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Stuck Nipple

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Joined
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Do they, or wouldn’t it be nice if they made a socket type tool to remove old Rusty nipples? My traditional wrench won’t cut it. I think it’s an 11. This is an old 8 Gauge English Fowler…
 

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Grip the nipple on its flats with needle nose vise grips.

Then use an adjustable wrench to turn the vise grips.

Let the nipple soak in penetrating if the nipple doesn't budge.
 
Do they, or wouldn’t it be nice if they made a socket type tool to remove old Rusty nipples? My traditional wrench won’t cut it. I think it’s an 11. This is an old 8 Gauge English Fowler…

What is a traditional wrench?
I've got a couple different nipple wrenches. The larger being for musket caps. And I have a wrench, too. For Civil War era originals.

I just assumed you needed various nipple wrenches because there are variances in the nut size.
 
Nope, shoulder is the same size for rifles and shoulder is the same size for pistol nipples.

Rifle one size and pistol one size.
 
Can not help with what is traditional.

Tedd Cash works is all I know. One of his tips fits pistol and one fits rifle. I just care about getting nipples out.

Who cares if it gets a stuck nipple out?
 
That looks fairly crusty. I'd stick a toothpick in that nipple if it isn't already plugged up and put a goodly bit of the best penetrating oil you can find in the barrel. Let it soak for days. You sure don't want to break that off. A little heat wouldn't hurt either.
 
I had similar, I sprayed the heck out of it with PB Blaster, then I used a small adjustable wrench and a 2 ft. length of 1 1/4 pipe for a breaker bar. It unscrewed just fine. Luckily, the threads in the drum were in good shape.
 
I kind of agree with 64Springer on post #2. A good pair of needle nose vice grips, some good penetrating oil and an adjustable (cresent) wrench should do it. If the vice grips chew up the nipple, so what? It's not like you're gonna use it again. But do go with a good quality
16755657881208667439167998580049.jpg
set of pliers, that old nipple probably has better metal in it than some of the cheap vice grips.
 
I tried vise grips and a wrench with penetrating spray and heat and still couldn't budge a stuck nipple on my rifle . I made a Tedd Cash wrench out of an 1/4" impact socket with a hacksaw and a small file. A couple of taps with a hammer and my nipple came loose. I didn't know about the Tedd Cash wrench or I would have bought it. I bought a wrench from TOW but it wasn't strong enough to do what needed done.
 
There are a few of those socket nipple wrenches on Ebay. There are long inline nipple wrenches that may give you more leverage getting the nipple to come loose. I have a nipple that won't budge in a .45 caplock pistol I have. Even after days of soaking in PB blaster, the nipple plugged and PB soaking through from the underside, applying heat to the nipple, etc., the nipple absolutely won't budge. I'm afraid if I force it, the threads may break off in the drum. Then I have a major problem. Since the nipple is clear, I'll just leave it alone and use it as is. The front sight needs to be replaced as it is one of those that is pegged into the top of the barrel with no dovetail. The front sight spins in it's pegged hole around and around. I'll need to cut a dovetail in the top and put in a proper front sight. I've never cut a dovetail, but there is tons of information out there how to do it.
Ohio Rusty ><>
 
If you already have a 1/4 racheting wrench (fits screwdriver bits) the Ted Cash nipple fittings can be bought alone. Very handy tool, especially if the space between hammer and nipple makes it difficult to get a larger wrench in there.
 
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