Italian Navy 1851/61 Nipple sizes

[Timber Wolf]

So I have four of these Italian made 1851/1861 revolvers now, with seven cylinders between them and have noticed a couple of things about what caps fit. I try and standardize on CCI #11 caps as that is what is most available to me, and not coincidentally what I have on hand. The #11s fit my percussion long guns, percussion single shot handguns, and my ROA revolvers. Can’t say I have ever seen a #10 for sale, maybe I was not looking. Anyway, below are my findings based on my personal samples:

Uberti 1851 bought a year or two back from Midway: #11s start a tiny bit loosely but pushed down they stay on and function well.

Pietta 1851 .44 (Taylor’s) #11s just fall off, can be pinched and used but it is a PITA.

Pietta 1861 “Sheriff’s” or snubbie (separate rammer) of two cylinders, one cylinder fits #11s great, another they just fall off.

Pietta 1861 of three cylinders on two the #11s just fall off and on one they fit great.

So, I guess I am glad that I have at least one cylinder on three of these guns that fit the #11s so I can shoot them. But I do find it strange that factory cylinders would come with nipples of different sizes.

 

[TDM]

I use SliZshot nipples on my Pietta & Uberti revolvers. They're sold by Badman Bullets in Oregon. There designed to use #10 caps, which I know are hard to come by these days. But, for me, these nipples have eliminated the cap jam problems that often occur with Colt replicas.
Also, there are other aftermarket SS nipples made for #11s that are superior to factory issued.

 

[Eutycus]

You mentioned several different revolvers. I have an Armi San Marcos and I can make either work but it's next to impossible to find #10s these days. I guess it depends on brands. An example would be shoes. Sometimes I can make the 11s work but sometimes it's got to be the 11+1/2s.

 

[ernbar]

My Slixshots take 10, 11, RSW1075, Winchester, Remington and CCIs with a perfect fit.

 

[Stantheman86]

All 5 of my Piettas will use pinched CCI #11's with no problems, with the factory nipples. I don't mind pinching them, because I can buy #11's whenever I need to.

I had thought about dropping the hammer on each nipple a few times to maybe give them a very slight mushroom, so the #11's will fit without pinching.

 

[TDM]

I keep a couple of 4"-5" lengths of 1/4" dowels in my shooting bag and use one to firmly seat the caps on whatever I'm shooting.

 

[Boston Bill]

lol. I lost a #10 nipple for 1 of my 1858's. Now there is also a #11 in that cylinder.

 

[Stantheman86]

Pietta factory nipples work but they aren't the best. I started having misfires in a Pietta 51 Navy after a few hundred rounds, that had clear flash channels and were loaded off the gun

I think the flash holes erode quickly and the holes were getting too big to properly "jet" the cap flame , I took them off and put them in the trash. I'm ordering SlixShots for it