Spence10 said:
A silly thought, I know, but in case anyone is interested in the history instead of the romance or convenience, I believe separate big horns and smaller bags were more usual early on and smaller horns attached to larger bags came on later. F&I horns are pretty big. Most all the bags with horns attached seem to be 19th century.
Of course, documented bags from the 18th century are scarce as hen's teeth, so in discussions like this we are all doing a lot of guessing.
I do mid-18th century, so I lean to separate horns and bags. I do have a couple later types with horns attached, and I use them, but I don't like them, find them awkward to use.
Spence
Spence,
I found out the history is important not only to those doing a period impression or reenactors, but also to those who just shoot the guns.
I made my first pouch out of cowhide split leather, because I did not know better and there wasn’t much info on making authentic replica Shot/Hunting Pouches in 1972. When I added the horn to the strap, it doubled or trebled the problems of the soft pouch folding in on itself. So I made a separate cord to carry the horn.
My first trip to the Primitive Range at Friendship in the Spring of 1974 was a real eye opener for guns and especially for pouches and horns. With absolutely NO History to back it up and since many flintlock shooters used 4Fg powder in their priming pans and 2Fg or 3Fg in the barrels of the guns, they “reasoned” that people back in the day wore TWO powder horns (one for each powder granulation) and often on the straps of their pouches, though sometimes the smaller 4Fg horn was hung from their necks. Now there were some gorgeous “matching sets” of horns that were made in those days, but as bad as one horn is attached to a pouch strap, a second horn attached made it far worse.
OK, as I went with a combination of both 18th century Civilian Militia/Captain Willling’s Marine and Frontiersman; my next pouch had to do triple duty, as I could only afford enough leather for a single Shot Pouch. IOW, I had to be able to switch components to shoot my Brown Bess Carbine and Flintlock rifle in competition, plus be able to put a wood cartridge block in the pouch for military reenacting. So I made what looked like a Military over the shoulder Cartridge pouch, but had a removable wood cartridge block for it. Of course the Powder Horn was on a separate strap, because I did not use it when using blank cartridges. All these years later I have never found an original Shot Pouch/Cartridge Pouch exactly like it, but am still satisfied such a pouch was possible in the period and was made using period techniques and styling.
FWIW, there is plenty of documentation for the AWI and some for the FIW and post AWI periods that when Civilian Militia’s were called up for active duty or to fight hostile European Settlers or NA’s, that the separate strap powder horn was very important in those times for one guy to gather up the horns of others and get all the horns filled with as much powder as was rationed out, then return the horns to the owners. That was much simpler than taking each guy’s Pouch with an attached Horn to do the same thing
I have made or borrowed other horns/pouches over the years and used them, but even for percussion guns that only use one horn, I much prefer the horn on a separate strap. I can move the horn out of the way or get it closer to where I want it easily, to fill a measure. So count me in the “Separate Strap Powder Horn” group as well.
Gus
