A brass powder flask, and I think I know what it is, but I'd be grateful for confirmation - or contradiction. (I'll put pics up on my website later)

Normal flask shape, but a little larger than the usual rifle or shotgun type, with an assortment of arms depicted in relief on the heavy gauge metal (it feels substantial!): at the bottom is depicted a scroll, above which are crossed revolvers, and above those, crossed rifles. The main design is of artillery: including a field gun and mortar, behind which are flags decorated with stars and stripes, so I am assuming it's of US origin.

On the seam at the widest part of the body there are eyes, with triangular steel hangers for a narrow leather strap.

The business end has a measure, but it is operated by pressing the nozzle, and on pressing it, a valve is opened, rather in the manner of the head of a garden hose.

There is also a brass tube projecting into the cavity, closed by a steel cover which pivots on a screw on the top.

My guess is that it is for priming cannon. and the tube projecting into the cavity would have held a pricker/spike for cleaning the touch-hole.

Help?!

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Aonghas

CajunRebel wrote on May 27^th, 2015 at 7:27am:


First paragraph?

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Aonghas

Not a flask expert, but looks sort of like a Colt Walker or Dragoon flask. If original, it is quite valuable, but there are many, many more replicas on the market. Can buy one from most ML suppliers.
Chuck

It's a copy of a Walker flask.  I have one myself.  You place the spout against the chamber mouth and push.  A measured amount of powder falls into the chamber.  Then you open the little trap door and allow a round ball to come out and rest on the chamber mouth.  Move the chamber under the rammer and force it down.  Repeat with subsequent chambers until all are filled, then grease and cap (preferably with a capper). 

The powder charge is adjusted by screwing a stop washer in and out by a threaded rod, IIRC.  The Walker is a lot quicker and easier to load with one of these flasks.

Just for reference, the attached photo shows how an original flask would have Colt's name displayed in the design.
It would be a copyright infringement for a repro to have that on it.

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Many thanks. The scroll on mine is not so well-defined and there's no inscription. (The other detail is much better too.)

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Aonghas

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Not deep enough for the pinfire and the muff pistols get lost in it, but I have a blank-firing repro Colt Army which fits it like a glove. I got the thing cheaply with a view to exchanging it for something better, so, watch this space...

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Aonghas