod must be fully extended before use. To extend the ramrod:
Remove ramrod from storage under barrel. Firmly grasp the wooden
handle and turn the tip until it extends freely. Pull to full length and
continue turning until ramrod is locked in fully extended condition.
To collapse ramrod for storage under barrel, reverse above instructions.
Warning
Ramrod should not be used unless it is locked in the fully
extended position. Do not place the ramrod in the barrel unless
it is fully extended. It can drop fully into the barrel and become
lodged. 
						

							ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
14
How To Load Your Firearm
Muzzleloading Rifle
See Page 22 for Shotgun and Centerfire Rifle Instructions
Warning
Before loading this or any firearm, always check the bore to be sure it is
free of grease, oil or any other obstruction. BE SUREthe chamber is
empty and the entire barrel is clear. Open the breech and remove the
breech plug using the wrench so you can visually check the full length of
the barrel for any obstruction by looking through the chamber end of the
barrel. Failure to do so may damage your firearm and can result in
accidental death or serious injury.
Warning
Unlike cartridges or shells which are factory made to exacting
specifications to ensure consistent shooting performance, muzzleloading
requires that you create your own load for each shot. The performance,
safety and consistency of each shot depends entirely upon your following
these instructions precisely. Failure to do so can result in accidental
death or serious injury.
Warning
Before charging your muzzleloading rifle for the first time, it is very
important that you perform the following steps. Failure to do so may
damage your firearm and can result in accidental death or serious injury.
1. Make sure the safety is set to the ON position.
Open the breech and use the breech plug
wrench to carefully remove the breech plug.
Using a cleaning rod and a
patch, make sure the
barrel is clear of all oil. Oil can affect the
performance of the Pyrodex and sabot bullet and
can create a hazardous situation.
2. Once the barrel is clean,  apply a very light coating of oil to the
threads of the breech plug and replace in breech, tightening securely.
It is necessary to recoat the threads with oil regularly to ensure easy
removal.
Breech Open
Removing Breech Plug 
						

							ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
15
3. Make sure the barrel is clear and the safety is in the ON position.
Close the breech, keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
Carefully push the ramrod into the EMPTY barrel until it comes to a
stop. Make a permanent mark in green on the
ramrod just at the muzzle, being careful to keep
your face away from the muzzle. This will give you
a way to quickly verify an empty barrel by putting
the ramrod into the barrel. If the green mark
lines up with the muzzle, then the barrel is most likely empty.  If the
ramrod stops before the green mark, then the barrel is NOT clear and
you will need to carefully remove the primer and the breech plug for
a visual inspection.
Charging the Rifle
WARNING:Put the safety ON before loading and leave it on until you are
ready to fire.
WARNING: Open the rifle and make sure there is no primer in the breech
and leave the breech open during the charging process. Loading a
primed rifle can result in accidental death or serious injury.
WARNING: Once the rifle is charged with Pyrodex, do not look down the
muzzle. Ignition of the powder, even without a bullet, can result in
accidental death or serious injury.
WARNING:Do not smoke while charging your rifle and do not fire the
rifle near the Pyrodex charges. Always be sure the Pyrodex package is
fully closed before firing. The powder can ignite and cause accidental
death or serious injury.
Before loading, make sure the rifle is empty. Loading one charge on top
of another that’s already there can damage your firearm and cause
accidental death or serious injury. Check for a loaded barrel by inserting
the ramrod marked with the red indicator. If the ramrod stops with the
red mark above the muzzle, then the barrel has an obstruction or may be
charged. Make sure the muzzle is pointed in a safe direction and
unscrew the breech plug and investigate.
Mark Ramrod at Muzzle 
						

							ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
16
Before first loading the rifle for any shooting session, and after cleaning
the bore in the field, fire a few primers without powder or bullets to burn
out any moisture that may be present in the barrel breech. This aids
reliable ignition, and helps avoid a potentially hazardous hangfire
(delayed ignition of powder). Wait one minute for any glowing ember to
die before loading.
If the barrel is clear, than insert two (2) 50 grain
Pyrodex pellets into the barrel, with the black
igniter base facing towards breech. Follow all
package directions regarding the handling of
Pyrodex pellets. 
When using the ramrod, hold it with your fingers
around its shaft. Do not cup your palm over the
end of it, and keep the muzzle pointed in a safe
direction.
Using the ramrod, seat the bullet fully down against the powder. Do not
leave any airspace between the bullet and the Pyrodex, as this may result
in accelerated burning and dangerously high pressure. However, DO NOT
pound the bullet forcibly into the powder charge with the ramrod.
Pyrodex can be impact sensitive and ignite from shock.
NOTICE:At this point, check to make sure the breech is still not primed
and open. With the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, push the ramrod
down onto the fully seated bullet. Make a red
mark on the ramrod at the muzzle. This will give
you a measure of when the rifle is properly
charged since the Pyrodex and sabot bullet
should always be at the same point in the barrel.
You should never attempt to put the ramrod into the barrel until you have
verified that the safety is ON, there is no primer and the breech is open.
Be sure to remove the ramrod before firing. If the gun is fired with a
ramrod inside the barrel you will damage your firearm and can cause
accidental death or serious injury.
Black Igniter To Breech
Hold Ramrod Safely
Mark Ramrod at Muzzle 
						

