Anyone seen one this big?

This is the biggest adjustable volume powder measure I have ever saw. It starts at 100 grs. before the plunger is moved then goes out another 160 grs. for a total of 260grs. Its 7 1/2 inches long without the funnel and 11 1/2 inched with the plunger fully extended. Same diameter as my 120 gr. adjustable one.

Nope, have not!
Walk

Not putting 260 grains into any of MY guns! Holy cow!

I wouldn’t want to feed that one.

African guns?

They should have made it fatter, and shorter. Kinda like the blunderbuss its going to feed.

The thumb screw looks old. But the nut on the funnel machine screw is hex.

How about a rope line mortar. I've heard of them using 150 but it was newer cartridge style. Or some type of hand carried nonshoulder fired anti boarding gun.

Didn't some of the original Hawken rifles use charges up to that level? Of course the powder was perhaps not as stout as our modern black, but the barrels were thicker, too, iirc. I once held an original Schroyer rifle that was about 50 cal and had a barrel at least 1"- 1 1/8" inch atf. Thing weighed a ton, I remember thinking it could hold a hell of a charge for bear or buff. I also remember thinking it would take a stout man to pack that longrifle over hill and vale. 260 grains just doesn't seem that extreme to me, considering the large caliber of some makers' rifles and their uses. Geo.

Brings to mind the big bore guns used in Africa.

Treestalker said:

Didn't some of the original Hawken rifles use charges up to that level? Of course the powder was perhaps not as stout as our modern black, but the barrels were thicker, too, iirc. I once held an original Schroyer rifle that was about 50 cal and had a barrel at least 1"- 1 1/8" inch atf. Thing weighed a ton, I remember thinking it could hold a hell of a charge for bear or buff. I also remember thinking it would take a stout man to pack that longrifle over hill and vale. 260 grains just doesn't seem that extreme to me, considering the large caliber of some makers' rifles and their uses. Geo.

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In fire arms traps and tools of the mountain men there is a quote describing shooting a .53 Hawken with 1/2 weight up to full ball weight, 110-220 grains. La loop has a quote of the supplies for a French expedition. Powder is supplied at half weight of lead. Should they have had .69 and shot a .66 ball that would have been a hunk of a powder charge about 215 grains.... umph

OK, but only with my P.A.S.T. on! Geeeez! Just curious, is there a patina on the inside that might indicate what charge it was used for. I'm guessing something less than the max, but who knows?

I’ve fired up to 140 grains of 3Fg in my .54 Hawkens.

260?? No thanks!!!

Biggest adjustable measure I have seen is one offered by Tresco at 200 grains. I measured the charges against a scale and it was the measure that was the least accurate of the measures I have.

Powder measure for rifles of 14 bore and larger, used for dangerous game in places such as India and Africa. Such powder loads are specifically mentioned in The Sporting Rifle and Its Projectiles by James Forsyth (1867). He documents regular loads from 4 drachms [drams] which is 110 grains, up to 8 drachms [drams] which is 220 grains, as well as one fellow who had a rifle that used "10 drs." which would equal 275 grains.

LD

Possibly for a salute gun? or small cannon. Maker's suggested load for my 10 ga Boller pistol is 220 grains but I stay below that. or maybe for a slug gun?

Dennis McCandless, who instructed me on my first build used to make 4 Bore hunting rifles for a guy to hunt in Africa with. The last time I Visited him about 5 years ago he was working on one. SO there are still guys out there doing it Right!! he said it took a charge of over 200 grains.

One time at a rendezvous in SE Washington state a guy was selling shots out of his 8 bore to anyone wanting to shoot it. He was charging $5 a go, to cover lead and powder, any profit went to the club. I did not shoot it because I was poor and $5 was too rich for me (plus I'm a recoil pansy!). It was a hoot watching them blow holes in a 55 gallon drum at 50 yards!!

I remember reading somewhere, at 75 my memory ain't what it used to be, about someone who fired an original Hawken that was found in Hawken's shop, supposedly. I don't remember the caliber but the load was 120 gr. of powder. It may have been an article in a Readers Digest. This was many years ago.

PluggedNickel said:

OK, but only with my P.A.S.T. on! Geeeez! Just curious, is there a patina on the inside that might indicate what charge it was used for. I'm guessing something less than the max, but who knows?

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Back in the early 80's, when I was much younger, stronger and of course could recover from things more quickly , I decided to shoot a full cartridge box full of cartridges in my Parker Hale 2 Band Rifle. This to see what it would have been like in an extended battle. I was only using the issue 60 grain load, but that was MORE than plenty enough.

Almost 3 hours later there were tears flowing down from my cheeks and my shoulder was already in great pain. The next day I had a huge bruise that covered the whole area around my right shoulder. Good thing it was a long weekend and I did not have to do any super strenuous PT for a few days.

Gus

jackley said:

This is the biggest adjustable volume powder measure I have ever saw. It starts at 100 grs. before the plunger is moved then goes out another 160 grs. for a total of 260grs. Its 7 1/2 inches long without the funnel and 11 1/2 inched with the plunger fully extended. Same diameter as my 120 gr. adjustable one.
View attachment 10040

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You should have it, sir. Happy measuring.