How do you prime?

[squib load]

Hi,Iam waiting on a prime horn fo my flinter.Now do you pour a small amount in a powder measure,or pour it directly into the pan? I want to do it right.Thanks,squib

 

[rabjr]

Ever since I watched ole Hershal House put his finger in front of the spout of a priming horn and pour a dribble of powder into the pan, I just use a priming horn, tapping powder into the pan or I use one of the 4gr big brass plunger type primers. But no theres no need for a measure to use your prime. :v

 

[napolean]

Priming horn to pan. I like a spring loaded valve on the priming horn so I'm not fiddling with a plug in the process.
Jon D

 

[dthompson1334]

I use a brass primer; all you do us push the spout down into the pan and it drops enough powder into the pan. If I used a horn I would pour enough to cover the bottom of the pan directly from the horn. You don't need to measure the amount of primer. You'll need to experiment with how much to put in the pan so you get reliable ignition.

I would - NEVER - pour directly from any container directly down the barrel to load the rifle. One little spark from a previous shot and you've got a bomb in your hand. I use plastic speed loaders to load my rifle. I used to belong to the NSSA and thats what we used to load our muskets and if a spark was present and sent your charge off, the plastic cap flew out of your hand and you didn't get burned.---at least that what happened to me the one time it occured.

Regards,
Booner

 

[Grenadier1758]

At this point in my experience, I just use the same horn that I use to load to prime directly from the horn. Naturally I pour a charge into my measure to start the process. Once the patched ball is settled on the powder, I use the horn to put a small amount of powder into the pan. The pan provides the visual level of measure. I like some powder all along the bottom of the pan up to the entry to the flash hole. Try different quantities of powder in the pan to find out what works best.

For a new shooter, it makes a lot of sense to use a priming horn. These work best with 4fg powder due to the small opening and 4fg is easier to ignite. 3fg is a bit coarse to use in the small spring loaded priming measures. It only takes a little practice to dribble powder from the main horn into the pan. By this time any embers have been put out by the loading process.

 

[rabjr]

The large brass 4 gr plunger primer dispenses 3F just fine trust me. Never had mine clog or fail to dispense powder.

 

[J.D.]

Ever since I watched ole Hershal House put his finger in front of the spout of a priming horn and pour a dribble of powder into the pan, I just use a priming horn, tapping powder into the pan or I use one of the 4gr big brass plunger type primers. But no theres no need for a measure to use your prime. :v

Never saw Hershel do that, but it's the way I do it, from the main horn though.

Depending on the style of shooting one does, priming horns can be a blessing or a PITA. IMHO, for me, they are more trouble than they are worth.

Either way, filling the pan from about half full to the bottom of the vent seems to give the most reliable ignition.

I wouldn't get caught up in too many details with shooting flint guns. While some things work better than others, there are no hard and fast rules in shooting these old guns, so there really isn't a right way or wrong way...unless your piece won't work. :wink:

God bless

 

[rabjr]

I'm not sure if the youtube video of him shows him loading and shooting but his rifle building video shows him doing this at the end when he fires the gun. I had never seen it done that way before and thought it was pretty neat.

 

[Swampman]

I got rid of my priming horn years ago. I prime directly from my powder horn.

 

[smoothy]

I still use a priming horn since I use large grade powder for the main charge (FFg and Fg). My priming horn is small and flattened so it doesn't take up a lot of room. If I used FFFg for the main charge I probably would use the same horn for priming. At this point, I'm set in my ways and have been successful with my flintlocks going off when I pull the trigger, including hunting. Anyway, I watch and fill the pan to my liking and don't measure it.

 

[Maven]

squb load, Until you decide on which type of pan charge works best [for you], why not make a simple one from a fired .30-06 or similar cartridge? You can even size it down in a .243Win. full length sizing die if you prefer the smaller opening. Plug either with a bullet of the proper diameter and you're set.

 

[squib load]

Ok,thanks guys.Iam beginning to believe that anything is ok as long as its safe.I just come back from a shooting my 45 flint and 45 pistol.My new lock from L&R works great on the rifle.I have some work to do on the cva pistol.squib

 

[nkbj]

A little extract bottle that fits in the pocket pretty well covers everything. Carries more powder than ever needed. It's rain proof. Humidity proof. Sweat proof. Lays flat. Price is right.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I found a source of free brass cylinders, just layin on the ground! They're closed at one end and just the right opening to plug with a wood dowel at the other. Durned if I know what they're truly for but that sure come in handy for shooting. Even has a rim around the tail end so they stay nice in a small leather loop on the back of my horn strap. I refill from my main horn as needed.

 

[cigar_man]

I use a brass primer; all you do us push the spout down into the pan and it drops enough powder into the pan.

Hello all

We had a fellow here in Canada a few years back with a brass primer that went off like a grenade.
He lost 3 fingers and brass embedded all over his body.

It just goes to show you, anything can happen at any time.

Yes, I use a brass primer also.

 

[Fullstock58]

Shooting at the range I use my powder horn to prime with, hunting I carry a very small horn, that fits in my pants pocket, it's about 3" long and very light and it works great!

 

[rabjr]

I use a brass primer; all you do us push the spout down into the pan and it drops enough powder into the pan.

Hello all

We had a fellow here in Canada a few years back with a brass primer that went off like a grenade.
He lost 3 fingers and brass embedded all over his body.

It just goes to show you, anything can happen at any time.

Yes, I use a brass primer also.

They don't just blow, something had to happen to cause the powder to ignite. He wasn't smoking a cigar was he?

 

[roundball]

I use these with 3 grain plunger / dispenser tips:

 

[gifford]

Use all three mentioned, brass, small horn and small antler with push spout. It depends on the venue and local range custom.

 

[Vaino]

When squirrel hunting, usually in a hurry...I don't measure anything, just dump and if too much, brush the excess off w/ a finger. At the range a little more care is exercized but again, don't measure the priming charge which is something less than a "full pan". This LR has shot many 100s of head shot squirrels and the amount of priming doesn't make any difference asre accuracy and the reliability is fantastic....many much more important load factors than the amount of prime. I use a priming horn that doesn't measure so it's all up to whatever comes out.....Fred