musket caps

[Renegade Dan]

I decided to give musket caps a try on my 54 cal. T/C hawken, so I bought a musket nipple for it. I get delayed ignition. It will shoot ok for the first shot or two, once I go back to #11 caps she shoots fine. I even bought another brand of musket caps,, but I still get delayed Ignition. any suggestions? I,m using goex fffg powder.

 

[Jim Buchholz]

Stick with the #11 caps. If it ain't broke don't fix it!

 

[Renegade Dan]

Sounds like great advise. Thanks :thumbsup:

 

[rabjr]

Well something is wrong somewhere. I agree theres nothing wrong with #11 caps, they have served me well for years. But I never had a musket cap fail me either. Have you checked that nipple real good? Hole inside the nipple isn't obstructed in anyway?

 

[renovato]

A #11 is plenty enough for real black powder. Sounds like you have an obstruction somewhere. I'd check the nipple to make sure the hole is clear, then start poking around the breech. You may have a bit of stubborn fouling blocking something.

As the others suggested, if #11s work fine for you, no sense changing. Musket caps have always negatively effected my accuracy in every gun I've tried them with. I think the extra bang might start the ball moving before the powder has fully ignited, causing in consistent pressures or something.

 

[Renegade Dan]

I've used the musket caps several times. made sure the nipple was clear. I thought maybe the caps, [which I had got from a friend] were too old or something, so I bought a new can with the same results. Do ya think maybe the musket nipple is defective?[hole too small]. It does the same thing with my 50 cal. Renegade. I thought of buying another musket nipple but I think I'll just stick with the #11 caps. never had any problems with them. Thanks for the Input guys I do appreciate it.

 

[rabjr]

Well you shouldn't have a problem with either type if they fire. If your getting hesitation from the musket caps upon firing, something is causing it to happen.

 

[jimmy82]

Hmm... Just throwing this out there. Are the threaded portions the same length? Is the hammer hitting flat on the musket nipple?

 

[rkite]

If the caps do not give you better ignition why use them?

 

[Renegade Dan]

A friend of mine said the musket caps being bigger were easier to handle on the colder hunting days. So I figured I'd give them a try. I'll stick with the #11 caps they've always worked fine before.

 

[bucktales]

An inline capper works great with cold hands.

 

[paulvallandigham]

s your friend not heard of cappers? Or ever seen one made from leather? These are devices to hold the caps, so they are more easily handled by all of us big-thumbed shooters. We even have them for Musket caps.

There are both in-line and box style cappers for #11 caps, that work well. I have an in-line capper I bought to use to cap my revolver. I have a Tedd Cash capper that I have now used for years to cap my percussion shotgun. Before that it was used on percussion rifles. The capper holds an entire 100 cap tin of percussion caps, and disperses them one at a time.

 

[rabjr]

I found and bought a inline capper made for flange-less musket caps as well.

 

[Little Wattsy]

What you NEED to shoot is roundballs! :rotf: :rotf: SORRY it kills me when the actuall question is ignored (HINT: #11 caps is NOT the awnser to THIS question) the question IS whats wrong with musket caps in THIS situation.....
I LOVE musket caps both RWS and CCI. As some one suggested check the hole and see whats clogging up; The musket cap is hotter and harder. All things being equal they should ignight at LEAST as well as a #11.

 

[JackAubrey]

Just to throw this out.I bought one of those musket cap conversion nipples about 10 years ago for my GPR.I had the same problem you are having.Come to discover the point of impact was different where the flat of the hammer is supposed to contact the cap.The cap wouldn't fit well in the hammer's cup.Could this be happening to you? It will discharge the caps at first.I could have ground off the cap skirt but why? So I threw the conversion nipple in the bin.Best regards,J.A.

 

[Renegade Dan]

Thanks JA, I took both my muzzleloaders and shot musket caps. I found that the inside of the hammer cup on my 50 cal just hits the side of the nipple causing it to misfire. and on my 54 cal. it doesn't hit flat on the nipple. this nipple is about a 1/16th-3/32 longer than my percussion nipples. I should have seen this. I'll blame it on my inexperience Thanks everyone for helping me out with this.

Sincerely
Feeling stupid :redface:

 

[tg]

" SORRY it kills me when the actuall question is ignored (HINT: #11 caps is NOT the awnser to THIS question) the question IS whats wrong with musket caps in THIS situation....."

At times the correct answer might be an alternative to the initial question, quite often on this forum folks ask how to fix something that is not broke and while it may be possible to make something work that is not really needed or offer any kind of advantage, offering an alternative solution is not out of place, PS I doubt I'll make your services but will try to send flowers.

 

[Little Wattsy]

" SORRY it kills me when the actuall question is ignored (HINT: #11 caps is NOT the awnser to THIS question) the question IS whats wrong with musket caps in THIS situation....."

At times the correct answer might be an alternative to the initial question, quite often on this forum folks ask how to fix something that is not broke and while it may be possible to make something work that is not really needed or offer any kind of advantage, offering an alternative solution is not out of place, PS I doubt I'll make your services but will try to send flowers.

:rotf: :rotf: :rotf: I hear ya my friend but WAY SO OFTEN it's like this "My lawnmower wont work whay should I do?" Awnser shhot RB's. Now seriously get rid of it and try a differant one. Im just suggesting that we check the gas first.

Understandably if something ABSOLUTELY wont work then obviously an alternative might make sence.

:v

 

[tg]

Quite often we traditionalist offer alterbatives to many questions simply to try and prevent the poster from falling into the deep dark oblivion that overwhelms those who use musket caps, modern peeps and modern bullets, a sort of preventative meaure so to speak, at the same time acknowledging that many are to far gone they will never return to the light of day and forever be caught in the gnawing and gnashing of the wheels and gears of the modern ML world, may God rest their souls, and save the Pigmys in Africa...

 

[Little Wattsy]

Quite often we traditionalist offer alterbatives to many questions simply to try and prevent the poster from falling into the deep dark oblivion that overwhelms those who use musket caps, modern peeps and modern bullets, a sort of preventative meaure so to speak, at the same time acknowledging that many are to far gone they will never return to the light of day and forever be caught in the gnawing and gnashing of the wheels and gears of the modern ML world, may God rest their souls, and save the Pigmys in Africa...

I think a REAL traditionilist would use a rock or MAYBE a long bow but I get-cha. :wink: :wink: