Turn off the bleeder circuit, charge up the gun, and squeeze the trigger. If the spark gap is tight enough (without electrodes touching!), you’ll get a crack and a spark. Otherwise, engage the bleeder circuit, tighten the gap, disengage the bleeder, charge, and try to fire again.
Once you’re getting a good spark, the firing mechanism should be fine for the duration of a shooting session, although you will need to adjust the gap periodically and, after a lot of firing, clean and even sharpen the electrodes, since the sparks will char and deform their tips.
After you are sure that the firing mechanism is in working order, engage the bleeder circuit and give the capacitor a few seconds to discharge.
Warning
Always have the bleeder on when loading or adjusting the spark gap! Think of it as the Marshmallow Muzzleloader’s “safety.”
Here’s how to fire:
Make sure the bleeder switch is on.
Open the chamber.
Put a mini marshmallow in the gun’s muzzle and tamp it all the way to the breech using a dowel. Look into the chamber to be sure it is all the way back but hasn’t fallen into the chamber.
Spray a spritz or two of Binaca into the chamber. Don’t overload the chamber, because the propellant needs to mix with air to burn.
Put the lid on the chamber.
Deactivate the bleeder and press the charging button.
After the LED light comes on, you can fire at will.
With this firing unit, misfires are rare; occasionally the unit sparks but doesn’t ignite the propellant because there isn’t enough air in the chamber. This can almost always be addressed by “burping” the chamber: Lift one edge of the lid just enough to let some air in, then seal it again.
If the inside of the barrel becomes damp (perhaps from a stray shot of propellant or loading error), the moisture will make the marshmallow bullets tear and smear and otherwise foul the barrel. Swab the barrel by placing a small square of paper towel on top of the muzzle and then, using the 1/4″ dowel as a tamping rod (Figure 24-18), force the paper towel through the entire barrel and out the breech.
Other propellants—such as hairspray or plain rubbing alcohol spritzed through a mister—will work, but Binaca, which is a mix of denatured alcohol and isobutane, is a great propellant and it has a refreshing minty scent.
Despite the bang and muzzle flash, this gun is safe for indoor use (provided you aren’t pushing the muzzle right into highly inflammable[19] sheer curtains), but it can be sort of messy. Dogs hate the noise, but they love to chase and eat the ammo.
[19] “Flammable. An oddity, chiefly useful in saving lives. The common word meaning ‘combustible’ is inflammable. But some people are thrown off by the in- and think inflammable means ‘not combustible.’ For this reason, trucks carrying gasoline or explosives are now marked FLAMMABLE. Unless you are operating such a truck and hence are concerned with the safety of children and illiterates, use inflammable.”—Elements of Style, William Strunk and E.B. White.