How do you load a powder horn...

[Joebklyn]

I'm new to BP. I just got a like new .50 cal T/C Hawken, included in the sale was a powder horn. It has a brass valve type gizmo with a brass tube that looks to hold 80 grains or so of powder. I intend to use the horn to pour into an adjustable measure. My ? is when I unscrew the valve end there is a tiny hole leading into the horn is this where I fill from the bulk can? The back of the horn, the wide part, has a 3/8th wood plug that also leads into the horn. The plug also has a leather string tied to it. How do these things work? I fully intend to keep all of my fingers dealing with this black powderitis I've come down with. Thanks Joe

 

[robhof]

I bought one many years ago and have since made many. The answer varies with the horn, but the largest hole that empties into the horn would be the best place to fill from. I use a plastic funnel and the ones I make usually have a 1/2" hole in the back with a threaded dowel or brass knob for a plug. The older/original ones required careful filling from the spout area, a much slower process.

 

[Busyhands94]

maybe use some sort of funnel, or fold a piece of paper in half, pour a little powder on it, and use the fold to funnel the powder into the hole.

 

[Noz]

Get a Ted Cash brass powder funnel. Makes a difficult job easier.

 

[4v50 Gary]

You can get a brass funnel or do what I did back in the old days. I rolled up a sheet of paper into a cone and stuffed that into the biggest hole in the horn.

 

[david58]

Next time the Doctor looks in your ear, ask him for the little black funnel thing he throws away afterward. Shucks, if he's like my doc, he'll give you several if you ask (and I do ask, I lose stuff....).

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Get a Ted Cash brass powder funnel. Makes a difficult job easier.

I have one for one of my horns, which is very simple, and loads from the spout.

My fancy horn is a screw-tip, and when the tip is removed the exposed hole is large enough to accept the spout from a plastic-pour adaptor that fits on the can of BP.

Next time the Doctor looks in your ear, ask him for the little black funnel thing he throws away afterward. Shucks, if he's like my doc, he'll give you several if you ask (and I do ask, I lose stuff....).

THIS is a brilliant idea, which I will pass on to others.

LD

 

[ElvinWarrior]

I don't know about the horns, I use the flasks myself, in my possibles bag, just because one thing a hangin on my neck is enough, I don't want a half dozen things hangin from my neck...

But, with the standard flasks out there, you can purchase from Dixie, or Cabela's or EMF (Early Modern Firearms) a brass funnel, that has a threaded end. You unscrew the tip (measure) part of the powder flask, thread in the funnel, and viola !!! You're ready to fill your flask.

You can also pick up non-threaded, narrow necked funnels from the same outfits.



Sincerely,

ElvinWarrior... aka... David, "EW"

 

[robhof]

Walmart has plastic funnel sets that will work on any size opening for a few bucks, maybe not authentic, but a lot cheaper than brass funnels. The set I got works on my little 31 flask and even my 22 NAA powder horn.

 

[mothernatureson]

filling a powder horn

Like someone said, I use a piece of paper, folded/rolled make as small as necessary. I learned the hard way on the colt/remington style pistol flasks. The first few times I unscrewed the 3 or 4 tiny screws, and removed the entire flask head! Man, I was a slow learner! On the flasks, just remove the spout, and using your tiny funnel or paper made funnel , fill her up. No internet around for advice when I started shooting the Muzzleloaders. Good shooting!

mothernatureson

 

[txapacheguy]

I found a plastic cap with a built-in pour spout and snap-on cover that screws onto a standard plastic pyrodex or 777 jar. It works pretty well for filling up my powder flasks.

 

[ElvinWarrior]

txapacheguy !!!

I have one of those too !!! Its a plastic bottle with a nozzel cap that was filled with those little rubber balls for those toy rubber ball guns !!! I use it to fill my powder measures when I want a more accurate measure than the powder flask.

And, in a pinch, you can find all kinds of ketchup of mustard style squeeze bottles, empty ones, at the local 99 Cents store type outlets, no reason why those wouldn't work either !!! In fact, if you brought in an empty Goex, or other brand 1lb tin, you may find a ketchup or mustard squeeze bottle top that just might thread right on down on top of the standard BP 1lb metal tins !!!

as far as those cheap little plastic funnel sets go, ya, I have some of those too !!! I picked up a set of 5 of them, all in diff sizes, came as a set, at the 99 cent store for guess what... 99 cents, or $1.07 with tax. I love those lil guys !!! I use them for all kinds of pesky things, like pouring some of my plating solutions back into their bottles, what have you !!! You can NEVER have too many possibles, even cheap 99 cent store adapted ones !!!

Sincerely,

ElvinWarrior... aka... David, "EW"