Cappers?

[Louisk]

I'm new at black shooting, bought a Lyman Great Plains rifle a few weeks ago. I picked up a capper which didn't seem to work so well. It was an inline type. The caps flipped around sideways in it and the spring wouldn't hold the caps in place so I haven't used it at all. Are there cappers that work well? Do you get along just fine without one? Thanks.

 

[DLW]

IMO the best I've found is the Cash Rifle Capper by Ted Cash. I have three in german silver, I think they hold about 70 to 75 caps, are easy to load and work great.
Good luck with your GPR. I love mine.

 

[mooman76]

I get along fine without but I see you are in AK and when it's really cold out, you'll need a capper if you plan on shooting.

 

[jethro224]

I own 3 or 4 straight-line cappers and one of them is junk. The caps fall over sideways just like you mentioned. The others work fine. Unfortunately, I don't have a clue what brand any of them are. :idunno:
The spring in there isn't designed to hold the caps in place. All it does is keep the gate closed so the caps won't fall back out of the loading hole.
I do have one Ted Cash teardrop shaped capper. It never worked for me either. The caps always fell sideways in it too. One time at Friendship I talked to Ted Cash and he told me to bring it to him and he would either fix or replace it but I never did. Ain't sure where I put it... Been shooting almost all flint guns for several years now and don't have any real need to get it fixed.
The one cap gun I still shoot occasionally is my GPR. I really like that gun. Won a bunch of matches and killed a bunch of deer with it before I went to flint long guns.

 

[Rifleman1776]

It was an inline type.

Get a traditional style rifle. They are much easier to cap by hand, or with a capper.

 

[BullRunBear]

I use a Ted Cash tear drop capper for single shot gun and his snail-shaped one for C&B revolvers. They have both worked well for years and better than any of the straight cappers I've tried. My GPR is a flinter, not percussion, but it is a great shooter. Hope you enjoy yours.

Jeff

 

[azmntman]

Inline capper, his rifle is a GPR (traditional) I think they have stopped selling the inline GPR :rotf:

 

[Rifleman1776]

Inline capper, his rifle is a GPR (traditional) I think they have stopped selling the inline GPR :rotf:

:redface: He is forgiven. :wink:
I just see that word and the mind goes blotto. :shocked2:

 

[Lorne Johnson]

I use the Ted Cash teardrop capper that others describe here. I really like them, easy to load, very few problems with capping (and those are mostly operator error).

The citing of problems with the Cash Capper above, is the only one I've seen on this board. I'm not denying his experience, just noting that it appears to be quite unusual.

Unless you shoot a lot, a capper is not necessary. Many folks make them from a strip of leather with suitable hole punched it. Should work fine for a few shots. I shoot a skeet with a cap lock, and with cartridge shooters around me, so I have to keep pace with the squad. The tear-drop capper is very handy for that.

 

[Louisk]

Thanks! That Ted Cash capper sounds like it should work well. I've been getting by without the capper for the two shooting sessions I've had so far but as mentioned above, it will come in handy when it cools down a bit. I think my fingers may have been frozen a time or two too many for them to have much dexterity when it's cold.

Sorry about the confusion over nomenclature. I meant straight capper but used that other word instead. I will do my best to avoid that word or any other foul language here in the future :grin:

 

[ohio ramrod]

I find that a narrow strip of leather with 3/16 holes punched in it near the edge, with a small v cut to the edge , then inserted between two wider strips of leather makes a nice usable capper that is more moisture resistance than metal cappers . It just takes a little time some leather strips and a few rivets (or sewing ) to make one. :idunno:

 

[Bear Rider]

I bought a Ted Cash capper 30+ years ago. It's acquired a nice patina over the years, and still functions perfectly. I appreciate it even more now, because my fingers are nowhere near as limber as they once were. Capping the rifle is effortless when I use it -- not so much if I try to use my fingers.

 

[hanshi]

I still use these and similar cappers whenever I take a percussion out for exercise.



I make all of mine of leather. Those in the pic were photographed before I made my usual small cut on the outside of each charge hole.

In this pic you can see the notches on the musket capper; needed due to the heavy leather used.

 

[Naphtali]

Regardless whether or not you use a capper, strongly consider using musket cap nipples. Musket caps are much easier to put on its nipple, and they pretty much assure ignition. Oh, yes, avoid CCI's reenactor's caps.

Hope this helps.

 

[Rat Trapper]

A good rifle does not need musket caps!

 

[hanshi]

I agree. :thumbsup:

 

[nhmoose]

Correct. They use flints :rotf:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Like Jethro said - I also have a few of the in-line variety and they are no created equal. The caps are not, either. Some are taller, or the lips are different and what may work in one make of capper may not work in another.

Flints solves all that. ;-)

 

[hanshi]

Flints solves all that. ;-)

Plus, flints will get you into Heaven whereas caps won't. :grin: