Powder Handling

[mike116]

How do you handle your powder?   Do you use an old ketchup bottle or do you use a Powder horn or a flask or two.     I have a couple Powder horns that use for my rifles but mostly I use a flask to load my revolvers.    I have gone the paper cartridge route but I always go back to utilizing one of the several flasks I have collected.   I'm always on the lookout for a new flask but most I find are either similar to what I have or are cheap reproductions.    There are some good reproductions out there but many are cheap and poorly made.   I have some of each.   I also have a couple of the more modern tubular round brass flasks.   I like the old stuff but you can't beat the modern round style for functionality.   

I also have a copy of the book titled "The Powder Flask Book" by Ray Riling.  It has photos of thousands of flasks and powder horns and lots of info on manufacturers.   It's amazing how many manufacturers there were.   According to the book, (published in 1953) even the flasks made back in the early 1800's don't hold much value.   

Here's some of my collection,   I have a few more but I'm not sure where they are at the moment.     
Show us what have for flasks and which ones you use most, even if it is a old ketchup bottle you stole from the local hamburger joint.

[Marshal Will]

I have one of the new tubular ones in my stuff somewhere but for the most part, I'm in the ketchup bottle crowd. Gonna hafta to do something about that one day.

[Hawg]

This is my favorite powder horn made for me by an old friend. It has  threaded finial to make filling easier and a spring loaded spout. I only use horns for rifles. I have an old CVA flask about twice the size of yours I use for pistols but I don't think I have a pic of it.



Then I have this horn. It's a nice little airtight horn I got from Crazy Crow but it's harder to fill and doesn't hold as much powder.



Welp I guess I don't have pics of the other two but they're plain.

I do have two of these powder measures I use for everything.

[mike116]

I only use horns for rifles. I have an old CVA flask about twice the size of yours I use for pistols but I don't think I have a pic of it.

I only use horns for rifles too.   My powder horns are not big ones but big enough for my use.   I have one of the bigger tube style flasks too.  It's one of the 3 that are among the missing.

[Bishop Creek]

I have several powder horns but the main one I use for flintlock is one made by Scott Sibley. These are my powder flasks:

1.  My first flask, an Italian knock off purchased in 1969. I removed the dark finish on it at the time and buffed it to a bright copper shine which has aged well over the last 53 years. I still use this flask for most of my revolver shooting and have a number of various size spouts for it. I keep it full of FFFg black powder.

2  A Dixon & Sons flask made in 1971 for the very first 2nd Generation Colt Navy revolvers with "COLTS PATENT" and "Dixon & Sons" stamped on it.

3. Another Dixon & Sons flask made in the 1970s, with "COLTS PATENT" stamp, but not sold with the 2nd Gen Colts.

4. An Italian copy of a Navy Stand of Colors flask with "COLTS PATENT" stamp, Not sure of the date, I think I obtained it in the 1980s. I'll bet Colt threatened to sue if they didn't remove the "COLTS."

5. A very shiny flask made in the 1990s. Looks like it may have originally been made by whoever made the Signature Series Colt flasks as the "PATENT" stamp remains but the "COLT" above it is covered by a rectangular block.

6. A Cabela's modern version of the Colt flask I bought for using Triple 7 with my Rugers.

7. A silver colored Remington style .36 flask I obtained in the 1980s.

8. A very nice modern Remington flask that I purchased from DD4lifeusmc several years ago. I use it with my Pietta '58 Shooters Model.

[mike116]

Very nice group there Bishop.    I don't have any 2nd Gen revolvers so I haven't aquired any 2nd Gen flasks.   I'm pretty sure Fingers Mcgee has all the 2nd Gen flasks.

[Marshal Will]

There are some truly outstanding powder flasks being shown here. It looks like I'm going to have to get into (out of?) the 21st century and find a good one.

[Zulch]

That’s an interesting powder measure Hawg. What’s the story behind that one? Never seen one like that.

[Hawg]

That’s an interesting powder measure Hawg. What’s the story behind that one? Never seen one like that.

It's just an old Thompson Center rifle measure with a sliding funnel. I think they still make them but they're plastic now. I bought two of them around 1980. They're not difficult to use with a pistol. That was my intention for buying two. To have a dedicated one for rifles and one for pistols but I eventually wound up using the one for both. They go from 20 - 120 grains in 10 grain increments. It even has cap storage in the bottom but they're kind of a pain to get out. Here's an older pic of the two. You can tell which one got the most use even then. I think the other one is still yellow.

[Zulch]

I like those Hawg. I'm jealous. Too bad they are plastic now. LOL

[Hawg]

I just did a quick search and didn't find one like these. The closest I found was a plastic one with a hinged top. I didn't even find one on ebay.

[Miguel Loco]

I've got one of those brass ones too. Very handy to have.

When shooting my BP revolvers, I just bring a box or 2 of my paper cartridges so I don't really need to measure in the field very often. I use the brass measure when I'm shooting my old TC Hawkin as well as a powder horn.

[ShotgunDave]

Great topic guys!

Here's mine. I use the modern cylindrical one most. it has FFFg in it and a 30gr spout. I shoot mostly .44 so it's perfect. The darker flask also has a 30gr spout but it contains Old Eynsford. I don't use it as much, but it's ready to go none the less. And the bigger basketweave flask is the one I use for Navy sized guns. it has the 20gr spout on it and contains FFFg.




I have a couple of measures that I don't use too often anymore. The small one is like the ones Hawg has, except mine has the plastic parts. I've had that one for 30 years. I actually didn't know they made an all brass one. I'd like to find one of those. But I think the plastic ones work fine. Like I said, mine has 30 years of use and is still working just fine.

[Hawg]

I had a cheap copy of a Colt flask but I was backing the set screws out and removing the whole top to fill it. One day I missed the holes those set screws went into and the seam of the flask split from top to bottom. My very first flask was a Joy dishwashing liquid bottle.

[45 Dragoon]

Ha!! I carry  my powder in little brass tubes with lead stuck in  the end!!! 

Mike