Help choosing a horn

[jdw276]

I personally like to keep a few of our horn making artists in business, so I have always bought the custom stuff. I may have paid a bit more of a premium to begin with but have never lost a dime on any that I have resold.

There are so many top notch custom made powder horns on the market these days and having a good friend that is a "horner", I know how much he struggles with all of the competition.

I have also made a few of my own powder horns and in doing so, learned to appreciate all of the work that is involved. I did OK as for making a functional horn but found buying from a skilled artist met my needs for great craftsmanship (eye candy) that I proudly carry everywhere my rifle accompanies me!

Would love to have horner75, Rich, put some comments in. He made 4 horns for me and is a wealth of knowledge about this historical stuff. I really hope he is doing well and Rich, have any thoughts on this?

 

[Shot deer]

Will stay away from the cheap horns.

Research is really all you need. If there is a cheap horn that seems to appeal to you, look at reviews. Just because it's cheap doesn't mean its bad. They can be bad, but if a cheaper horn is all you need, why go buy an expensive one? Expensive doesn't always mean good quality. It can alot of times but NOT always. Just something to think about.

 

[tenngun]

I bought a horn made by Ron Brown in 1978. I know nothing about Brown but his horn is a good solid horn. That was over forty years ago, and that horn has been rode hard and put up wet. Worn in rain,snow ,hot weather, warped in blankets next to me in below zero nights, it’s tight as a drum and full of powder right now. It was fifty something then at a time you could buy a Navy Arms Pennsylvania rifle for a hundred and eighty, and gold tanned buckskin was eighteen to twenty five. Most horns I saw at events or in catalogs ( paper books sort of like the internet they used back then) were in the ten to twenty dollar range.
I would say a good horn is worth the investment.

 

[Huntschool]

Choosing a horn is a time consuming task. You want it to look like it belongs with your bag and gun and shows some sign of being personal to you.

I have really tried to keep my horns aligned with my choice in rifles and time period and as such have purchased horns from several of the top makers. To me, its pay once and be happy.... I have been

This is a Ron Hess horn on one of my bags

And this is an Art De Camp Horn, also on one of my bags

 

[Eutycus]

I'm not saying that a simple homemade horn is any better than a custom or store bought one. But it does have that "something" that the other one doesn't.

 

[Many Klatch]

I have made all my own horns. I make them to suit me. I do reenact but I live fire a lot more so safety is paramount. I always put a spring loaded brass valve on my horns because it's difficult to always remember to put the plug back in the horn. I really don't want a spark setting off a pound of powder hanging on my side. I have never had anyone challenge my choice of safety over authenticity. I have a separate horn and bag for each caliber of gun that I shoot. Some of the valves are your basic Treso screw-in brass tips. Occasionally I can find someone making copies of Rev War British Cannon Crew brass priming horn tips so I have those as well.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Well put. Thats kind of what I had in mind. I Just couldn't find the words. Just because a fancier model of almost anything was available doesn't mean the average working Joe would have it on or use it. I've only had a tuxedo on once in my life but they are readily available.

This is a good point, and a good analogy. It's also one of the common debates. Being able to show that something was developed is not the same as showing how widespread was the use. THEN you have a problem with having all the capability to create "X", but for some reason it takes a while (sometimes decades) before one can point to the creation and use of X. Some examples. Charles Wilson Peale, the famous artist, tried to device a telescopic sight with cross hairs on flintlock rifles, in 1776. Wasn't able to make it work. Doesn't really come back in as a viable idea until about 90 years later. The Brits had at home and through trade, all that would be needed to develop stir-fry cooking in a Wok, and they had contact with the Far East where such are common cooking appliances. Didn't catch on in the 18th or 19th century among the Anglo population. (Don't stir fry up meat and veggies in a wok at a AWI reenactment and tell folks this is "authentic" for the British Colonies in North America. )

LD