What is a powder horn?

Answer 1

A container used to store and measure gunpowder. It was used in muskets and became obsolete when the cartridge was invented.

A powder horn was used to carry the gun powder before the invention of ready made cartridges or shells with the gun powder in the casing and the lead bullet wedged into the open end of the cartridge or casing. At the opposite end was the point where the firing pin had to strike in order to cause the powder to explode, creating enough energy to cause the bullet to travel through the barrel of the gun at tremendous velocity.

Answer 2

A Powder Horn was a device used to carry black powder to load in the old muzzle-loading firearms of the 17th and 18th Century. A powder horn is made from a cow's horn. A cow horn is hollowed out and the walls are sanded on the inside and outside. The pointed tip is cut off and a hole is drilled through the end into the hollow horn. A wooden base is made to plug the large end and small brass brads are nailed around the edge to hold it in place. A wooden plug is made for the tip. A leather strap was added so it can hang around the shoulder. The wall of the powder horn is thin enough so that if you hold the horn up to the sun you can actually see the powder in it and you will know how much powder you have left. Sometimes the tip was cut off is shaped and sanded to be used as a powder measure so the soldier could measure out the correct amount of powder for each load. The old Flintlock rifles had to use one powder to load in the barrel and a fine powder for the frizzen pan of the firing mechanism. This required two types of powder so many carried two types of Horns. The fine powder was carried in a smaller powder horn, some only 5 or 6 inches in length. Powder Horns were slowly phased out and replaced by Powder Flasks. Flasks were metal bottles that had a tip that helped the shooter measure out the proper amount for each load. Powder Horns were common usage in the American Revolutionary War. However, many soldiers pre-measured the powder for each round and wrapped it in paper with the lead bullet. This was called a paper cartridge. The paper cartridge was used extensively in the American Civil War and very few soldiers carried powder horns. Instead they carried Cartridge Boxes that had compartments for the pre-measure loads.