Small glass vials for holding powder charge

I have two friends who use them for just as you say preloading for black powder cartridge guns. He fills them with his prescribed weight/volume. Then when he starts loading he pours slowly through a long copper tube into the case. He has a box he keeps them in and has had no issues

old iron said:

Looking to buy some glass vials to use for my pre measured powder charge, anyone know what size milliliter bottle would hold 80 grain 2f? Thanks

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Test tubes from a chemistry set, perhaps?

Buckskinquin said:

Amazon has clear small plastic tubes and a holder. 100 vials and holder around $15.00

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Amazon also has glass tubes, cork stoppers. I've used glass and plastic tubes years ago. Enough in your bag and a loading board negates carrying a horn.

I use a little blue plastic tube that will easily hold 100 gr (I usually use 70 for my 45). I remember getting them from a welder that held carbide tips for welding.

Contact lenses always came in little glass vials soaking in saline. Check with an eye doctor to see if those are available. I'm sure after they fit the patient with the lens, they throw the little glass vials away.
So here is another thought. The little vial below with the lid that pops open with your thumb is a vial that diabetic test strips come in. That white liner you see inside is a moisture absorbent liner so that the test strips stay fresh. That absorbent liner is the perfect thing for keeping blackpowder dry and not absorbing moisture from the air. If you know any folks that use test strips, have them save you the vials. They open with just a push of your thumb.

Ohio Rusty ><>

These work great and if your hunting you can tape 2 together powder in one, ball and patch in the other.. 35mm Caliber Plastic Film Canisters with caps -10pc (Black) https://a.co/d/gXVn2De

Wooden chargers, with a cord on the cap and enough recess in the cap for a ball. Six to a belt pouch.

I searched for the ideal container and they may well not exist for every situation. For my .32 Cherokee, I ended up with 1 dram glass vials with screw off caps. I prefer them over flip-tops as I just don't trust flip-tops over time. I once had three quick loaders come open in a pocket. Luckily I didn't need them that day. Ever since, I put electrical tape over the powder end.

For my .32, I went with these...1 dram vials on Amazon. They are more than enough to hold probably 120 grains of 2F. I store them in a shotgun shell box, as someone noted earlier. 12 or 20 gauge boxes that I got in three colors for T7 loads, then one box for .50/.54 and one box for my .32 vials. I use small pieces of mailing labels on the caps with the grain and measure. You could also just put a card in the box as well noting each row of five and what they contain. This makes range time much more efficient.

To carry them, a soft-sided rifle cartridge belt pack. I got the bino harness last year and after elk and deer hunting with it, found that it made an excellent possibles bag for chasing squirrels! Fit everything I needed without having to fumble in pouches or pockets etc. I am into practical uses for what I have on hand and this kit worked out really well including cheating, I suppose, with taking my range finder along.

Look at "American Science and Surplus". They have all kinds of small bottles. I have some from them for gun oil, and various other uses. Sign up and get their catalog, all kinds of weird widgets you never knew you needed!

https://sciplus.com/

trettie said:

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Wooden chargers, with a cord on the cap and enough recess in the cap for a ball. Six to a belt pouch.

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The nicest idea. I remember seeing a drawing of a matchlock musketeer wearing a bandolier diagonally across his chest with several of these “chargers” hanging from strings.
“Weapons” book title by Irwin Tunis if I remember correctly.

"

"I would suggest not buying glass"

Agree. I tried it once some broke. That's why the real mountain men used plastic. Lots of better choices. Bamboo works great.

old iron said:

Looking to buy some glass vials to use for my pre measured powder charge, anyone know what size milliliter bottle would hold 80 grain 2f? Thanks

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any scientific supply place will have them.

They have them. With the cork top and custom label.

There's a good line of plastic ones too.

Air tight. Child proof. Eco Friendly.

waarp8nt said:

These are fairly inexpensive, some sort of plastic, I bought a large lot off of evil-bay. I believe Idaho Lewis recommended them to me for premeasured loads he uses them for target shooting. I ended up giving 1/2 of them to my farm hand, the young fellow uses them to premeasure loads for hunting.

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Ditto on @warp8nt. I have a couple different sizes of them. The thinner ones I cut down for my 20 grn loads for my squirrel rifles. They are pliable enough to pinch when reloading so you won't spill a bunch of powder. I can fit a good handful in my shirt pocket.

old iron said:

Looking to buy some glass vials to use for my pre measured powder charge, anyone know what size milliliter bottle would hold 80 grain 2f? Thanks

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Sounds like a little grenade! Glass=shrapnel!

Greenjoytj said:

The nicest idea. I remember seeing a drawing of a matchlock musketeer wearing a bandolier diagonally across his chest with several of these “chargers” hanging from strings.

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Those are more appropriately called "Chargers" in historical texts, but someone mistakenly started to call them 'Apostles', most likely due to the wearer having only 12 chargers, but they'd be any number in practical and real world use.

Like this set of (11):



Or this set of (13), like one I use, complete with ball pouch, priming and powder flask:

The large tubes holds 3.5 oz of shot. 109mm...

The Amazon deal looks like 50 pack. 98mm?

I use a combination, film canisters work well when you can find them as well as being a correct measure.



Smaller arms simply cartridge box and I roll them. At an earlier event I have my chargers should I need them.

I use 30.06 and .45 Colt cases which slide together perfectly to use as premeasured powder charges when I go to the range for matches. The case holds about 65 grains of 2f. Other cases may hold more or less. I have them in a wooden box my brother made for me with his laser cutter. I soldered the primer ends just so there is no mistake what they are used for. Totally optional. They can fit in one of those plastic cartridge cases as well. It works for me. The bottle neck cartridge also acts as a nice funnel.