Brass flintlock pan primer measure

[Jarikeen]

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I friend brought this to me and asked if I knew any thing about it. It has no markings but would appear to be a self contained flintlock pan powder measure with vent pick. I said I would post it on the forums for him.

The vent pick screws into the top of the cylinder which would contain some 4F. The top is sprung loaded, and when pressed, opens up a little hole in the bottom, which feeds into a small funnel measure.

Can anyone please tell me anything more about its history?

 

[bioprof]

Wow! If that is what you think, it is really cool! I like it a lot.

It looks like one could be made with one of those unmentionable centerf___ cartridge. Any details of the innards would be appreciated.

 

[Jarikeen]

Couldn't really see much of the innards. It consists of two tubes, one in side the other, but so well done that it looks like one piece until you press it. It is sprung (one assumes) at the base somewhere, but in a manner that the inner tube does not rotate when you screw the vent pick cap back on.

No one got any thoughts on its origins?

 

[paulvallandigham]

Its not hand- made, for sure, which puts it in the post 1840 period of time. Where it was made is your guess, as good as mine. I have never seen one like it. However, the design seems more complicated than anything an American company would approve for production, so I suspect it might be European.

I am not trying to insult anyone. I am just making an observation. I can see no good reason for the side " window" to that small funnel. Since you are priming a flash pan, which is open to view, you can see if the powder is dropped into the pan by looking into the pan! You don't need to see it come out the little orifice.

 

[Jarikeen]

Thanks for the responce. I tried this post over in the Great Britian Muzzleloaders forum when I didn't much information here, and apparently this is a percussion nipple primer.

 

[paulvallandigham]

You will have to have a large hole in a nipple to get even 4Fg powder through it. When a percussion gun won't fire, and a wire shows that the nipple is clear of obstructions, I remove the nipple using a nipple wrench, put a few grains of FFFFg powder down into the flash channel, put the nipple back in place and then fire the gun. I can't imagine a more useless item! That is probably why we don't see much of them over here. :rotf: :surrender: :thumbsup: