Newbie question about priming

[Ajgall]

New flintlock shooter so this may be a silly question, but looking at period equipment I haven’t seen many primers or priming horns. How did the old timers prime? Did they just put a punch of powder in the pan and close the frozen?

 

[bang]

You can make a priming horn. A very small or piece of narrow end of a horn or antler or just wood. You can buy a brass priming flask. Just depends on how self sufficient you want to go.

 

[Bearkiller]

Yep the old timers simply used their powder horn to prime from. Priming flasks and primer horns are more of a modern conveyance. I use a small horn to prime from that has a 3 grain spout.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/76/1/HORN-A-S
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/73/1/PV-3

 

[Rifleman1776]

Wat Bearkiller said is spot on. But, these days we like convenience. I use 4Fg in a small horn with a brass plunger thingy for priming. Puts the exact amount I want in exactly the place I want.

 

[Grenadier1758]

New flintlock shooter so this may be a silly question, but looking at period equipment I haven’t seen many primers or priming horns. How did the old timers prime? Did they just put a punch of powder in the pan and close the frozen?

Hardly a silly question. Period drawings do not show priming horns carried on straps with the larger horn. One may see small powder horns, but I believe that small horns were used to cut back on excess equipment when out for a one day hunt when one or two shots may be fired. Why carry enough powder for 30 shots? Three balls, a small length of patching cloth or tow wadding, and a small horn in one's pocket is good enough.

Priming can be done with the same powder used for the main charge. We may not give early lock makers enough credit for quality lock tuning. Powder was sold as one grade of coarseness. Differentiation was done according to performance. Basic utility to energetic sporting grade. So a small pinch of powder or slight shake of the horn will put enough powder to fill the pan to just below the touch hole. My Bess likes a lot of powder in the pan. At the range, I use a small flask with a priming valve to dispense 3 grains (volume) into the pan. That's more convenient than trying to shake a priming charge from my main horn.

 

[tenngun]

As said priming was done from horn in the old days. Or in the military from the cartridge they were loading.
I do have some pyrodex I’m shooting and carry a small 2oz copper flak in my bak for a ‘kicker’ and a prime.
Priming from your horn will be clumsy until you practice it a bit. Pretty quick it’s old hat and it won’t be clumsy at all.