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How old is this style of spring-loaded powder horn charger ? Civil War era ?
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The spring-loaded powder horn charger
- Thread starter jonathan butcher
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Interestingarticle
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/the-metal-flask-successor-to-the-powder-hornTried paste link but wouldn't work.
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/the-metal-flask-successor-to-the-powder-hornTried paste link but wouldn't work.
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http://www.uncledaveys.com/index.htm?pow.htm
Looking at photos of solders items, pouches and flasks, I didn't see any that had coil spring charger. You'll notice the real older flasks don't have the 3 screw attached top. The spout is attached but do have capability of changing the measure volume and typically are beveled at end.
Coil springs although used around 1840 for armchairs were most likely not metallurgically very sound in real small wire size and if available were probably expensive compared to the typical leaf spring. The Spencer rifle did use a coil spring in tube fed early rim fire that came out, I believe, late years of civil war.
I'll keep looking. You picked an interesting quandary.
Looking at photos of solders items, pouches and flasks, I didn't see any that had coil spring charger. You'll notice the real older flasks don't have the 3 screw attached top. The spout is attached but do have capability of changing the measure volume and typically are beveled at end.
Coil springs although used around 1840 for armchairs were most likely not metallurgically very sound in real small wire size and if available were probably expensive compared to the typical leaf spring. The Spencer rifle did use a coil spring in tube fed early rim fire that came out, I believe, late years of civil war.
I'll keep looking. You picked an interesting quandary.
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The earliest American Patent that shows the use of a coil spring in a powder measure for a flask that is shown in the book, "THE POWDER FLASK BOOK", by Ray Riling is 1858.
Colt used a coil spring in the loading lever release on the 1851 Navy revolver.
The first Patent for a coil spring was made by R. Tradwell in 1763. It was a British Patent.
Colt used a coil spring in the loading lever release on the 1851 Navy revolver.
The first Patent for a coil spring was made by R. Tradwell in 1763. It was a British Patent.
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It's quite possible the valve could have been made prior to the CW but based on the hundreds of different flasks shown in Mr. Riling's book, I think it would have been a rare bird. Almost none of the flasks pictured use a valve that is even remotely like the one in the photo.
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Care to take a wild guess then as to the general age of the pictured horn/ spout/ charger ? Or one's like it ? 20th century ?
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Don't know how old that one is but I've been making powder horns since about 1975 when I got into muzzleloading. I would say 95% of my horns have that type of spring loaded charger with different screw in measuring spouts. Most of them have 50 grain chargers on them. I got them from Track of the Wolf, and a few traders at muzzle loader shoots. Some where in Treso packaging. They made these for brass flasks, they had them attached to a lid for black powder cans, and set up for powder horns and shot bags. Some of mine look older than that one with all of the tarnish and scratches on it. They also made cleaning jags, ramrod ends, priming chargers, nipples, screw-in powder horn filler holes, and they also made a lot of steel screws for locks.
They are a lot better than a wood plug in a horn. Period looks, not so much. I had a couple of shoots that wouldn't let me use them because they said they were jot primitive. Had to have a pull out plug in the powder horns. I played their game and beat their AZZes and gave them a thumbs up when leaving with the prizes.
Mike
They are a lot better than a wood plug in a horn. Period looks, not so much. I had a couple of shoots that wouldn't let me use them because they said they were jot primitive. Had to have a pull out plug in the powder horns. I played their game and beat their AZZes and gave them a thumbs up when leaving with the prizes.
Mike
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Ha! Great post, especially the last part. That horn spout belongs to a black bison powder horn I was thinking about buying, still may as i like the horn. I wasn't sure about the charger spout, didn't know how far back they go and din't want a neon McDonald's sign on my new powder horn. I guess a wood plug is easy enough to come by.
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Thanks Zonie, I kinda thought that might be the case. One thing I'm beginning to understand though is not all hunting accoutrements were either pictured or discussed in specific, transcript detail. Not necessarilly relevant here as I agree with your assessment of the charging spout. But there's a vigorous discussion about ball blocks elsewhere which I had no idea inspired such controversy!
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