Homemade Cap questions

[Sparkitoff]

I have the Sharpshooter cap maker and priming compound. I have several questions that I can't find on the internet. Sharpshooter is backed-up and not responding to emails or taking phone calls at this time. Even if you don't have this cap maker, you might have a logical answer or experience.

If you want to make the cap "hotter" - like a "magnum" cap compared to "standard" - because you need a little more spark what do you do? Do you add more of one ingredient or more of the proper mixture? Something else?

There is conflicting information on the website, instruction booklet and the packet. In one place it says "fill the cap" and in another place it says "fill 1/3 of the cap". Yet in a third place it says use one "small scoop of the mixture and place it in the cap". Well which is it? 1/3 full or full to top?

My rifle that uses musket caps doesn't seem to damage them, the cup is still in great shape. I might as well re-use them. How much mixture would be needed to re-prime musket caps?

 

[n.h.schmidt]

I can see the problems you are having. What I eventually did was to make a scoop. It's made from one of the little ring cap cups. I cut it down to under half size and glued it to a matchstick. When you have the mix scooped and placed in the cup,I pressed it down hard. If you put a drop of acetone in the cup,it will do nothing. If you don't want it to crumble and fall out, use a binder. A easy binder is a drop of Duco cement mixed with a tablespoon of acetone. Use a matchstick as a dipstick and place a drop in each cup. Let dry and you are done. Something else you can use to bind is a few light coats of hairspray. Using more mixture only blows up the cups with no increase in power through the nipple. For a stronger cup punch them out with two pop can layers. That's the way I have done it for years. Careful in mixing the powders as you can be easily hurt. Stay with small amts. Do not mix up in advance. As to myself I now do the mix with water. Very safe until in the cups and dry. BTW the half ring cap cup will give you all the power that the pop can cups can use. Works fine in my sidelocks and I mostly use Pyrodex.
n.h.schmidt

 

[Sparkitoff]

I've put a drop of Duco in the acetone. My wood matchstick doesn't want to release a drop of the solution. It absorbs it. I have to use a small metal spoon to get a drop. Another thing that happens is when I tamp down the mixture in the cup it want's to stick to my matchstick, sometimes leaving a bare spot in the middle of the cup that I have to then add more mixture to. Any other tips?

 

[painter]

I can see the problems you are having. What I eventually did was to make a scoop. It's made from one of the little ring cap cups. I cut it down to under half size and glued it to a matchstick. When you have the mix scooped and placed in the cup,I pressed it down hard. If you put a drop of acetone in the cup,it will do nothing. If you don't want it to crumble and fall out, use a binder. A easy binder is a drop of Duco cement mixed with a tablespoon of acetone. Use a matchstick as a dipstick and place a drop in each cup. Let dry and you are done. Something else you can use to bind is a few light coats of hairspray. Using more mixture only blows up the cups with no increase in power through the nipple. For a stronger cup punch them out with two pop can layers. That's the way I have done it for years. Careful in mixing the powders as you can be easily hurt. Stay with small amts. Do not mix up in advance. As to myself I now do the mix with water. Very safe until in the cups and dry. BTW the half ring cap cup will give you all the power that the pop can cups can use. Works fine in my sidelocks and I mostly use Pyrodex.
n.h.schmidt

A couple of questions, if you don't mind.

First, what is this half ring cap cup you speak of? Second, when pushing down hard, is that a dry mix? Third, when using water do you still use a binder, and do you add it while wet, or let it dry first?

Thanks.

 

[n.h.schmidt]

I get a drop off of my matchstick .Just dip it into the cement/acetone mix. You can see the drop form. You could touch it to the mix and it will soak in. When you tamp down the powder it should be dry, no binder yet. I use a plastic rod that just fits to the bottom of the cups. I push down pretty hard too. The ring caps are toy pistol caps. I think there are eight in a circle .Sometime they are pictured on this site as a sub. for regular caps. Yes if you are using dry powders push down dry. After that put a drop of your binder on top.
Almost forgot Since I now mix my powders with with water,I make it into a grainy paste. I then take portion to go into each cup.I go right down the line and do 10-15. By this time the charges are only slightly damp. I tamp them down and let dry. Once dry I do the binder. Another binder that works is shellac flakes mixed with denatured alcohol .You would want it very thin.

 

[Sparkitoff]

I’m going to try tapping down the dry mixture and then adding the acetone/duct even though the directions say to add it before tapping down

 

[n.h.schmidt]

The instructions also do not say anything about any sort of binder. Most of us who followed the instructions had the charges crumble and fall out just on the trip to the range. Just so you know, I tried all three solvents listed to use. Same results for all three. Crumble and fall out. Have you used any of the caps you loaded as per instructions?

 

[Sparkitoff]

I just used them at home without a charge in the barrel. I tried a half-dozen and they went pop. Again, I followed the directions but added a few drops of Duco to the acetone. I am putting the solution on the powder, waiting 5-minutes and then tamping down.

 

[n.h.schmidt]

Be sure to clean your gun. Any chlorate prime is corrosive . If whatever you choose to use as a binder is too strong/thick is can slow or stop the charge from going off. . Hope it all comes together for you. I know it took me long enough.