Lesson learned... cheap powder horns

[txjon]

So I ordered a cheap yet good looking powder horn only to receive it with a crack, and soft spot which had broken during shipping...later I purchased another cheap'O and the stopper wont stay in.

So back to shoppin for something moderately priced that I hope will be worth it.

 

[JohnN]

Make a new stopper ?

 

[Matt85]

i have one of these and love it! its a great little day horn if your not using heavy powder loads (over 70 grains).
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/76/1/HORN-A-M

i dont have one of these but if its anything like the above horn then its probably nice.
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/76/1/HORN-A-L

-matt

 

[sumoj275]

Take a look at the TOW horns that are like under 20 bucks. I got the antiqued color ones, put powder in one and check it now and then. Thus far gtg.

 

[TinStar]

Or...make your own. I never had a powder horn before and I made my first one. Did a F&I War type(if there is such a thing). Filed the plug to fit the horn, did the scrim, etc., and had a ton of fun. I also wove the strap for it too on an inkle loom made out of scraps I had. Got the plan off the internet. Not bragging. Just saying that doing it yourself I see as part of the over all fun of this game.

TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

 

[Rifleman1776]

hotoSmile:
Like other replies, I am a proponent of making and fixing yerself. May not be pc but some wood hardener on that soft spot, like CA can possible fix things, same with the crack. A little four aught steel wool will remove any shiny spots and restore the aged look.
I whittle plugs from any scrap handy. I hold in my teeth when using the horn. That way I can't forget to replace. DAMHIK how I learned that. :redface:

 

[hanshi]

i have one of these and love it! its a great little day horn if your not using heavy powder loads (over 70 grains).
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/76/1/HORN-A-M

i dont have one of these but if its anything like the above horn then its probably nice.
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/76/1/HORN-A-L

-matt

I can't believe the price they're getting on that first horn! I bought that same horn a little over a year ago for $10 from TOTW. Mine was in excellent shape and should last a long time. It is a bit too polished and machined but that's easy to remedy if it starts to really bother me.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Those do seem pricey. But some of the prices I see from vendors at shoots these days also seem high. Might be legit for them to stay in business. Dunno. :idunno:

 

[S.Kenton]

i have had the same experience with store baught powder horns..so I started making my own. I learned alot through this forum and a couple of others. You can pick up some cost effective powder horn blanks from powderhornsandmore.com.

 

[ohio ramrod]

One horn from local slaughter house Free, wood scraps from cabinet shop, free. Time well spent, and you have a cheap good horn plus the satisifaction of making it yourself! :hmm: :hmm:

 

[George T.]

I bought a Horn-D from TOW regular price $13.99 on sale for $12.99 a while back when ordering some patches and balls. In 2013 as you can expect I was not looking for a great powder horn. It looks just like the pictures and is a great looking horn. It even came with a cheap leather strap. Over time the plug got a little loose but two coats on true oil fixed that problem. Just a word of caution let it dry very well before installing. George T.

 

[William O.]

Try this place; http://www.powderhornsandmore.com/
I bought a buffalo horn from then with a push button pour spout and it has served me well for many years. I also have an Austin Walker powder horn that I bought off ebay. (Austin-Walker-Powder-Horns) Those cheap made in India horns are just junk, and are an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Rat Trapper]

Crazy Crow had a horn on sale earlier this year. Couldn't believe what a cheap piece of junk it turned out to be. Sent it back, and they must have agreed it was bad as I got my money back.

 

[poordevil]

I have been happy with this mans work. He makes nice bags too

http://search.mywebsearch.com/mywe...EFpKcoJslwRG1rW3UAPPR/4GKnUbZ2w==&ord=0&ct=AR&

 

[MSW]

ah, well, cheap tooks sXXX! and that includes horns.

you may want to check out http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/118/1/ST-7

now if your intention is to save money, you'll probably be a bit behind the game, but then again, once you've been bitten by the horn building bug, you'll have a horn for each gun, and you'll have saved a ton of your God entrusted, overtaxed dollars in horns you didn't ruin.

besides, it's a lot of fun to tinker with little bits of horn.

just one guy's opinion: free and doubtless well worth the price.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I've built a couple of horns over previous decades. Discovered that some kind of Horn Mites or weevils ate divots into the surface of my best horn, & even around some of the brass brads securing the wooden end - looks like Hell and a Half. Gotta find some kind of black epoxy to fill it all in & make it look respectable again.

Meanwhile, I got a $9.95 special from Amazon.com with free shipping. While you do get what you pay for, I had some spare fiddle pegs on hand & a threaded brass base plug & bushing. Some filing & fitting & it's nearly respectable & quite functional.

For my next trick, I need to find out the best way to attach a leather thong or some braided cord.

 

[bpd303]

Here is a horn that I made some 50 odd years ago. the wrapped wire is coated with epoxy and I have had to repair the leather strap several times. If I were to make it today the wire wrap would hold a ring that the strap would be attached to.

 

[rfdr]

the first and only powder horn i bought was that india one from tow. i hated it's color and the way it was carved. it looked like something that didn't belong in the usa. but those are my personal feelings. i like black tipped cow horns that mottle down to near white. i like simplicity. again, a personal thing, and to each their own.

i made my first powder horn last week. it's not period correct, but it works quite well. for me, this has been a learning curve on multiple levels. now i know exactly how best for me to make powder horns for ... me.

make as much of yer own gear as possible. no, not to save money, sometimes it will cost lots more. but you will have the satisfaction of rolling yer own, and if done well it will be a grandson hand-me-down.

 

[dpote]

On your Horn-D model from Track of the Wolf, is 2FFg powder difficult to fill a measure from?
I ask because I have that same horn, and filling my measure is near impossible. Perhaps I can try enlarging the spout.
Filling it was fairly easy, but making the powder go the other way was near impossible.

David

 

[AZbpBurner]

On your Horn-D model from Track of the Wolf, is 2FFg powder difficult to fill a measure from?
I ask because I have that same horn, and filling my measure is near impossible. Perhaps I can try enlarging the spout.
Filling it was fairly easy, but making the powder go the other way was near impossible.

David

Cut that big, ugly sow-nipple-looking thing offa the plug end, drill it out & either install a tapered plug, or a bushing with threaded brass base plug.

Life's too short to try to dribble powder thru the dispensing end.