How and what do you use to prime with?

[Dennis Glazener]

I currently use one of those push type priming tools.You fill the chamber with 4F replace the head and when you push the tip it supposedly drops the proper priming charge. I usually end up pushing the tip 3 or 4 times to fill the pan. I am not real crazy about this set-up for several reasons but am not sure what works better. I have occasionally primed from my horn but have not been happy with that since I usually end up either under filling or over filling the pan. I have not tried a small priming horn but I would think I would have the same problem with it as with my regular powder horn.

Curious to know how others prime their flintlocks, would love to hear what you think is the best way.
Dennis
 

[smokinbuck]

Dennis,
Like anything else, what you're comfortable with is what you should do. I have the primer you describe and a small horn with a similar tip. I also have a small horn with no tip, just a small hole in the spout. I'm certain others will have more and different ways to prime.
Mark

[smylee grouch]

Most times when shooting at targets,etc. I use one of those push primers with Null B, sometimes when I'm hunting too. I also use 3f at times when hunting in one of those commercial primers that has a sliding barrel over an inside tube and the 3f goes through that ok.

[rich pierce]

I do a messy job of priming with a priming horn. I've primed from main horn but it's so fat it's not very easy.

[Majorjoel]

Several years ago I made myself a priming horn that holds quite a bit of 4F BP.  I had bought a brass push tip dispenser from some place and utilized it on the spout end of my little horn.   It works very well with just a single plunge of the tip.   

The only down side to the brass tip is that every now and then the soft nozzle gets a little distorted from the pressure put on it on the hard steel of the pan and I have to take a small round steel ice pic and re-round it.

I will try and get a picture of my set up in the next day or so.    I also put a screw knob on the base plug of this small horn and it unscrews to a large opening for filling purposes.     I have only had to refill it a couple of times over the years.

[Dennis Glazener]

I have been thinking about this but have never seen anyone do it so there must be drawbacks. Why couldn't one make a container with a tight closing lid (could be made out of horn, tin, brass etc) that could hold priming powder and then make a small brass/tin measure with a handle (similar to a very small powder measure) then use this to measure out an exact primer charge.

It may or may not be period correct but it looks like it would work well as long as the cover could be trusted to stay on except when you need to prime.
Dennis

[smylee grouch]

I think you could make that work but it would involve more steps in the loading process. I would rather be a messy loader and use the priming gizmo that I use. It's much faster I think for me.

[Standing Bear]

I use one ☝️ f these but Brown.

http://www.logcabinshop.com/oc30/image/catalog/391495.jpg

[somehippy]

I have been thinking about this but have never seen anyone do it so there must be drawbacks. Why couldn't one make a container with a tight closing lid (could be made out of horn, tin, brass etc) that could hold priming powder and then make a small brass/tin measure with a handle (similar to a very small powder measure) then use this to measure out an exact primer charge.

It may or may not be period correct but it looks like it would work well as long as the cover could be trusted to stay on except when you need to prime.
Dennis

I've toyed with a similar idea in my head.  I was think of hollowing out an antler tip to hold 30-50 grains of prime and making a turned wood plug with a little recession on the top to measure.  I currently use a small glass vile with a cork and eyeball it.  I've thought of stitching a buckskin cover to protect it or keep all the glass together if it got broke. 

[Hungry Horse]

I prime out of my horn, but in my past I used priming horns of all sorts. I personally dislike the little spring loaded priming valves. In the moist air of the Northwest they collect a ball of powder on the end that is like having a fuse on your priming horn. More than one has gone off while hanging around the shooters neck. When I hunt with my trade gun, or rifle, I prime with a small copper pistol flask, if I choose not to prime from my horn.

  Hungry Horse

[hanshi]

I have two of the little brass push primers that work with 4F.  I use these at the range and sometimes when hunting.  I also have a nice primer made from a deer leg bone that was gifted to me by a member of another forum.  I've used that one out in the bush as well.  It's actually rather tiny and not large as the photo might suggest.

[wattlebuster]

I use one of these. Made by Ken Netting

[Dobyns]

I have a couple of those brass primers with the spring loaded tip.  There are 2 sizes and the larger throws twice as much as the smaller.  Both work with ffffg, but not with fffg.

[Black Hand]

I use the FFFg in my regular powderhorn, restricting the flow with my index finger to fill the pan.

[mark esterly]

haven't used this in years.   prime from the main horn now.

easy to make

[Frank]

I have used several of these over the past 10-15 years. One in each shooting bag.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vb_Yo_ELC48/SJ7KhcTm2PI/AAAAAAAAEdM/OFJZUTjq7HI/s1600-h/DSCN9878_Odle_priming.jpg


other pictures.

http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/2008/08/whats-in-your-bag-art-riser.html

[WadePatton]

I prime from my main horn, pan full-shake a little off, maybe a little more. done. 2F with the 54. Simpleton eh?

[Don Steele]

Dennis,
I'm using the same type of priming tool you are. I have the "smaller" size. I've found that holding the tip down in the pan for just a second or two allows the little spring loaded tube to fill with my priming mixture so that when I lift it, I get just about the right amount of "fullness" that I want. Just pushing and releasing quickly doesn't give the end tube time to fill and I have to push and release several times to get it right.
I'm shooting in Florida and find it necessary to wipe my pan between shots. If I don't, I will have a little puddle of black soup in the pan when I prime. That's a function of humidity.
I'm priming with a 50/50 mix of 4f Goex and Null B. Straight Null B is too humidity sensitive in my experience for a lot of the time down here.

[Dennis Glazener]

I'm shooting in Florida and find it necessary to wipe my pan between shots. If I don't, I will have a little puddle of black soup in the pan when I prime. That's a function of humidity.
I'm priming with a 50/50 mix of 4f Goex and Null B. Straight Null B is too humidity sensitive in my experience for a lot of the time down here.

Thanks,
I have the same humidity problem here in VA. Am using Goes 4F. You saved me some money buying a can of Null B! I thought someone said with Null B you didn't get the soup.
Thanks
Dennis

[thecapgunkid]

Great thread with some really neat stuff.  Stuff rules.

For years everytime I stepped out into the woods the only modern thing I ever tolerated ( besides powdered creamer for morning coffee which is more important to me than my party affiliation) was this little stupid primer with the brass spring valve.




The guy on the top is the original I bought from Dixie and scrimshawed in a feeble attempt to make it look better.

The guy on the bottom is what I did by ripping the valve setup off one from Dixons.  After drilling out the antler I poxied the top section of one of those wooden shot pouch nozzles you can buy.  I put the valve on the plug so it could be removed for easy filling with 4f or even 3f.

That valve has never failed to dump the right amount of priming everytime.

Being somewhere in between a Stitch Nazi and an..."If they'd a haddit, they'd a used it"...Nerd I never thought twice about using it.

[Matt / PA]

I use a little flat priming horn made by "Sparks" Mumma.....cool little horn with a hide "repair" . Nice curve and easy to tap whatever I need into the pan. 
I prime pretty much every time with Swiss 4F unless it's REALLY damp out in which case I will just prime with 3F out of the main horn.
No concern for a precise amount....none of my guns are picky. Just fill em, tap level and snap em shut.  If I over shoot just brush a little off.
No stress 

[bob in the woods]

At the range , or , if carrying cartridges when hunting, I use a small priming horn with 4 F powder.  I carry paper cartridges when hunting, so just have the priming horn in my pocket.   If using a rifle and patched ball  when hunting , I just prime from my main horn....2F or 3 F   , whatever I'm carrying.

[axelp]

I prime from my main horn mostly. FF or FFF depends on whats in there at the time.

But I have a small push spout priming horn with FFFF handy in my bag just in case of chronic misfires. I rarely need it.

K

[Cory Joe Stewart]

I have small priming horn I made years ago.  Sometimes I just prime from my main horn tho.  Chamber's locks spark so good I have been successful with 3 and 2 F in the pan.

Cory Joe Stewart

[Daryl]

Priming- when your little 4F priming cow horn runs out, you use your big 3F cow horn - then dump the excess out of the pan. Both horns use wooden plugs. I stopped using the brass hand-grenade priming horns some years back.