Loading from a Flask

[ValleyForge]

OK - I'm moving this from another thread, as I'd like to get the opinion of the General Cavalry here.

While I've never had any problems loading my Remington .44 from a powder measure, my Colt 1861 is another story -- the narrower chambers & design of the gun make it more difficult to load (for me, anyway.). I have a powder measure with a movable funnel on the end of it, but I still end up spilling a lot of powder & end up with inconsistent loads.

A couple of my comrades-in-arms here have suggested that I load directly from a powder flask. I have one, but haven't used it for direct loading due to the ton of warnings I've read about doing that -- that it's an easy way to cut your piano playing career short (I actually do play piano, but that's another story...).

So what do you think, folks? Do you load directly from the flask? Or should I continue with my current klutzy, powder-spilling, inconsistent-loading ways?

Thanks - and an advance Happy Thanksgiving to all!

 

[eljefe]

If your flask has a cut-off valve that enables you to fill the spout and then cut off the rest of the powder in the flask, then I would say yes.
I would have no problem using such a flask to load. Most of the flasks I have seen work like that, and you can buy different spouts for different charges. For example, a spout can accept 20, 25, 30 grains. An alternative is to get a 35mm film canister to pour and measure from the flask. Those canisters are flexible enough to pinch them into a funnel like shape. They are usually free for the asking at camera stores. If you wanted to get really efficient, you could measure and fill as many as you will need at home and take them to the range with you. Since I shoot a remington, I just remove my cylinder and use a stand to load. The colts are much more cumbersome to remove the cylinder, so I would probably do as I suggested above for a colt model.

 

[scott k]

I have a 1851 colt and load from a flask, I had the same problem loading as you. just could not get powder down in the cylinder.

It's a lot easer with the flask.
Zonie was the one that said to try using a flask in a earlier tread when I posted about buying my colt.
He also said that some would warn against using a flask as it is unsafe. Just think about what you are doing and use you head and (don't pour in a smoking gun) you should be good to go!
MTC
Leigh...

 

[jmckenney]

I've always understood the warning about loading from a flask pertained to those muzzle loaders using a cloth patching material.

 

[catfish33]

You are still only pouring 20grn (mine is 25grn)of powder in each cylinder using a flask. And only that 20+grn is exposed if in fact you do get a hot enough ember to ignite the charge. Been around BP all my life only saw one rifle fire off the powder after being poured down the barrel. That was at Friendship, In. and they were doing a demonstration on what it took for the old soldiers to load and fire their weapon in fast succesion. Most people shooting a BP revolver are not gonna have a rapid turn-around in reloading their pistol. I do use a measured flask for my 1851 Navy (One funnel per cyl.) and my .45cal Flinter (2 funnels). And will continue to do so. Not saying to ignore the warnings about it but use caution.

 

[jim gray]

I do load C&B revolvers from the flask, but only revolvers. I still use a measure for my Colt 2nd Model Dragoon, but I don't have a spout that holds 50 grains. :haha:

 

[catfish33]

Do what I do and double shot it with the flask. That Is what I do for my flintlock.

 

[George F.]

Sounds like you revolver shooters need an offset funnel to channel that powder to its desired destination safely
....George F.

 

[amccall]

One thing that I use is those disposable plastice funnels that the doctors use when they check your ears. My gun club will not allow us to load from the flask so they use one ot those funnels to pour the powder in the cylinders, works good. :v

 

[ValleyForge]

If I could find one, I'd use it. Know of any?

 

[Zonie]

Having been quoted up above, I agree with myself. :grin:

IMO, it is not unsafe to load from the flask if it has the thumb released "gate".
If you really want to be safe, you can blow into the empty cylinder bores. (I have no objections to blowing into the cylinder but I still don't hold with blowing down a rifle barrel. In this case the barrel is not aimed at your head when your blowing).

