Musket nipple flash hole size

[Sparkytfl]

So I've seen threads regarding flash hole size for normal #11 caps, but I'm wondering about ones for musket caps, considering my understanding is that musket caps create about double the gas volume even compared to a magnum cap. It seems you want about .030 for a #11, and too big is bad for accuracy, but for a musket cap, should it be a bit larger to let all that additional gas through?

What inspired me to ask is that my new (well 22 year old rusty new-old-stock) Pedersoli Wurttemberg has a flash hole in the nipple of .060. My two other muskets also had fairly large holes, but they were used so may have been messed with, and I immediately replaced their nipples with TrackOfTheWolf stainless ones, which all have about .029 whether musket size or #11 size.

The Pedersoli nipple is terrible anyway, with the tip so narrow that it won't even pop a Schuetzen cap, just cuts a circle in the middle. I borrowed the nipple from my other musket, and that fired them just fine. CCI caps work with both. Early testing isn't showing any real accuracy differences. The Pedersoli nipple basically never needs to be cleaned, and when it does I can use the .049 Civil War style picks I had been wondering what nipples they even worked with. The Track nipple needs to be cleaned about every three shots, and then I run into the usual problem that I've yet to find a pick that small that doesn't bend or get stuck and pull out of it's handle.

So what size do the NSSA guys use? I know they expect accuracy, and I can't imagine them wanting to struggle to pick tiny holes every few shots.

 

[64Springer]

I've never seen a .030 hole in a nipple.

The .030 is the size of the chamfer leading into the actual flash hole.

That flash hole is tiny. More like .010 inches.

 

[Sparkytfl]

I've seen a few brands of nipple picks, and they've been .023 to .024 other than the thicker Civil War reenactor ones, so I have trouble believing any new nipples are less than half that. 010 is as thin as the thinnest string on my guitars, and that's tiny. The chamfer leading to the hole is more like .090

 

[64Springer]

My pick is .022. So you are correct. Those holes don't appear to be .030 though. Maybe a touch less.

Have you tried using a number drill bit to clean your nipples?

These are much tinier than standard drill bits.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Too large a hole in the base of the nipple and you will have significant back pressure that can push the hammer back to half cock or even full cock. The smaller hole is best and sufficient gas, heat and flame will be sent to the powder charge.

 

[Bad Karma]

Too large and accuracy will suffer as well. I’m not sure how tru this is of round ball guns but I have a .40 caliber rifle which will eat standard TC nipples like candy. 20 full power shots and they are toast.