Priming from Main Horn?

[Smokey Plainsman]

Guys some say it’s a bad idea to fill the pan from your large main powder horn, that it could explode and kill you. Is this an actual documented thing? Is it safer to prime from a smaller priming horn or one of those little brass push primer flasks?

Just seeing what you all do. Thanks!

[Old Salt]

Smokey I have never herd that before. When I hunt I prim form the main horn and have never had a problem.

[smokinbuck]

Smokey,
You're listening to to many people again. Many shooters prime from a priming horn, others from their main horn. Neither one is safer or more dangerous than the other and either is common. If you look back at historical notes relating to shooting and/or hunting you will rarely hear of, or see, references to "priming" horns. I think you will find they are a relatively new loading accoutrement. Certainly not widely known in what we call the golden age.
Mark

[hanshi]

Done both, fine with both.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

If it was going to discharge, it would have done it long before you got your main or priming horn into play.  And the frizzen is open, so how can it fire?

[rfd]

swiss 3f for all my trad muzzy's, for both tube and pan, out of the one and only large horn.  swiss 3f is plenty good for the pan and it's actually far finer a powder than used back in the day.  making sure the barrel is cleared after a shot is important, and one reason for blowing down the barrel.  ymmv.

[J Henry]

  Well the way I see it,someone has to be first!!!  Might never have happened or never reported,,your hand and head,your N.O.K. can report how it worked out,if it goes bad. Maybe I am just to cautious!!

[rfd]

  Well the way I see it,someone has to be first!!!  Might never have happened or never reported,,your hand and head,your N.O.K. can report how it worked out,if it goes bad. Maybe I am just to cautious!!

if the barrel is loaded then, yes, you are over cautious for absolutely no good reason.

next thing ya know the NMLRA will ban horn to pan priming, like they stupidly did with blowing down the barrel.

[Lobo]

I have a small flat priming horn of 4f that I've carried for almost 50 years. I know many prime from their main horn but I prefer to do it my way.

[iloco]

I have a small flat priming horn of 4f that I've carried for almost 50 years. I know many prime from their main horn but I prefer to do it my way.

I do it the same way and have been for about s many years as you.

[Fowler610]

The danger arises when one does not put the plug back in the horn after dispensing the charge and commences fire.  I've left my primer at home on occasion, no problem at all priming from the powder horn.  Plug that horn and all will be well.

[rfd]

your main horn should also be pushed towards yer back, out of yer line of ignition. besides being tightly plugged.  this is just common sense. 

[Smokey Plainsman]

I believe the issue stems with an errant or otherwise “rogue” spark, or ember, remaining in the pan after firing and this would ignite a stream of powder poured from the horn, causing great mischief and possibley death.

[rfd]

if there is an "errant or rogue" spark allowed to be left in the pan, the shooter is at fault as that should never happen with a good, common sense loading regimen.

[Frank]

I use a priming horn because the main horn is a little to cumbersome for me to prime the pan.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Frank:  I agree.  Not only is the mouth of my main horn too large to easily access the pan, but it's opening allows much too much powder to be dumped and spilled all over the lock.  I prefer a small priming horn and like others, have been using this system for about fifty years.

[WadePatton]

This is not the same thing but might be a good place to drop it, in front of new eyes maybe:

The tubular metal containers--large or small, are considered by many to be pipe-bombs waiting to happen.  There are threads here discussing such.  The trouble is that they have no way to bleed off pressure.  One solution is to drill a large hole an cover it with something that will blow out in case of an ignition event.  Is no joke, folks have been injured.

And yeah, I prime with my main charge powder, same container no biggie.  Dump, shake level/off, close. grease it up (if hunting) done.

[Dave Marsh]

Me thinks we over thinks......should be out shooting.

Dave

[Mike payne]

I have been priming from my main horn for somewhere around 40 years never have had a problem.
But I will tell y'all that one of our parts suppliers was using one of those brass pan chargers a few years back it exploded while charging his pan. He went through many surgeries and in the end he still lost part of his hand. Just food for thought!

Mike

[Smokey Plainsman]

I have been priming from my main horn for somewhere around 40 years never have had a problem.
But I will tell y'all that one of our parts suppliers was using one of those brass pan chargers a few years back it exploded while charging his pan. He went through many surgeries and in the end he still lost part of his hand. Just food for thought!

Mike

I see. 

What made it blow? A spark in the pan? I doubt results would’ve faired much better with half a pound of powder in a horn!

[Mike payne]

He thinks it was a spark in the barrel it was a very low humidity day (very rare in Virginia)and that was the cause.

Mike

[rollingb]

He thinks it was a spark in the barrel it was a very low humidity day (very rare in Virginia)and that was the cause.

Mike

If a spark was in the barrel, I would think the main charge should have ignited before he even had a chance to prime the pan. 

[Mike payne]

Rock issue the shot before was just trying to flash the pan.

[Dennis Glazener]

He thinks it was a spark in the barrel it was a very low humidity day (very rare in Virginia)and that was the cause.

Mike

If a spark was in the barrel, I would think the main charge should have ignited before he even had a chance to prime the pan. 

This incident happened while he was testing a Bailes L&R lock that he was working on for me. Lock was in one hand and charger in the other.  No barrel was involved.
Dennis

[WadePatton]

There may be a point being missed here that might help reduce/prevent injuries going forward: is that whatever type of container you tote your BP in, that vessel should not be able to build up pressure. 

It should be made to blow and burn, rather than buildup and explode.

It's still going to be a hot smokey mess, but the fast burn tends to cause less damage than any explosion.  I learned this in a thread here where another fellow's injuries were mentioned.  Seems like an easy bit of insurance to me.