Tool for loading a muzzle loading firearm

Abstract

A tool for loading a muzzle loading firearm is provided having a barrel clamp for attaching the tool near the tip of the barrel of the firearm. The tool includes a plunger having a concave shaped tip insertion end shaped to conform to a spherical ball firearm projectile. The tool is operable by a handle to forcibly press the projectile into the barrel of the gun. The tool uses lever principles to multiply the force applied to the plunger and projectile, reducing the strain and effort of the user in loading a projectile to a muzzle loaded firearm.

1 . A tool for loading a muzzle loading firearm comprising:
 an elongated handle having a first end adapted to be grasped by a human hand and an opposing second end;   a muzzle loading member comprising:
 a connector member having a hole in an upper portion of the connector member; and 
 a plunger secured to a lower portion of the connector member, the plunger sized for insertion into a barrel of the muzzle loading firearm, the plunger having a gun barrel insertion tip with a concave indent, the concave indent sized to rest against a spherical muzzle loading ball projectile without damaging the projectile; 
   first pin received in the hole of the connector member and through the handle, hingeably securing the upper portion of the connector member to the handle between the first and second ends;   a gun barrel attachment member comprising:
 a hinged rod having a first end and an opposing second end having a hole; 
 a barrel clamp comprising:
 a semicircular first arm having a hole at one end; 
 an opposing semicircular second arm having a hole at one end, the first arm and second arm sized for cooperatively clamping to an outside surface of the barrel of the firearm; and 
 
 a means of hingeably and compressably attaching the barrel clamp to the second end of the hinged rod, wherein the attachment means is adapted to compress the first and second halves of the barrel clamp together around the barrel of the firearm to secure the tool to the firearm; 
   a second pin hingeably securing the first end of the hinged rod to the second end of the handle, wherein the muzzle loading firearm is loaded by clamping the barrel clamp to the barrel of the firearm, placing the ball projectile into tip of the barrel of the firearm, raising the handle to place the plunger tip into contact with the ball projectile, applying pressure to move the first end of the handle downwards to urge the ball projectile into the barrel of the firearm.   
   
   
       2 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the means of hingeably and compressably attaching the barrel clamp comprises a threaded bolt and a wing nut, the bolt sized and adapted to be received through the hole in the first arm, through the hole in the hinged rod and through the hole in the second arm, the wing nut having threads sized and adapted to be threadably received onto the bolt, wherein tightening the wing nut onto the bolt compresses the first and second halves of the barrel clamp onto the barrel of the firearm to secure the tool to the firearm. 
   
   
       3 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the plunger is a cylindrical plunger. 
   
   
       4 . The tool of  claim 3 , wherein the plunger has a threaded upper end and wherein the plunger is threadably received and secured into a threaded socket in the connector member, wherein the plunger may be unscrewed and changed out and replaced with another plunger. 
   
   
       5 . The tool of  claim 3 , wherein the plunger comprises copper. 
   
   
       6 . The tool of  claim 5 , wherein the handle has a length of 9 inches; the barrel clamp has a length of 5 inches; and the plunger and connector member has an overall combined length of 4½ inches.