I see this statement a lot, how would a person measure the drop ? who pours an unknown amount freely from a flask. Many times (if the incident actually happened) other factors are at play as is the case in the original post, I have used a metal flask and horn with measure spout with a valve to close off spout from flask for years and it too was permitted at shoots years ago along with blowing down the barrel, the hobby and sport of black powder shooting is in danger of fading away in part because people think it's too dangerous because black powder is an explosive (
not), guns blow up if you don't seat the ball (
not true), your powder flask if used as it was intended will blow up in your hands (
no), what a bunch of bull.
Modern smokeless powder has more energy than any black powder and it's just listed as powder, it's use blows up black powder guns more than any other cause.
The measure in the original post may have traveled as it did because the holder threw it (involuntary motion ) like putting your hand on a hot surface, as I stated above with regard to other factors,
normally the time from shot to loading gives time for any smoldering to be done with, if you have a contaminated bore or are trying to speed shoot you may get unlucky and have a small Roman candle, odds are if you are using a horn the base cap will come off before pressure is high and most flasks made today will split the seams before ever being a hand grenade, the brass cylinder type have a valve and the measure of powder is in the spout and closed from the rest of the powder (bet if a sign of a flash started the thing would be flung), I know somebody is going to make a point that the flame can get past the valve , well it may but people around the forums hate Pattern breach stating the channel/antechamber is too restrictive for positive ignition
, the flask valves are designed to be a no flash valve if kept clean.
Anyway, the hobby/sport is fading away, many gun store don't stock powder because of restrictions and lack of demand, recycling old horror stories just drives the point, some post stories that are not true just to be part of a thread, you know how it goes,
" well a friend of my brother's uncle's nephew was looking at a container of black powder, can't remember what brand, anyway, he was looking at it so hard it blew up". We need to support the sport, not keep repeating half truth and wives tales . My 2 cents.