							Priming the Rifle
Warning
1. Do not prime your muzzleloading rifle until you are ready to fire, and
not a moment before. Ignoring this rule can result in accidental death
or serious injury.
2.
Always carry your muzzleloading rifle with no primer in the breech, with
the hammer fully forward (un-cocked) or with the safety in the ON
position and the hammer resting on the safety intercept bar. Cock the
hammer only when you are in position and ready to fire. Only prime
your muzzleloader when you are ready to fire. Dropping or jarring a
primed and charged muzzleloading rifle can cause the rifle to discharge
unexpectedly and can result in accidental death or serious injury.
3. Do not pass a charged muzzleloader to someone else; do not fire a
muzzleloader that someone else has charged; be aware at all times of
the state of your muzzleloading rifle. Never climb, cross a fence, ride,
drive, jump a ditch or engage in any distracting activity while holding a
charged and primed muzzleloader.
4. When the muzzleloading rifle is charged and primed, it should be in
your hands. If you must, for any reason, put it down, make sure it is
unprimed, secure, and cannot fall. Do not lean it against any surface
that does not provide a safe and secure rest.
5. Resist the urge to clean a charged or primed muzzleloader: Attempting
to do so can result in accidental death or serious injury.
6. Between shots check the hammer face for fragments of spent primers
and clean them out if necessary.
With the safety in the “ON” position and the hammer resting on the safety
intercept bar, open the breech and carefully place a 209 shotgun primer
in the breech plug. The primer can be seated with fingers. No tools are
required or recommended. The primer should be completely seated in
the breech plug without undue pressure.
THE RIFLE IS NOW PRIMED AND CHARGED.
To Fire
Warning
Always be sure the firearm is pointed at the target and away from other
people, buildings and vehicles before firing. Do not fire into water.
With the gun pointed at the target and your finger clear of the trigger and
trigger guard, release the safety and cock the hammer fully back. Pull the
trigger to fire the firearm.
17
ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
Primer in Breech Plug 
						

							ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
18
Unloading Your Firearm
To unload your muzzleloading rifle, discharge it into a safe backstop. This is
the best and safest way to unload a muzzleloading rifle. In  some
circumstances, it may not be possible to use this method safely. In these
instances, the following procedure should be followed for the safe unloading
of a charged and/or primed muzzleloading rifle.
WARNING: Be sure the firearm is always pointed in a safe direction and your
fingers are well clear of the trigger and trigger guard area. Pull the hammer
back slightly and put the manual safety in the ON position. Make sure the
hammer is resting on the manual safety intercept.
Open the breech and carefully remove the primer.
WARNING: Do not proceed with removal of the breech plug until you have
checked and rechecked that there is no primer present. Failure to verify the
absence of a primer before unloading can result in accidental death or
serious injury.
Now, using the breech plug wrench, remove the breech plug by rotating it in a
counterclockwise direction.
WARNING: Do not attempt to force the breech plug or use any tool other than
the breech plug wrench. The barrel is still charged and could fire if any
sparks are generated by unnecessary or excessive force on the plug.
Carefully elevate the muzzle and dump the Pyrodex pellets out through the
rear of the barrel into a container. DO NOT attempt to catch the pellets in
your hand. Carefully inspect the Pyrodex for any damage or malformation.
Damaged or malformed pellets should be disposed of properly in accordance
with the Pyrodex package directions.
NOTICE: Your area may have certain regulations dealing with the disposal of
black powder products like Pyrodex. Make sure you are in compliance with
all regulations before disposing of any powder product.
Clean Pyrodex from the chamber area by using an oil saturated patch on the
end of your ramrod. This will saturate any remaining powder and residue,
and it will aid in lubricating the projectile for easy removal.
Take your ramrod with an extension attached and place it into the muzzle of
your barrel. Gently tap the end of the rod or apply pressure, pushing
projectile out through barrel and receiver.
The firearm is now ready for a thorough cleaning of receiver face and barrel
bore.