Collectors - a word of warning

[John -Melb]

Hi folks,

A word of warning for any collectors out there, whilst old guns circulating within the collectors field are normally very safe, the same can not be said for "sleepers"

I called into the local shop today for a browse and the fellow behind the counter said he had something to show me. It looked like it had spent the last century hanging in a farm shed, but under all that grime, a very pretty lady winked at me.

She's a single barrel 14 bore percussion gun marked "J Manton", It needed a bit of work so a price was negiotated and the old girl come home with me.

Got her home and started cleaning he up to find, yep, whilst there was no cap on the nipple, she was still "loaded for bear". That problem has since been solved, but believe it or not, when I emptied out the powder and put a light to it, it ignited.

Folks, if you encounter and old percusion gun, don't believe it's safe, and don't play with it until you can prove it so. The charge in this old gun had probably been loaded a century ago, but if I had capped it and touched it off, it would have gone.

Regards to all