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Pan Priming??

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Some folks use a brass pan primer like the one Dixie shows in this catalog link http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=3713

It's biggest fault is it doesn't work very well unless it is filled with 4F powder.

3Fg and 2Fg powder granulation powder will plug it up.

Because of this most folks who want to use the same powder they are loading for a main charge just use their horn or flask to prime the pan.

If a bit too much powder gets dumped into the pan using these methods it is very easy to use a finger to knock out the excess.
 
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ohiochuck said:
What device (brass primer, etc.) do you recommend for priming the flintlock pan??
Thanks!!
I prefer the ignition speed of 4F priming powder, and the consistency of a 3grn plunger/dispenser tip for every prime.
As a result I use a brass one at the range, and these when hunting...just drops into a shirt pocket.

PrimerHornandAntler.jpg
 
i use 3f when hunting but when just shooting i like to use the brass plunger prime. This way i pour into my measure, cap my horn, and don't worry about getting into the horn again or forgetting to cap it before firing. ram the ball home, plunge, plunge, cock- set- boom
 
I use a plain small horn, no dispenser. I always use 4F to prime, but recently tried 3F and my priming horn dumped it just as well.

prime_hornE.jpg


Spence
 
With my Bess I just tapped a few grains from the paper cartridges after biting the end off. For the last 10 years I have been using a temporary solution of a somewhat familiar brass tube with a wood plug.

IM000579.jpg


I fancied a few up by soldering copper "keepers" to hook in loops on the back of my horn strap- as seen above the ball-bag in the image below. I refill these from the main horn.

HPIM0448.jpg
 
I'm not too experienced, but I use a few dabs out of my brass priming flask that i got from TotW. I also shoot and prime with 2F. It works well for me, but maybe I'm too new to know better(?).
 
when I first got mine, I had one horn and a can of 3f and a can of 4f. I put the 3 f in the horn so I needed something to hold the 4f quick. I found that a small syrup bottle from Cracker Barrel resturant like the one you get with your pancakes worked great. I dont use it anymore but it fit in my pocket, was air tight and you could always see how much powder was in it. I know use a small priming horn or a deer leg bone with a plunger, but they really dont work as well as that little syrup bottle did.
 
I use the little brass plunger type that is available almost everywhere. I always use 4f unless I am testing something. It is kinda strange, my Bass Pro (CVA model) doesn't have any flint supplies but they do have that little brass primer! My Cabela's has it too but at least they do have a very tiny selection of flintlock supplies.
 
I find the same horn I load the main charge wioth and the same powder 3f to work well for both, I used to use small horns and small brass chargers untill I tried the main horn/same powder and found the other stuff just something else uneeded I was carrying around.My shooting bag probably has half the "stuff" in it that it did 30-35 years ago.
 
Use a flat vanilla extract bottle with the screw on steel cap for a horn of FFFg. Has a skinny neck to pour in the measure and also reach the pan. Holds plenty for a dozen shots. Keeps your powder dry in your pocket with the patches and balls. And you can always see how much powder is in there.

Got the .58 flinter rebore slicked up. Might put a measure on the lid of an extract bottle once I work up a good load for it.
 
A problem for me...that I found with the small pan primers that they don't hold enough 4F to make it all the way through a 40-50 shot range session, using a 3grn prime, without having to stop and refill it.

So I got the larger one in this photo to use at the range...it holds 150grns 4F, but the plunger dispenses 4-5grns...so I used a thin Dremel cut off wheel and gradually sliced the tip back until it threw the 3grns I wanted...been using it for several years now.

NOTE: For those who like to use 3F but would prefer a small pocket primer, the barrel on the large one in the photo is a larger diameter than the smaller 3grn tip and it should handle 3F just fine.
In fact, if I can remember to do it, I'll temporarily replace the 4F with 3F and run a test, post back the factual findings.

RegularMagnumFlintlockPanPrimers.jpg
 
One of mine is small and doesn't hold that much powder. The other one is quite large and holds three times the powder of the small one. I carry both to the range and always have a vial of 4F in my range box. Just the small one is all I need in the woods.
 
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