tresco nipples

What do tresco nipples do other than the obvious? Will they improve accuracy or are they more reliable? Please fill me on on the down low. :thumbsup:

First of all, it's Treso, not Tresco.

Treso nipples have two significant features that, in my book, stand out: they are made from a proprietary alloy called Ampco bronze and they have a very small flash channel. The result of these two features is increased ignition reliability, both in terms of increased probability of ignition in each use and longer life (more ignitions).

The Ampco bronze is very hard and resists gas erosion in the flash channel much better than regular steel or even stainless steel. This means they last much longer.

The small flash channel increases the probability of success of an individual ignition event by concentrating the hot gases from the cap in a smaller area; a large diameter flash channel allows the gas to dissipate quicker. This is not normally an issue with a new nipple, but as the flash channel wears it can become a problem. By using a smaller channel and the Ampco alloy, Treso nipples perform much longer.

I don't believe there's any impact on accuracy.

is there any gain in accuracy? If the ones I have factory ones I have on there now worth keeping until they wear out or should I replace them now?

Ian, the gain in accuracy is from a theoretical standpoint. more reliable and possibly faster ignition means the ball is downrange a fraction faster giving less time to pull the shot. As to replacing the nipples, do it now and save the original as a spare. It may take a heap of time before you need a new tresso but you'll have that spare to use while waiting for the new one!

Are you shooting a pistol or a revolver? If a revolver, the Treso nipples have another important advantage beyond those mentioned by Mykeal. The nipples I have purchased over the years have been machined to very close tolerances, unlike the nipples on some replica revolvers. I have two revolvers on which I replaced the original nipples with Treso nipples that take #11 caps. I no longer have an issue with loose caps on some nipples and tight caps on others, as I had with the originals. Now, all caps fit properly. I also standardized on CCI caps.

Perhaps someone else who has used Remington or RWS caps on Treso nipples can give you the benefit of their experience.

In my book, you can't go wrong with Tresos. :thumbsup:

As I said, there is no impact (gain or loss) in accuracy.

cmdrted's advice to buy Tresos now and keep the OEM nipples as spares is very good advice. The price of Tresos is already high and it's not going to go down in the future. Also, there have been periods of shortages in the past, so get them while they're in stock. They get a whole bunch more expensive when nobody has any...

ian45662 said:

What do tresco nipples do other than the obvious? Will they improve accuracy or are they more reliable? Please fill me on on the down low. :thumbsup:

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They will improve accuracy! But only begin to function in that way when compared to the original nipple that was used for the same number of ignitions, as outlined in mykeal's post. Once the original nipple gets the flash hole worn, pressure variables start to alter the sdv, which in turn will change the point of impact and the size of the groups you get. Take this from someone who found-out the hard way.

Also, in the case of heavier charges, like those used for hunting, sometimes when you look down at the hammer after a shot and it's at half-cock all by itself, as Jeff Foxworthy would say, "There's your sign!" To replace the worn-out nipple that is! Since I hurl huge chunks of hot lead (370 grain Maxi-Balls) in my .50 cal as well as PRB's, I've seen the effects of nipple wear first hand. Anyone who shoots conicals on a regular basis will tell you the same thing.

Maintaining consistency in the diameter of the orifice is what the Treso nipples do so well. This eliminates one of the variables that can reek havoc on accuracy. The more variables that are controlled or eliminated, the tighter your groups will be :wink: .

Dave

ian45662 said:

is there any gain in accuracy? If the ones I have factory ones I have on there now worth keeping until they wear out or should I replace them now?

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While many of the Treso threads might have a perfect fit with the individual chamber threads, some Treso threads reportedly run very tight, perhaps to accomodate for thread wear or just due to manufacturing tolerances. That can make the Treso's very hard to screw in the first time. So much so that they may seem like they don't even fit and need to be forced in.
So by working in the new Treso's into the threads it would in turn make the original nipples seem loose if used afterward.
I wouldn't install Treso's unless needed and as long as the old ones won't be relied on to be reinstalled as backups in that event. Why enlarge chamber threads unnecessarily, and if it aint' broke why fix it?
I'm not saying that all Treso's are that way but some are.
I think that it's the same with the taper of their nipple cones. Will they fit the caps that you already have in stock? Well reports vary about which caps will even fit best with them too.

If you find a vendor who currently has Treso Ampco nipples, please let me know as I am looking for a set for my Pietta 1860 Army. These have been out of stock on many sites for some time now.

jake