Small Nipples!

Ok fellas, now that I've got your attention, what I'm talking about is my first time out with my new (to me) .36 cal T/C Seneca. Man, was it fun to shoot! No recoil, but a nice crack when the balls went flying.

Now, the problem. The #11 caps seemed really loose on the nipple. Is this a #10 nipple? If so, do I have to buy #10 caps,(rare around here) or can I get a #11 nipple for this gun?

Also was having trouble with blown patches, because of the lousy patch material I was using. I'll have to find some good tough stuff - but it's going to have to be thin. Is pillow ticking the thing I need to go after?

Also, the stock sights on this thing are very crude. Anybody out there put a receiver sight on one of these rifles? What fits it? I'm sure the gun will be more accurate than the sights (and my 48 year old eyes) will allow me to shoot.

Frank

The nipples should take #11 caps. I would replace the nipple and go from there. That would be a quick and cheap fix. You could always squeeze the skirt of the caps to make them fit tighter, but I'd try a new nipple. Pillow ticking is an excellent patching material. Just about any fabric shop will carry it. Maybe someone else can offer advise on the sights. Have fun shooting :thumbsup:

If the size ball you are using forces you to a real thin patch you may be better off to down size the ball and use a thicker patch.

Yeah,,,I hate thin patches,,,

Hey Hoofer....my Seneca takes #10's.

I've got one Seneca that is loose like yours and I just give the cap a slight pinch to oval them a bit. They fit tight then. I've never thought about trying #10's. With my other Senecas and Cherokee, #11's fit fine. Nipples are 12-28 and are readily available.

Dave

I have 2 seneca's and 2 cherokees and they all use #11 caps

My wife has been using a 350 RB with a .018 Ox-Yoke ticking patch for years. No blown patches even when se ups it to 40 grain to reach out to 100 yards.

The ball starts with a slap on the short starter and goes down easy after that.

On the caps, it depends what brand of cap you are using. Some brands are looser or tighter than others.

I believe remington makes #10 caps but I have too much manure in my tackle box so I would opt for a #11 nipple.

I have found that Remington caps "seem" to be a bit larger. I'm not so sure that they really are. I think the copper might be a bit softer, or the pleats more forgiving, allowing the smaller cap to stretch over the nipple.

Here's some measured data, average of 20 or more caps in each case: