Glass power horns

[springfield art]

I have had these reproduction glass powder horns for several years. Two were purchased from Texican Trade'n Post and the largest was found at a local sale. I have yet to encounter another muzzleloader using one of these. If you have one, I am curious as to how you are using it and if you are using anything else other than a cork as a stopper. As I understand it, these reproductions are no longer available.

Boy, imagine one of those going off via a loose spark! A lethal grenade if ever there was one!

 

[springfield art]

Something occurred to me today about the glass"powder horns". Assuming that a person did use one for his powder, wouldn't the light entering the glass create condensation inside where as a normal horn would not allow this sort of problem?

Plus dropping it on a rock could cause problems,,,

 

[springfield art]

Until a spark sets one off. Shards of glass everywhere.


The article I referenced in an early post about these items addresses this:

“Thanks to Eric Bye I was made aware of an article on the Internet entitled, “Can a static spark set off black powder?” (see bibliography). The treatise is replete with photographs of each of the five steps in an experiment to ignite black powder and other carbon-containing propellants, with static electricity, failed. The anonymous experimenter’s explanation of why the sparks wouldn’t set off the powder:
“The answer comes from the fact that black powder, and other carbon- containing propellants, are fair conductors of electricity. When material conducts well, it takes a lot more current to heat it up. This is why the lamp wire stays cool and the filament in your light bulb get white hot. The same current passes through both, but because the light filament has a much higher resistance to the passage of electric current, most of the heat ends up there rather than in the wire. In the experiment, the air has a very high resistance, while the powder conducts fairly well. The passage of the spark heats the air white-hot, but the powder stays cool. A very high-current spark (like lightning!) would, of course, heat everything and cause ignition, but this would take much more current than could be provided from a static-like source.”
Implying actual experience in using a glass powder horn, Scott Grandstaff’s research (see bibliography) indicates: “In the case of the small glass priming
horns the straps were very short, nestling the horn very high and close to the body – under the arm. The small horns were for the priming powder (finely ground) used in the pan of a flintlock rifle or pistol. While the pan used the finely ground priming powder, the main charge of not-so- finely-ground gunpowder was poured down the barrel.”
Conclusion
Powder horns of glass were made. Powder horns of glass were used. Powder horns of glass were used to contain black powder. And powder horns of glass were used as decorative items.
They were made well beyond the 19th century, where they were a necessary adjunct to weapons that used black powder.”

I did read Mr. Bye's article, and was surprised. I always assumed the opposite. Very informative.

 

[Crow-Feather]

I would think that dark thick glass would capture heat from the sun and transfer it to the powder. Not so much as to cause an explosion, but enough to change the ignition characteristics.

 

[springfield art]

I would think that dark thick glass would capture heat from the sun and transfer it to the powder. Not so much as to cause an explosion, but enough to change the ignition characteristics.

Those darn things are novelty decorative items, IMHO. Put brandy into 'em, not gunpowder!

 

[TexiKan]

I can remember when there was concern for those who loaded directly from a can of powder and the fear at the time was also regarding sparks, dropping and the like related. Although a powder flask was much the same, the concern was there. I can see a clear glass being more prone to sunlight magnification options but I assume that is the reason these are made in colored glass.

 

[Tumbledown]

The article I referenced in an early post about these items addresses this:

“Thanks to Eric Bye I was made aware of an article on the Internet entitled, “Can a static spark set off black powder?” (see bibliography). The treatise is replete with photographs of each of the five steps in an experiment to ignite black powder and other carbon-containing propellants, with static electricity, failed. The anonymous experimenter’s explanation of why the sparks wouldn’t set off the powder:
“The answer comes from the fact that black powder, and other carbon- containing propellants, are fair conductors of electricity. When material conducts well, it takes a lot more current to heat it up. This is why the lamp wire stays cool and the filament in your light bulb get white hot. The same current passes through both, but because the light filament has a much higher resistance to the passage of electric current, most of the heat ends up there rather than in the wire. In the experiment, the air has a very high resistance, while the powder conducts fairly well. The passage of the spark heats the air white-hot, but the powder stays cool. A very high-current spark (like lightning!) would, of course, heat everything and cause ignition, but this would take much more current than could be provided from a static-like source.”
Implying actual experience in using a glass powder horn, Scott Grandstaff’s research (see bibliography) indicates: “In the case of the small glass priming
horns the straps were very short, nestling the horn very high and close to the body – under the arm. The small horns were for the priming powder (finely ground) used in the pan of a flintlock rifle or pistol. While the pan used the finely ground priming powder, the main charge of not-so- finely-ground gunpowder was poured down the barrel.”
Conclusion
Powder horns of glass were made. Powder horns of glass were used. Powder horns of glass were used to contain black powder. And powder horns of glass were used as decorative items.
They were made well beyond the 19th century, where they were a necessary adjunct to weapons that used black powder.”

Didn't say it had to be a spark from static. Sometimes something sets off powder while the plug is out, like an ember. Just because they were used, doesn't mean they SHOULD be used.

 

[TexiKan]

Didn't say it had to be a spark from static. Sometimes something sets off powder while the plug is out, like an ember. Just because they were used, doesn't mean they SHOULD be used.

Of course that is true with ANY horn or powder container. My original post asked if anybody had one and what they used as a plug. I was not insisting that the horn be used for powder but since the responses tended to question it without owning such an item and since static and sun seemed to be a concern, I am simply responding what is noted in the articles about them. Obviously some of these have been sold and I wanted to know how others were using them.

 

[toot]

how many people back in the day keep there BP, in mason jars? after a given amount of time the BP, will have an effect on the metal can, rust through.

 

[Coot]

While invented in 1858, mason jars came into widespread use about the same time as bp cartridge guns did - latter part of the 19th c.

 

[springfield art]

Of course that is true with ANY horn or powder container. My original post asked if anybody had one and what they used as a plug. I was not insisting that the horn be used for powder but since the responses tended to question it without owning such an item and since static and sun seemed to be a concern, I am simply responding what is noted in the articles about them. Obviously some of these have been sold and I wanted to know how others were using them.

You're right! I kinda think these things were made around the Bi-Centennial as decorators, not "users" but it's always interesting to see fellows mentioning and talking about everything BP!