Powder flask or hand grenade?

[Joel/Calgary]

Just hadda rest my mind on this, as they are quality repros of old flasks by the original company, and were obviously designed to operate flask to muzzle back in the day.

The quality of these reproductions is not spectacular - on both of mine, I've had to polish the gate and significantly reduce the spacing between the plates sandwiching the gate. I strongly suspect the original Sykes patent valves that were tested with water and with burning powder in the spout were held to much better tolerances than these, and were perfectly clean when tested.

On a related matter, I recall reading 19th century accounts of flask explosions and of admonitions and/or reminders to load "from the hand". It appears that the recommended procedure was to use the flask to measure the powder but to dump it into the palm of your other hand, then from your hand into the barrel. Usually, rather than use my hand, I dump the powder into a rather coarse measure (made from a 20ga or a 28ga hull, cut on a slant for a pouring lip, and marked for various powder and/or shot charges on the inside) as an intermediary between my flask's measure and the barrel - it's still quicker and less fussy than carefully pouring into a measure, etc.

Joel

 

[shortbow]

Thanks for the info on those repros, Joel. There is so very precious little made today that reflects the kind of pride in crafstmanship once demonstrated in goods of all kinds. I may still order one of those flasks for their historicity, but will damp down my expectations accordingly.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Why do you say, "it is in essence a pipe bomb"? Is there the chance of an ember in the bore that may cause a cook off thereby igniting the powder in the flask?

Also the chance that you set it down on a shooting stand and your vent or your neighbor's vent tosses embers onto it. I watched one guy set up to shoot a muzzleloader with a one-pound coffee can full of powder and a plastic scoop (We used to have a local source who would by bulk powder when a Goex factory was near Scranton and sell it "under the table" in coffee cans - this was 20 some years ago). He put the lid on each time, but he was living in the fast lane to missing eyebrow city and was apt to take his neighbors with him. We got a sign that said "NO OPEN POWDER CONTAINERS" just after that.

Pour from a measure; whether you carry a horn, flask or what have you. I think it was on a "History of the Gun" special where they showed a horn going off in the hand of a "Crash-Test-Mountain-Man". Pretty graphic image of a hat and hand flying up and away in slow motion.

I don't swab every shot and haven't had an ember problem in 25 plus years. I leave the barrel full of the smoke and monoxide from the prior shot to kill any embers as I get the powder poured into the measure. :wink: I tip the muzzle well away from my face and assume the rammer and ball might at any instant come out with a bang and so don't put my palm or any body part in harms way.

I drive over a lot of bridges assuming they will not choose that instant to collapse. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

 

It's a bad safety practice and for this guy to do it on TV where millions of people will see it and thousands of them will think it is the right thing to do - is irresponsible.

 

I have to drive over bridges, too. I don't have to load on a hot barrel. I guess we all have to make the decision of which acceptable risks we want to take. Some risks are not necessary, IMHO.

Cooner, paralyzed with fear? :rotf: There is a big difference between being paralyzed with fear and using safe practices whenever possible. :thumbsup: No reckless = No fear!

 

[scroggwe]

We're not talking about the small brass pan primers that have a plunger to drop a small amount of FFFFg powder in the pan are we? I use of these and never thought about it being dangerous, as it goes in the pan and not the muzzle. I load my main charge from an adjustable powder measure and if at the range I place the powder can in a .50 caliber ammo can before shooting. If shooting in the field, I swing the powder horn around behind me before shooting.

 

No Bill, not me anyway. I think most of us are talking about the tube chargers that are screwed onto your horn as a spout that pour right out of your powder horn for the main charge. I use one of those little push primers myself. Cook offs from outside the barrel are unheard of. Besides, I wipe the lock and touch hole area free of fouling real good before loading another round anyway.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I agree with Cooner54. We are not talking about those little primer devices, that drop 2-3 grains of 4Fg powder in the pan per stroke. We are talking about the spouts and gate-type measures that are fixed to either a powder horn, or flask, so that the entire horn or flask of powder is above and pressing down on the gate when the thumb is removed to dump a charge of powder down your barrel. If you get a " cook-off" with the flask or can or horn in this position, you are holding a bomb! It has happened, although its exceedingly rare. My local club forbids these kinds of devices to be used on our range, except that the owner can use a separate powder measure and load it from one of these devices. But, the flask, or can, or horn has to be closed before the charge is poured down the barrel and cannot be around the muzzle when the powder is poured.

We have irritated a few new shooters, and some older shooters who showed up as guests with the rule, but in the 32 years the club has been in existence, we have not had an injury on the firing line. Most of the time, if a shooter is new, we will loan him our own horn to use during a match, and simply ask him to refill the horn before he goes home, either out of his horn, or from his cans of powder, if he brought them with him.At one time the club had extra powder to seel to members at each monthyly shoot, but I don't know that this practice continues.