First try at a 17th C priming flask

[Canute Rex]

I was inspired by some "ice cream cone" priming flask/spanner combinations that Brian Anderson had done, so I decided to try one myself. The originals are either Italian or German in origin; there seems to be a debate. Brian gave me a lot of vital guidance on the project. I used sheet steel from a disposable propane canister for the body; a Brian idea. The steel is extremely malleable, so easy to form. I forged the other pieces from mild steel and filed them to shape.

That is, except for the hanging ring. I turned that from a rod, then machined a flat on it, drilled and tapped it. I drilled through the escutcheon on the clip and the body of the flask. Then I wedged a short machine screw on a scrap piece of sheet steel, snaked it inside the body, poked it out through the body and escutcheon, and threaded the ring onto it. It's also silver soldered like the rest, but it has that extra insurance of the steel screw.

I had some pieces of thin spring steel, so I cut and bent one for the return spring.

It's not as good as I'd like, but I am going to follow Brian's practice of making three; one to figure out what I'm doing (this one), the second to develop the design into what it should be, and the third for real. Still, this one will dispense powder and span a wheellock.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

That is one heck of a contraption. Where did you get the design?

Here is my Rev War British warrant pan charger. Sure wish some one would make these, they work flawlessly.
I found this one in a bin at Dixie Gun Works in the early 90s and have not seen one since.

 

[BillinOregon]

I think you did an astonishingly good job, and that is just No. 1. Can't wait to see your No. 3!
Johnny, is that the small priming valve at the bottom that has been available for years? I have one on my priming horn that I must have bought from Dixie about the time you found that charger.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

That looks FANTASTIC! Bravo!

 

[TobJohn]

Excellent work!

 

[Canute Rex]

That is one heck of a contraption. Where did you get the design?


Here is my Rev War British warrant pan charger. Sure wish some one would make these, they work flawlessly.
I found this one in a bin at Dixie Gun Works in the early 90s and have not seen one since.

I saw a few that Brian Anderson had made. It's a style of primer/tool that was used in the 17th century. The originals also generally had a screwdriver built in, set on the round end of the flask.

A Rev War pan charger wouldn't have had a spring loaded plunger nozzle, would it?

 

[Johnny Tremain]

is that the small priming valve at the bottom that has been available for years?

Yup Dixie still sells them. I take mine a part every 5 years or so and clean it and put it back together.
Powder can be a bugger to get in the tiny hole, but the end results are worth it.

A Rev War pan charger wouldn't have had a spring loaded plunger nozzle, would it?

As far as I know, yes. This is a copy of a real one. Maybe some one retrofit the one that was copied.
We will never know.

 

[Tumbledown]

That is one heck of a contraption. Where did you get the design?

View attachment 286515
Here is my Rev War British warrant pan charger. Sure wish some one would make these, they work flawlessly.
I found this one in a bin at Dixie Gun Works in the early 90s and have not seen one since.

I haven't seen one, and I don't think anyone else has seen one. I don't think these existed 250 years ago.

 

[Clark Badgett]

That is one heck of a contraption. Where did you get the design?

View attachment 286515
Here is my Rev War British warrant pan charger. Sure wish some one would make these, they work flawlessly.
I found this one in a bin at Dixie Gun Works in the early 90s and have not seen one since.

Looks like someone took a military camo stick tube and stuck a modern plunger in the end.

 

[Clark Badgett]

I haven't seen one, and I don't think anyone else has seen one. I don't think these existed 250 years ago.

You are most likely correct.

 

[PathfinderNC]

It looks like you spent some time designing and making this, and it looks like you did a pretty good job at it. I hate to be critical of creativity, but wonder about a couple of things with this.
First is that it is big! For a pan primer it seems terribly large, and heavy.
Second thing is the spanning wrench incorporated into the tube. I don’t know how thick or strong the metal is on this tool but it looks like, if I used it on my Wheel lock, the thing would crimp and bend right off.
Have you tried it to see how it functions? I’m curious, but admire your creativity!

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

First is that it is big! For a pan primer it seems terribly large, and heavy. Second thing is the spanning wrench incorporated into the tube. I don’t know how thick or strong the metal is on this tool but it looks like, if I used it on my Wheel lock, the thing would crimp and bend right off.

That is how they were made, as that is a copy of a 'real' one. Remember it is not just a 'primer' but is an all in 1 tool.

The body, size and construction was done with the intent that the primer would handle the torque required to wind up one's wheelie ...

 

[PathfinderNC]

That is how they were made, as that is a copy of a 'real' one. Remember it is not just a 'primer' but is an all in 1 tool.

The body, size and construction was done with the intent that the primer would handle the torque required to wind up one's wheelie ...

Learning new things. I’d be interested in seeing the original one it was patterned after. Might spur some ideas

 

[TobJohn]

There are a non insignificant amount of these surviving

https://www.artic.edu/artworks/1064...allerstein-and-nuzel-von-sunderspuhl-families

https://www.artic.edu/artworks/106428/priming-flask-with-spanner-and-screwdriver

Bonhams : A German Combined Priming-Flask, Wheel-Lock Spanner And Turnscrew

Le armi da fuoco portatili italiane dalle origini al Risorgimento, by Generale A. Gaibi, has a very similar one to Canute Rex’s

 

[PathfinderNC]

There are a non insignificant amount of these surviving View attachment 288306
https://www.artic.edu/artworks/1064...allerstein-and-nuzel-von-sunderspuhl-families
View attachment 288307
https://www.artic.edu/artworks/106428/priming-flask-with-spanner-and-screwdriver
View attachment 288308
Bonhams : A German Combined Priming-Flask, Wheel-Lock Spanner And Turnscrew

Le armi da fuoco portatili italiane dalle origini al Risorgimento, by Generale A. Gaibi, has a very similar one to Canute Rex’s

Wonderful

 

[Canute Rex]

I went out shooting "La Donnina", my Italian style wheellock the other day. The primer/wrench worked beautifully. Span the wheel and the next job is priming, and...hey presto... the primer is right there in your hand.

I'm glad now that I left off the screwdriver on the end. The round end fits in my hand comfortably for spanning. It's not really that much effort. The wrenches also fit the screw on the jaws, so I can loosen-adjust-tighten the pyrite as well.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Bravissimo !

 

[TobJohn]

To further illustrate Canute Rex’s great work, here is the example from Le armi da fuoco portatili italiane dalle origini al Risorgimento.

With a little patina, his would look spot on!