Priming Horn or Flask?

[kje54]

Which do you use? Which is better?

 

[Frontier's]

Horn. Carries more powder.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Horn to measuring device to muzzle.
Flasks are for keeping warm and pistols.

 

[tenngun]

The little two ounce colt flask with ten grain spout is handy. I use one in my rifle as I shoot fake powder in it and it throws a kicker and I can prime with it but takes up very little room in bag.

 

[hawkeye2]

I carried one of the small Colt flasks with a cut down spout for a few years. I carried it in my pouch and could hide it in my hand. It was fast and easy to use when we were marching in parades and reenactments. I went to a priming horn later which wasn't much bigger. It wasn't as convenient as I had to pull the stopper with my teeth and shake just the right amount of powder into the pan but since no one was shooting back, at least for real, it didn't really matter. Neither really took up much space in my hunting pouch and I found a nice small flat horn that I'll be using for priming in the future.

 

[mooman76]

I have both and they both work the same to me. I like them because I keep different powders in each so I can keep them separate and know which is in what.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I still use the flask I bought in the early sixties. I have three nice schrimshawed horns but I still carry the flask. I do use a small "priming" antler horn for the flintlock.

 

[Art Caputo]

I use a horn.. For hunting, a smaller, flat style that holds 12-24 chargers(40-50cal). Fast, handy and works outside or inside my bag or pocket. For targets/practice, a large, round style that holds, about 4x that amount. For my revolvers, I use a flask/spout.

 

[toot]

seems that more GENTILEMEN carried a flask in the field as opposed to a horn? what say you?

 

[oldwood]

For shooting range .....use a horn 8" to 10" w/powder valve dispenser into powder measure. It's a safety issue , so The horn is always plugged when on the bench or on my shoulder. Priming device is some smaller goat horn , or flattened 5" long cow horn W/ a brass 3 gr plunger valve . Takes about 6 plunges to fill the flint pan good enough. ......For hunting deer , I use pre-measured charges stored in Blood collection tubes , or cut down plastic cigar tubes. .........Priming for hunting is same as above. .........Two issues govern my thinking on powder distribution. One is Spillage and safety , and the other , compactness , so I can travel light on longer hunts. ..........oldwood

 

[TheSpamPotential]

Horn. I bought a black priming horn made from bison horn with a spring loaded spout and elk hide strap.
Got it from a guy on Ebay about 12 years ago.
It goes perfectly with the black bison horn powder horn I bought from the same gent.

 

[Rifleman1776]

You asked about priming. I have several horns. Also have a variety of small devices I have made for priming. Some are antler, some wood, one brass. Always need more 'stuff' in this game.

 

[FishDFly]

seems that more GENTILEMEN carried a flask in the field as opposed to a horn? what say you?

Smells of alcohol to me.

 

[Zonie]

If I'm at a shooting range, I use a cylindrical flask. If I'm out walking/hunting, I use a powder horn.

 

[TheSpamPotential]

Was looking through my small belt bag that I keep with my flintlock and saw that I also have a small brass priming flask.
Probably TC. Probably Italian made (like all but two of my BP guns). Spring loaded nozzle. It's one of those small neck primers.
Forgot I had it.
I say it's probably TC because so many of my BP accessories came from them, when I started out.

 

[tenngun]

seems that more GENTILEMEN carried a flask in the field as opposed to a horn? what say you?

I think that’s true. Most horns carry at least half a pound of powder. About fifty shots. I doubt most gentlemen hunters would shoot that much in a day.
Fifty shot loads would weigh about three pounds. Weight of bag come in at with weight of bag, spare flints and a simple tool or two would be about six pounds. Many bags were belt bags and if you hang four five or six pound on your belt it hangs pretty heavy.
Often in frontiersman journals we hear about some one getting caught with a horn full of powder but only five ball in his bag.
I THINK a day Hunter just wouldn’t have carried more then needed.

 

[Notchy Bob]

I interpreted the OP's question question to be whether we prefer priming our flintlocks from a priming flask or horn.

A lot of shooters now say we ought to prime from the same horn that carries powder for the main charge, because that's how they did it back in the day. I'm reluctant to open that can of worms again, but will respectfully suggest that we do a lot of things differently now. Coarser powder, even FFg, will light up just fine when sparks fall into it, but for me, FFFFg seems to be a little faster. Not that I'm a good enough shot to benefit. My main problem in priming from the "big" horn is that I am clumsy, and usually end up putting in too much powder and/or scattering powder all around the pan, into all the little crevices and around the feather spring. Getting off a shot becomes a pyrotechnic event.

I get best results with one of the little tubular brass priming flasks with the small nozzle and spring loaded valve. I fill it with FFFFg.

That's what works best for me. Others March to their own drummers.

Best regards,
Notchy Bob

 

[Griz44Mag]

I interpreted the OP's question question to be whether we prefer priming our flintlocks from a priming flask or horn.

I get best results with one of the little tubular brass priming flasks with the small nozzle and spring loaded valve. I fill it with FFFFg.

That's what works best for me. Others March to their own drummers.

Best regards,
Notchy Bob

I am close to the same midset.
I only use one of the brass flasks with a valve for calibers 54 and down.
Pour powder into a measure for the main charge and after loading trickle a bit into the pan from the same flask.
For the big bores I carry a small 1 oz flask with 3f for priming and a larger gated flask for the 2f main charge.
I have used the 2f for priming and never had an issue - but it does seem a bit slower to fire with the 2f.
This is an issue that seems to be discussed a lot, but "back in the day" they used the same powder for everything. The Brits with their long land muskets used a paper cartridge and the powder in it was used for main charge and prime - and for a very long time they ruled more than a third of all land mass using that method. Yup, it works - showing there is little need to over complicate things.

 

[oldwood]

Weather can be so nasty when hunting season comes around here , I have put a larger flap on my shot pouch and found a short ugly 5" horn that is hung out of the rain/snow safely under the larger flap. Carry maybe 10 balls in case I wound a deer and have to chase it down. Happened to me once , had to fire two more balls to put the deer down...............oldwood

 

[Dale Lilly]

Five flasks [no alky], 5 horns, just ordered a custom horn from a forum member. Choices. choices. Flip a coin Dale. Polecat