combo flask/measure?

[lenl349]

Is there such a thing as a combination flask and powder measure? And where should I look? tired of having separate ones and I can't eyeball an accurate powder measure.

 

[mooman76]

Yes but you would be taking a dangerous chance. Most measures you can just replace the tip with the grain size you want but if you load directly in the barrel and there is still a smoldering ember, that turns it into a bomb. Remote/rare happening but it has in fact happened and people hurt. Lost hands or fingers.

 

[bang]

Separate pouring measure period.

 

[Zonie]

All of the powder flasks I've seen serve to hold and measure powder.
Some of them, usually the old original ones, have adjustable spouts and most of the modern reproductions use a removable spout.

This photo from Track of the Wolf is an example of a Italian made flask that duplicates an old original flask.

The brass spout unscrews from the top of the flask and it is possible to buy replacement spouts of different lengths, giving different amounts of powder measured out. I have 10 of them.

To use one of these flasks to measure out a load of powder, I grab it in my right hand. Then, I put my index finger over the end of the spout, rotate my hand so the spout is pointed downward and then push the lever with my thumb to open the gate. A few shakes of the hand convinces the powder in the flask to fill the spout. I then relax my thumb pressure, allowing the gate valve to close and turn my hand so the flasks spout is pointing up.

At this point, I always, pour the measured powder into a separate container, set the flask aside and then pour the powder into the barrel or revolver cylinder.

This last step is very important because if there is a glowing ember in the barrel or cylinder, the new powder will ignite. Having a few grains of powder in the measure explode is entirely different than having the whole flask full of powder explode.

Over time, there have been many different methods of making the gate valve on powder flasks. Some simple like the ones on the Italian flasks and some, quite complex. The thing of it is though, none of the different designs are entirely safe so, if the newly measured powder does ignite, there is a chance of the flame getting past the valve into the new powder in the flask. That is why people who know, never pour from the flask into a freshly fired barrel or cylinder chamber.

 

[tenngun]

Great for revolvers as if you give it some time to cool till you reload.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Knight Muzzleloading makes a flask with a separate powder measure.

https://www.muzzleloaders.com/product/brass-black-powder-measurer-with-flask/
There are valves and measures that can be fitted to various containers. I have one that screws onto my powder can.

See the measures and valves from Muzzle Loader Builders' Supply.

https://www.muzzleloaderbuilderssup...cart_id=7871007.9810&p=Measures&Cappers&xm=on

 

[toot]

never ever pour directly into a gun from a flask or powder horn. always pour into a measure.

 

[oldwood]

Toot said it absolutely.............Flask , or horn , to measure , then to muzzle. It's easy to turn a dangerous situation into a no risk one w/ one of those continuous pour valves. They work slick , and make it easy to pour into a proper safe measure , then measure into muzzle.........oldwood

 

[Ames]

Working on a small day horn with a whitetail antler tip. The tip unscrews and IS your powder measure.
Unscrew, fill, pour, screw it back on. Easy.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

When range shooting I swab between shots with a patch or 2 wet with Windex followed by a dry patch. Pretty much cures the dreaded "smoldering ember" that everyone is scared to death of. Been loading from my flask w/measure that way for as long as I have been shooting ML's. No bomb yet! Never had the need to reload when hunting, but when hunting I carry pre-measured powder in those plastic tubes, so there is no flask involved. If I were to go "old school", I like Ames' idea of the removable measure on the horn!!

 

[Ames]

Best of all the measure is totally interchangeable with the original spout should you choose to use it only while hunting.
And given that you own one of my horns.

I'm just working on getting the proportions for appearance right.

 

[Hawk78]

Great for revolvers as if you give it some time to cool till you reload.

I agree, wait at least one minute for any ember to burn out.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Also, on the flasks when using a different length spouts you can get a larger one and always cut it back to throw a smaller charge best suited to you firearm.

 

[Jaegermeister]

Oops. Thought you meant a different kind of flask.

 

[Melchi577]

as Old Hawkeye said if you want to make it easy and safe use the plastic tubes, I use the flip top ones so I can grab one out of my pouch thumb the lid off and pour, all one handed. I have seen period sporting equivalents with powder in one end and shot in the other but not see them reproduced.
as well as target shooting, clay pigeon and occasional fur and feather I do a bit of English civil war reenactment where most of the shot load from flasks, the shutter type flasks are banned as the flame gets past the shutter to easily, the metal body types can build up too much pressure before splitting (as well as not being correct for the period) also banned,

the press button valves see picture are less prone to problems but it can still happen, so the powder horn (which isn't quite right historically but quite commonly used) has no more than 2 screws holding the base in place to allow it to blow out before there is to much pressure and with the amount of powder in it now limited this results in minor burns and shock rather than bits missing. the society has been going for 50 years now so has had plenty of time for trial and error.
that said the non historical plastic vials would be my choice or put up with using a measure.