Which percussion caps to use?

Bad Karma · Mar 24, 2019

Bent Sight said:
My Thompson Renegade requires pushing down on the cap to make sure it is seated all the way down on the nipple. If I don't, the cap may require two strikes with the hammer to ignite. It may be time for a new nipple.

Your cap and nipple combination doesn’t seem to fit. Ampco and cci 11’s should be much more compatible. You should be able to seat the cap with a capper or your thumb without difficulty. I’m not a fan of using a dowel or short starter to seat the cap as I’ve seen done.

sawyer04 · Mar 24, 2019

Carbon 6 said:
I consider nipples a "wear" item. Eventually they are going to wear out just like a jag or ramrod, so it's good to be prepared and have spares.

Nipples are expendable items, I try to use stainless. I have everything from cheap Italian caps to the magnums and just continue to shoot up a storm. The cheap Italians will collect moisture if not kept in a proper environment.

45man · Mar 24, 2019

Hatchet Jack said:
Thank you Carbon 6.
If magnum is the only thing available, they are OK to use with Goex then?

Yes they work OK. But some caps are prone to shatter and stick in your face. RWS and some others have been a problem where I had metal stuck in my chin or nose. CCI and Rem caps do not present a danger. I use the brittle primers to clear nipples by holding the gun upside down since i do not want to ruin my eye. Wear safety glasses for sure.

Carbon 6 · Mar 24, 2019

45man said:
Yes they work OK. But some caps are prone to shatter and stick in your face. RWS and some others have been a problem where I had metal stuck in my chin or nose. CCI and Rem caps do not present a danger. I use the brittle primers to clear nipples by holding the gun upside down since i do not want to ruin my eye. Wear safety glasses for sure.

Almost all of the caps that have stuck in my cheek were CCI, because that's what I used. I attributed it to the Uncle Mike's Hot-shot nipple, not any particular brand of caps..
When I stopped using Pyrodex I stopped using hot shot nipples, the problem seemed to go away.
Coincidence ?

Griz44Mag · Mar 24, 2019

Bent Sight said:
My Thompson Renegade requires pushing down on the cap to make sure it is seated all the way down on the nipple. If I don't, the cap may require two strikes with the hammer to ignite. It may be time for a new nipple.

The other way of looking at that is that you don't have to worry about your cap falling off. I did have that issue with the nipple that came on the underhammer I bought a couple of months ago. It looked like someone had filed the original to make the caps go on easier. I did replace the nipple and the new one from TOTW hold the caps on just fine, after firmly pushing them onto the nipple of course.

Grenadier1758 · Mar 24, 2019

Bent Sight said:
My Thompson Renegade requires pushing down on the cap to make sure it is seated all the way down on the nipple. If I don't, the cap may require two strikes with the hammer to ignite. It may be time for a new nipple.

If you often need two strikes for the cap to go off, you need a new nipple.

Bent Sight · Mar 24, 2019

Grenadier1758 said:
If you often need two strikes for the cap to go off, you need a new nipple.

I was thinking the same thing. If I slowly lower the hammer and press down the cap with the hammer, the caps will discharge on the first strike 100% of the time. I think the top of the nipple may have widened out a few thousandths of an inch.

Sinner · Mar 24, 2019

Grenadier1758 said:
If you often need two strikes for the cap to go off, you need a new nipple.

Or, you may be using no.10 instead of no.11. That usually means that the cap is too small for the nipple, imho.

Zonie · Mar 25, 2019

Bent Sight said:
I was thinking the same thing. If I slowly lower the hammer and press down the cap with the hammer, the caps will discharge on the first strike 100% of the time. I think the top of the nipple may have widened out a few thousandths of an inch.

The answer is, the nipple cone is slightly too large for the caps your using.

The solution is to remove the nipple and put it into the chuck on an electric drill. Try to clamp on the round body rather than on the threads.
Now, using a flat metal cutting flat file, place the drill on your left with the chuck pointing towards your right.
Slowly start the drill and place the flat file against the side of the nipples cone. Push the file forward once or twice and stop the drill.

Now, try the cap on the nipple. It should easily slip on until the priming compound rests on the end of the nipple.

Once this is done, the need to physically force the cap in place to make the gun fire on the first fall of the hammer fall will be gone.

Bent Sight · Mar 25, 2019

Zonie said:
The answer is, the nipple cone is slightly too large for the caps your using.

The solution is to remove the nipple and put it into the chuck on an electric drill. Try to clamp on the round body rather than on the threads.
Now, using a flat metal cutting flat file, place the drill on your left with the chuck pointing towards your right.
Slowly start the drill and place the flat file against the side of the nipples cone. Push the file forward once or twice and stop the drill.

Now, try the cap on the nipple. It should easily slip on until the priming compound rests on the end of the nipple.

Once this is done, the need to physically force the cap in place to make the gun fire on the first fall of the hammer fall will be gone.

I can try that. Thanks for the advice. If I decide to speed file the nipple, I'll chuck it up in my metal lathe.

What diameter should the flash hole be on the nipple? If it's too large I understand it will cause accuracy issues and I'll replace the nipple.

F.G. Ford · Mar 26, 2019

CCI and RWS make very good caps.
One thing to note is to stick with one type only.
If you carefully load five shots with exactly the same powder, same pressure loading the ball and shoot at a target at fifty yards, measure your group, then fire a sixth shot using a different cap, most likely you will see the difference in your group.
Black powder like smokeless rely on pressure to give an exact result.
If you alter anything you will see a marked difference.
Good luck on your quest!
Fred

DAKurth1 · Mar 26, 2019

Could be one of three things:
1. Wrong size caps. Using a #10 cap on a #11 nipple.
2. Top of nipple has been slightly mushroomed from use, not allowing cap to seat. File nipple so cap fits properly as others have suggested.
3. Hammer spring has weakened over time and doesn’t strike the cap with enough force to activate cap. Replace spring.
Usually the problem is #1 or #2.

Zonie · Mar 26, 2019

Bent Sight said:
I can try that. Thanks for the advice. If I decide to speed file the nipple, I'll chuck it up in my metal lathe.

What diameter should the flash hole be on the nipple? If it's too large I understand it will cause accuracy issues and I'll replace the nipple.

I don't know that the size of the hole thru the nipple has ever been standardized but they are usually around .027-.029. They are smaller than a 1/32" drill bit.

Usually, an oversize flash hole will reveal itself by letting too much powder gas vent back thru the nipple. This often has enough force to blow the hammer back to a half cock position.
If your gun isn't blowing the hammer back that far, the nipple hole is probably OK.

Which percussion caps to use?

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