I have/use one of those push-nozzle pan primers to prime the pan of my flintlock for hunting. I hang it around my neck or attached to a button and the business end points down.

I discovered my pan primer was empty, when just a few shots ago I had refilled it. Turns out the mechanism/plunger was stuck in the open (charge) position for some reason. If I hadn't seen the very-difficult-to-see rain of gray priming powder streaming past my navel I would again have had an empty priming device.

I was able to remedy the matter by taking the plunger part off the reservoir and worked it until it went back closed. Now this isn't the same as taking a clock apart...all I did was unscrew the part you usually unscrew to refill the part that holds the powder.

If you work the plunger while looking at the assembly from the powder supply side, you will see the piston like part that pushes through the center or a nut. Turn the nut until the plunger piston is flush with the nut face...that means it is closed all the way and you won't loose the powder.

What loosened the nut to begin with? Vibration! In my case it was airplane vibration. I've had airplanes back screws out of tripods. But I've had automobile vibration back screws out of a spare pair of eyeglasses I carry in my luggage.

In short, check it once in a while. I now check that before every hunt.

I hope I explained that clearly enough. A word to the wise is sufficient.

Sparks

Back when I shot only flinch-locks, I re-engineered my priming horn so it hangs on it's lanyard valve up when it's not tucked safely in the shooting pouch for just this reason.

I have, in my geezerhood, learned not to trust mechanical things to perform as designed. This is because of ol' Murph.

You've all met him, Murphy of Murphy's Laws.

Murphy is ever present and as he hates me personally, anything and everything I own or come near is soon to fail. Thus, my priming horn hangs with its valve up.

This will not stop Murphy, but in this one case it slows him down a little.

Three Hawks

Yes,
And the spring that returns the plunger to closed can break. Then it flops in and out according to the way you have it turned.
volatpluvia

Good thing I can also prime from the main horn!
Sparks

You might be luckier than you know Sparks cause a similar thing happened to me (and old Murph) one day. As the afternoon was warming and the squirrels caught up on some sleep, I was playing with my springy loaded primer. When I took it apart, Murphy says "OPPS" and with a definite twang, there went the spring somewhere over yonder in and amongt all of those oak leaves. I gave up arter 15 minutes or so, finished the day off with a lesurly walk back to the horse and buggy and went home.

Yea, me and old Murphy is really close pals...well really close any way. Can't say I really care too much for him.

BTW, I replaced that spring with one out of a ball point pen..cut down to size...but is still working pretty good.

L8R...Ken

Yeah, 'ol Murph must have alot of kin folks as he or they have been dogging my trail for some time. And usually just when it couldn't be a worse time. Also, even when he warns me it's gonnna happen, I do it anyway. Kinda like "if you do that, you're gonna be sorry." But I ignore him, thinking I know best, especially if I'm careful. So I do it anyway and sure enough, I'm sorry.

You'd think I'd learn...

Goofingupsnakebite

AHHHH....back again

Since last posting on this thread, Murph has jumped into another powder dispensing item.


While working the side lever which opens the trapdoor on my powder flask (to allow powder out) I noticed it no longer closed the trap when released. Good thing all I was doing was filling the flask before an outing, and that I caught the malfunction. Now it's back to an open horn with a fiddle peg plug.

Sparks

I've found using my pan primer at the range during humid weather, the plunger will gradually accumulate a bit of fouling from the pan, and can eventually migrate up the plunger barrel causing it to start dragging...first noticing that as I raised the primer up off the pan that prime continued to stream out.

After disassembly & cleaning, I found that sliding a pipe cleaner up the plunger barrel after every use and leaving it there keeps the barrel clean as a whistle...slide it out, prime the pan, slide it back in and lay it down.

I stopped using my plunger-operated priming horn several years ago when it basically stopped working. I have a beautiful priming horn with a little peg in it that I use when I want to, with my more-or-less matching main horn and my "nice" rifle. I also have a cute little Dave Rase-made priming flask of tin, cone-shaped, that is available for other guns. Or I just use the main horn.

Dick

I've found that polishing the inside of the tube and/or the plunger and basically keeping everything clean solves MOST problems. You still have to keep a sharp eye on those little boogers, though. I came up with a little covered pouch just big enough to hold my brass primer and fitted it to my shoulder strap. This way even if the plunger sticks open nothing pours out. My mama always told me I was smart; my wife doesn't necessarily agree.

Hanshi!! That is why our mothers called us sonnie (sunnie) cause she knew we were bright.

WC, I think I'll tell my wife that. Maybe she'll believe me...or....

My rifles (.40 and .50 cal) like 3f goex so I prime from the horn. Makes life easy. I shoot 2f in my fowler so I have a small priming horn to hold 3f to prime with. I have not tried real 4f. I ground up some 3f a pinch at a time to make 4f. Didn't notice a real difference to make it worth the trouble.

Me too, AND I found that 4Fg soaks up moisture fast. I have some 5Fg, and that sucks on a heavily humid day.., but makes good firecrackers!

I like one horn, and 3Fg.

LD

Woods Loper ; I too tried grinding down 3F to get some 4F. I agree, even though it appears "finer" it does not seem to ignite any better in the pan, so I gave up and am using the 3F for all of it. Single horn, less chance of it fouling with the damp, etc

Col Boone