Day Horn

[Chris Cade]

here's a small day horn i just finished for a friend. it holds almost a pound of powder. enjoy!

 

[BrownBear]

Dandy horn on all counts Mechslasher! I'm fascinated by the brass you used for "straps." Hadn't thought of doing anything like that, but it looks good and opens doors for me. I'm in copper country, and in fact use copper rather than brass pins to mount the base plug. I just like the way it greens up with age in our salt air. I could see doing one of mine with copper wire rather than brass, just for a local touch.

I'm surprised you call it a "day" horn holding a pound of powder though. That's not to debate the name cuzz I just don't know. But on the practical, pack it in the wet woods side, it sounds really large for a day horn. My own day horn looks absolutely silly, but it's eminently practical. When absolutely full it holds 1200 grains, which is fifteen 80-grain or thirty 40-grain shots. More than I'll ever use on a hunt unless I need a whole bunch of snowshoe hares. It lets me hunt all day in the wet without risking a whole bunch of powder. In fact, it's a priming horn that I opened the spout on for quicker pours.

My range horn for all day shooting holds just over half a pound.

Can you (or anyone else) help me understand the term "day horn?" I gave all the background because I've been using it to mean a really small horn for carrying a minimum amount of powder. Maybe I need to find another term for my own tiny horns.

 

[Birdman]

Brownbear I think "day horn" is a modern term made up recently by fellas that just didn't want to carry a full sized horn out hunting all day when they knew they would at best take only 8 or 10 shots. I'm figureing that it's a judgement call on what ya want to say is the correct size to be called a day horn. If the horn ya got is of a smaller size n ya want to call it a "day horn" cool. The one I carry is about 8 or 9 inchs long and I usually only put enough powder in it for a days shooting plus a little bit more "just in case", it fits in my pocket n carries lite n well. I also scraped it down real thin so I can see just how much powder I still have in it if I need to. I use it mostly for squirrel hunting so I don't take to many shots in a days hunt.

 

[rabjr]

Nice job, thats just the right size too. :thumbsup:

 

[omarick1948]

Very Nice job!

As I was told from a private collector friend:

A Day Horn in modern terms, have been classified by museums and collectors, as a smaller MAIN CHARGE powder horn, sometimes refered to as a Hunting horn. These powder horns usually held less than 1/2 pound powder in preference to carrying larger amounts for both weight and unnessary expose to moisture getting extra powder damaged from same.

I have also have been told, but cannot find documentation, the the DAY HORN is a modern twisted 20th Century term for DATE HORN, from original examples of DATED engraved horns.

I think most interests today refer to the first explaination!

Rick

 

[BrownBear]

Thanks for the replies and explanations! I just maesured and my 1200 grain horn is 5" long and 2" across the base. Carrying in the pocket is a great idea, cuzz it sure looks silly hanging from straps. Thinning makes good sense, too.

Back to Mechslasher's horn, I see you are probably set up for a leather strap to the base. How is the brass chain joined to the front strap? Like I said, I'm liking the idea a lot.

 

[Birdman]

Hey Brownbear, is there a story behind the use of the Praying Mantis on the horn, would a never thought to scrim something like that but i SURE DO LIKE IT.

 

[BrownBear]

It's Mechslasher's horn rather than mine, but I've been pondering the same question myself.......

 

[rabjr]

Yeah, means the owner is man enough to rip yer freakin head off! So beware. :haha:

 

[BrownBear]

Eeek!!! :grin:

 

[Chris Cade]

thanx fellows, i call it a day horn because it's just over 6" long. i hand made the chain and just wrapped and twisted it around the plug. the fellow i made it for is just getting into blackpowder hunting. he is a master martial artist and his style is called the praying mantis. hence the praying mantis on cherry blossoms. he is also one, if not the, best flint knapper on the planet. just could not fit that into the small horn. his wife is rebecca parker, she's the one who quilled the neck sheath i posted a week or so ago. a very talented couple!

 

[brubincam]

-----don't forget if making a flat horn--to make it larger--a flat horn won't hold as much powder as a round horn the same length-----

 

[rabjr]

he is a master martial artist and his style is called the praying mantis.

See Brownbear I was right! :haha:

 

[Birdman]

ahh sooo glass hoppa, must watch neck to protect head. My style is crow bar from sears n roebuck, or as last resort smithnwesson. :surrender:

 

[BrownBear]

Where I grew up we figured karate was nowhere near as good as kabullets.

 

[omarick1948]

-----don't forget if making a flat horn--to make it larger--a flat horn won't hold as much powder as a round horn the same length-----

I must be using different type of cow horns! :hmm:

The inside capacity of any horn will have the same air space. Round or flattened horns included!...The only thing that would change the capacity, would be the amount of End Plug length in the interior of the horn if the End Plug is made different!

Please note!...Thin horns are fine, but sometimes very fragile. Especially when used in a pocket or bag etc.

I know from experience! I had a neat little priming horn (orginal), that I carried for a long time. I carried it in my shooting pouch. Unloading my gear from the truck one time, I had accidently laid a couple things on the pouch and "CRUNCH"!..You can imagine the rest!,,just my 21/2 cents worth!

Rick

 

[brubincam]

-----I DON'T THINK SO-----look at a full tube of toothpaste--if you squeeze it down a little it doesn't have the same amount of space inside and paste oozes out----- :thumbsup:

 

[Goldhunter]

OK, but when you squeeze a horn, the diameter changes, it gets longer to compensate for the squeezing action. If the round dia is 2", and you squeeze it, the diameter doesn't stay 2", it increases; that material has to go somewhere. The diameter elongates and the volume remains the same. Try it with a paper cone.

 

[Goldhunter]

BTW, nice horn! :bow:

 

[Birdman]

Gold hunter, I don't know the physics of it but if ya flatten a horn ya lose volume. Try filling a paper cup with water n then squeeze it some, it will over flow, same idea with a horn, flatten it down some n it will carry less, I learned from experience n lost money on a bet years back. measure a horn real careful like fill with water if ya like n save the water, then heat it up n flatten it some n remeasure, the horn did not get any bigger or if it did it was a VERY small amount, now try n put the same amount of water back in the flattened horn, bet ya it won't all fit hee hee