Author Topic: Lewis and Clark Powder Flasks  (Read 4979 times)

Offline Waksupi

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  • Ric Carter, Somers, Montana
Lewis and Clark Powder Flasks
« on: April 02, 2009, 05:15:51 AM »
Does anyone know how to make the lead powder flasks used by Lewis & Clark?
Ric Carter
Somers, Montana

Offline smokinbuck

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Re: Lewis and Clark Powder Flasks
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2009, 05:19:48 AM »
I didn't think they used lead powder flasks. I thought they used lead powder casks for their bulk powder.
Mark
Mark

Offline davec2

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Re: Lewis and Clark Powder Flasks
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2009, 06:27:29 AM »
I don' think anyone in the Corps of Discovery actually "carried" their powder in lead powder flasks.  However, they did transport their powder supplies in lead canisters.  Apparently there are no historical records of what those canisters looked like or how they were made.  I took a guess and made a few a while back and posted this on the old board.  The complete link is at the end.


Old post...

Ever since I read the journals of Lewis and Clark as a young boy, I was taken by the cleverness of Lewis's method of storing powder in a lead canister that used just enough lead to make bullets for all the powder in the can.  Made of soldered lead, they were corrosion proof, water proof, and sealed with a cork dipped in sealing wax or pitch.  By their account, the canisters held 4 pounds of powder and were made of 8 pounds of lead.  Assuming they were shooting 0.560 cal balls (~264 grains each) in .58 cal weapons (on average), eight pounds of lead would make up about 212 round balls.  With 4 pounds of powder (28,000 grains) in the can, that would leave them 132 grains of powder per shot (including prime).  That seemed a little stiff to me, but when you consider that they were shooting elk, buffalo, and griz....maybe it's even a little light.  At any rate, it was a @!*% clever idea.  So clever that I thought I would make one up for myself, just to keep up on the work shop shelf.  While there are sparse verbal descriptions of the original canisters, none now exist and, as far as I can discover, there are not even any sketches of the original design.  Also, I didn't want to make one up quite as large as the originals.  So, starting with the assumption of holding one pound of powder for a .50 cal rifle, I came up with the dimensions for a canister with a 2.5 inch inside diameter and 6.4 inches tall made out of 0.090 thick sheet lead.  The end result, shown in the following photos is made of 2.6 pounds of lead and will cast up just over 100 balls (0.490 diameter and ~176 grains each).  Holding one pound of powder, that leaves me with 70 grains of powder per shot - close enough.  Anyway, just thought it was a fun thing to do in a couple of hours and thought someone else here might enjoy seeing it.







http://americanlongrifles.org/old_board/index.php?topic=640.msg6226#msg6226
« Last Edit: January 05, 2020, 06:20:59 AM by davec2 »
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Offline Collector

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Re: Lewis and Clark Powder Flasks
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2009, 07:01:17 AM »
Sharp and smart looking... the flask, I mean. ;D  Great photos too!  Thanks for posting them.

Offline Waksupi

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Re: Lewis and Clark Powder Flasks
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2009, 07:34:47 PM »
I found this picture on the web

http://books.google.com/books?id=h0CTmZ_kwQAC&pg=PA18&lpg=PA18&dq=lewis+and+clark+lead+container&source=bl&ots=Yk4Ogn4H8g&sig=XP0SN3i1aw9ZgA1F9_3YlQ9oW54&hl=en&ei=KR3USePfK5nutQPp75CrCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1

It appears to be sheet lead, with soldered joints.

I appreciate the thought you have already went through, to accomplish the weight and size ratio!
Ric Carter
Somers, Montana

Offline Mad Monk

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Re: Lewis and Clark Powder Flasks
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2009, 11:47:35 PM »
A few years ago there was a lead powder container on display at the Hagley Museum And Library in what was once the powder plant office.

E. Ogre