Shot flasks

[Buckshot Bill]

Thought you folks might like to see a few shot flasks I have made. Commercial ones were too expensive for my tastes

5# range flask with a measure repurposed from a rotted out original flask for my 12 ga
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e340/crosmansniper/010_zpsn5gip5jj.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/crosmansniper/media/010_zpsn5gip5jj.jpg.html)

plain 2# field flask for my .62
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e340/crosmansniper/008_zpszkhirjdo.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/crosmansniper/media/008_zpszkhirjdo.jpg.html)

soft 1# flask for my .44 smoothbore pistol. The spout is a recycled aluminum .410 hull
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e340/crosmansniper/009_zpsatm5lrxq.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/crosmansniper/media/009_zpsatm5lrxq.jpg.html)

[Taylor]

Good work.They look pretty nice Bill.

[rancher1913]

have you made any shot snakes? I picked one up years ago and love it with my double barrel, holds enough for a day in the field. nice looking shot flasks.

[Buckshot Bill]

thanks for the comments. I've not made a shot snake yet but probably will once I find another measure. I can't see spending $50 on one from TOTW when I can find a ragged out old flask at the flea market this sumer for -$10 tat I can repurpose the measure from

[dondiego]

Was leather ever used for powder flasks?

[swamp]

Very nice. How do you fasten or hold the measure in the neck of the flask?
swamp

[Buckshot Bill]

Not sure about powder flasks, it could be done but it probably was not used because of moisture concerns. neck are cemented in place. The old measure actually threads off the neck to make it easier to fill.

[fouronesix]

Was leather ever used for powder flasks?

Don't know about North America but absolutely yes in other parts of the world. G. Stone lists one from France that looks somewhat similar to the BEIC design shown below.

Frederick Selous writes about it in some detail in his journals about ivory hunting in southern Africa in the 1870s. He describes the ones he used as fairly large leather bags for carrying powder. Makes sense because of the time in the bush and the amount of powder required to charge 10 bore and 4 bore elephant guns. The ones he describes were not for careful pouring or metering. They had top openings large enough that one could reach in and scoop powder up by hand. Interesting to note that it was common for his gun bearers to charge and reload his percussion guns by hand scooping the powder during a shoot- often in haste and confusion. That's 15-20 drams (about 400-550 gr) of coarse powder under a 4 ounce roundball in the 4 bore. :)

Plus, leather powder flasks were widely used in the regional 'arc' from North Africa, through the Middle East and into India. I have leather powder flasks, shown below, from that region. Upper is a BEIC and the lower is called a Barut Dan (also Barutdan).

[swamp]

Thanks for the info. Been thinking of trying to make a shot flask. I thought about using the small brass nails to hold a wood plug and then mount the measure in that.
swamp