Now, I'm not saying I totally buy into it but in the book THE POWDER FLASK BOOK by Ray Riling there are a number of patent drawings for the measuring devices built into the flasks.
Most of them were intended to block of the main powder chamber not only to provide a means of measuring the amount of powder but to prevent an explosion in case the powder ignited during loading.

I own a flask which has a George Capewell patent # 118104 (Aug 15, 1871) and except for the internal spring design and the multiple step adjustable spout, it's gate isn't much different than the many Italian flasks I own.

Long story short, if your sure there are no sparks left in the empty chamber of your revolver you should be fairly safe loading from your gated flask.

 

[jim gray]

I do look in the chambers before loading them as well. I couldn't see if there was anything smoldering in the breech of a rifle at the range, even if I did care to look down there; I don't.

 

[Deerstalker]

I load from my flask, haven't had any problems yet.
Bryan

 

[George F.]

No, I don't. But there is your road to riches, Make one, patent it and you're on your way...Trouble is these type of 'old items' have a way of being patented a century or two ago and the patent seems to roll over(is that possible,I thought a patent lasts for a finite period then expires)
......George F. Do You think it would really work????

 

In an earlier post I stated:

"Here's my system to make up loads (you can't take this to a 'vous they will suffocate you with gummi-bears!)

In the wedding section of a Wal-Mart crafts department, you can find plastic-tubes filled with soapy water and an o-shaped device to produce bubbles. 1 pack is 48 tubes ~$9.50.

Pour the soap into one container (good stuff to clean the smokepole - why waste it?), clean the tubes with water, cut the stem with the O. Now you have dandy tubes with a nice, easy removable plug. One tube holds up to 80 grains Pyrodex P.

I filled ten tubes with 40, 50, 60, and 70 grains, and 8 with 80 grains. After finding out that my GPR .50 liked 40 grains most, I loaded up 10 each 35, 40, 45 grains (40 again to have the same weather conditions to compare).

And, to load up the smoke pole on the range in windy conditions with this gadgets is waaaay easier than to handle a powder measure. And safe, too!"

If you don't like to fill your revolver from flask, this tubes are slim enough to use it with even .32 cal chambers. I bought a plastic container for .50 cal rounds. Now you just fill them at home put it into the container, and you have a nice, humidity-safe device.

 

[crockett]

I do the same thing except I made up a bunch of paper tubes that have stood up pretty well. I use black powder so I weight the charges. 18 gr. FFFg. I keep all the tubes in an Altoids tin. Measuring the charges is probably overkill but it gives you the confidence to know the load is as accurate as possible.
QUESTION: there are accounts of rifles flaring up and exploding a horn/flask. Has anyone ever heard of this with a revolver? In other words, with the rifle, are the remaining embers from torn bits of patching material, etc? In a cap and ball pistol, what is left to cause a flare up? Are we being overly careful?

 

[Mr Nick]

I went to wal mart and got the plastic tubes. I found that I could only get 70 grains max in each.

 

[hcook]

What about pouring your powder down the barrel, then turning the cylinder :hmm: .

 

[crockett]

Well at the risk of getting the safety police on my case let me say that I have been shooting cap N ball over thirty years and always loaded from a flask because that's the way others told me to do it. A few months back this forum started talking about this issue- no one loads a rifle from a horn or flask- so why should it be done with a cap n ball? It makes sense- I guess. My question was however whether anyone had ever heard of a mishap with a cap n ball loaded this way. The cylinder is rather short and without rifling so what's left to harbor an ember? Powder, ball, grease- seems it would all burn up. Once in a while I make up some combustible cartridges and that IS DANGEROUS because there will be bits of burnt paper, etc left in the chamber. Maybe the same could happen if you use wads. Someone suggested that the rule about loading from a flask pertained only to patched balls. I assume this is because the patch may leave bits of burnt material. In any event has anyone ever heard of a mishap with a cap n ball revolver being loaded from a flask?

 

[Zonie]

Not me.