Horn Flask

[Longknife]

A friend got this at a local yard sale, in very bad condition. He said "can you fix this?" I said sure but it might take a while.  The next summer I took it to him and said, Here is your horn flask. He looked at me and said,, "Oh its not mine, I gave that to you last year!!! Its really thin, you can see the light shining through it. The adjustable spout measures 60gr, 65gr, 70gr and 75gr

[Daryl]

Handy - but- should always use a separate powder measure, instead of pouring straight into the bore.  Never had a blast out the muzzle after pouring

powder into the bore, but if the horn was up there & it happened, about face height - could be less than pleasant.

[Longknife]

Yeah, Thats what I was told too, but it appears it was  historically a standard practice to pour directly out of the flask, as this flask indicates? When I began my M-L adventures in the '70s  there was, on the market, an adjustable measure that would screw in to a pistol flask,,,NEAT I thought. So I ordered one from TOTW and promptly screwed it to my flask. Set the charger at 80 grains and a hunt'n I went!!!!, Squirrels, rabbits , birds all fell to my M_loader and i could quickly and efficiently reload with that measure on the flask!!! I even used it with my Cee VEE Aye mountain rifle on several timed events!! It wasn't till several years later that someone suggested to me  the possibility an ember igniting flask! HMMM never thought of that!! I have refined my loading techniques since then. This antique flask surely indicates that loading from the flask was an accepted procedure,,,,maybe they just were more fearless than us,,,or just plain LUCKY,,,,as I was!!!???....Ed

[Tim Crosby]

 That is pretty neat. I wonder if it could have been used for shot? Any makers marks on it? Look like an
American Flask and Cap Co. spout, they were in business in NYC from 1857- 1870.

  Tim

[Pukka Bundook]

Very attractive flask, Ed.

I too tend to load from my flask the way it used to be done, but I use a fireproof model.
Not that I get time to use the flasks much. I use a regular horn  and measure for the rifle.

Tim,
It might be an Am-Flask co flask top, but there were just about millions made, all very near the same.  It's a bit different if marked in grains;  Ones I have are all marked in drams,( but English.)

[smokinbuck]

From the great natural color of the horn it looks like it is considerably older than the flask top. These tops were typically mid to late 19th century.
Mark

[hanshi]

While it might not be as risky as one would think, I'd refrain from loading directly from a horn or flask; it only takes one time to cause misery.  IMHO, a measure should ALWAYS be used.

[Bigmon]

I have seen cartridges "cook off" as we used to call them while re-enacting.  Of course that's after firing more than a few blanks in rapid succession.
It is an education especially if it happens while still pouring the powder down the barrel from a paper cartridge.  Just 60 Gr will burn finger tips and once I saw a couple finger nails laid back.
Painful does not describe it!
I will never load from a horn

[B.Barker]

That's a neat horn flask you have. Wish I could find a yard sale find like that.

[Longknife]

Tim. No markings on the flask that I could find,,,,except for the charge markings,,,Ed