Powder'n Nipples

[Spot Shooter]

I read somewhere that you could put powder in the nipple to reduce hang time on yer fire?

Is this normal, and a safe practice? I once had some young buck tell me he put the powder from 22's in the nipple and she fires like a dream. I just gave him that (I don't know about that trick) look and said no more.

So I guess I need to know if there is any more loading tricks that I could use?

Spot

 

[hardykev]

I am not sure it would be neccessary and sounds like a PITA. I have a caplock Sharps that has a long fire channel and then has to burn through a layer of paper for ignition and it feels almost as fast as a modern cartridge.

Thinking on it, I almost wonder if adding powder to the nipple might not delay ignition as the flash would have to burn through the powder there first before continuing to the main charge. Not unlike covering the flash hole on a flinter with powder acts like a fuse and ignition is delayed until it burns down past the hole.

I would try it normally first.

 

[musketman]

quote:Originally posted by Spot Shooter:
I once had some young buck tell me he put the powder from 22's in the nipple and she fires like a dream.Is he nuts?

.22's use smokeless powder, tell him not to mix the two...

NEVER USE SMOKELESS POWDER IN BLACK POWDER FIREARMS!!!

Smokeless powder is a higher pressure powder than black powder, using smokeless powder in firearms designed for black powder is asking for trouble...

If you see him again, please advise him to stop...

Having said that, you can use a little FFFFg in the nipple to aid a stubbern muzzleloader to fire, do not fill the nipple full of black powder either...

 

[roundball]

My contribution is two-fold:
1) There is actually a small "nipple primer" item you can buy, looks like and operates on the same principle as a "pan primer" for a flintlock, with a plunger dispenser tip that fits over the nipple;
A little larger than a ballpoint pen)

2) However, having said that, I'll volunteer that I've shot percussions for a number of years now and always thought ignition was like shooting a centerfire rifle...I use Hot Shot nipples, CCI#11 caps (CCI#11 Magnums are outstanding), with Pyrodex RS / Select / P / Goex FFFg, and a dry ignition channel.

If I was experiencing delayed ignition, I would look to find the cause first and not necessarily add another dimension to the process...it might only be compensating for a possible problem somewhere else...your mileage may vary of course

 

[Spot Shooter]

Well I didn't see him again, but my non-verbals sure gave him the message that I thought he was crazy. In response, he told me that his dad had been doing it for years. I think they're lying or nuts - maybe both.

On the topic of nipples, should I be thinking about changing that one I'm going to get on the GPR?

I picked us some degreaser today, and the gun will be here on Tuesday, or Thursday. The chemicals are on the way from TOTW with a nipple wrench, and a powder measure. I'll melt lead and see if I can get a RB out of the mold on Sunday. We're expecting a ice storm here in KC on Sunday!!!

Spot

 

Spot

The "only" time I would reccomend removeing the nipple to add some FFFFG is if you happen to "dry ball" (forgot to dump a powder charge before running a ball down the bore)!

"ONLY" then do I suggest a feller remove the nipple and coax a bout "ten grains" of FFFFG behind the ball in order to "spit" it out!!

"CAUTION": she"ll "spit" thet ball plenty hard!!
also make sure when doing this thet the ball is "ALL THE WAY DOWN "!!

I have also used this method to remove "cleaning jags" thet warn"t "pinned" to the end of the ramrod and were pulled off the ramrod when cleaning!!

If a clean"n jag or dry ball don"t come out the first try___ then prime it with FFFFG agin___ but be "SURE" to push the "projectile" back down to the breech before fireing!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tg]

I found my LGP to work very well with the nipple that came with it useing regular #11 caps, there is a tendency in this sport to try and improve upon and make everything "more better" it is not driven by any real need, do your best to avoid it and you will find the sport more rewarding in the long run.

 

[Gray Beard]

Forget the tricks to reduce "hang time"

and try a musket cap. Go get a musket cap nipple for your gun and screw it in. Put on a musket cap and fire. Wow! you'll become a believer like me!

 

[JesseJames]

A friend of mine had his nipple blow out of a white mountain this year. Luckily,he had a scope mounted the year before,cause when it blew it hit the corner of the o-ring mount and not his head. HE did get a few small pieces in his nose. Was lucky.

 

[musketman]

quote:Originally posted by Spot Shooter:
On the topic of nipples, should I be thinking about changing that one I'm going to get on the GPR?That depends on what you want, what if there's nothing wrong with the one you get with the rifle?

However, Hot Shot nipples seem to be a popular choise...

 

[Zonie]

Spot Shooter: I am the original guy to stand up and yell "You idiots are blowing the danger all out of proportion to the actual dangers!!"

The Lead Paint thing and the Asbestos thing are truly overrated and over blown by the news media and some of our lawmakers.

Having said that, I will have to agree that melting lead and casting bullets WITHOUT good ventilation is a bad idea. IMO the lead WILL outgas and breathing it really isn't a good idea.

If you have a good vent hood on your kitchen stove which blows the air outside the house, then do your lead melting and casting under it. If you don't you would be safest to just wait until the weather outside is a little nicer and do your casting out there.

(Ya, I know some of you members have been breathing the stuff for years and eating lead balls for breakfast but putting off casting until a nice day comes along shouldn't be too much of a burden to carry unless the indians are attacking).

 

[Donny]

I had a nipple blow out one time. Small pieces of stuff were in my forehead, looked like a case of pimples, good thing I wear glasses, hard to see with metal chunks blown out the back of yur eyeballs. I was hunting every day in damp rainy conditions, and to ensure a sure ignition, I would pull the nipple and put a small amount of FFFFg then replace the nipple. After a couple of days doing this, I finally shot out the load. Kapooie. Maybe the nipple was cross threaded, or whatever, I would recomend not removing the nipple any more than necessary, and check it to see if it is snug. Don

 

[Zonie]

Quoting Spot Shooter: " I once had some young buck tell me he put the powder from 22's in the nipple and she fires like a dream." as was mentioned by others but put in my easy going words, "the guy is an idiot"!

Putting a little black powder under the nipple won't hurt a thing, and indeed if there was some oil in the gun and it moistens the powder it is the easiest way to get the gun to fire.

IMO putting smokeless powder under the nipple can actually slow down the ignition process. Why? You have to understand how smokeless powder works.

Smokeless powder is not an explosive. That's why you can touch a match to it and watch it slowly burn away to nothing but ash. Its burning rate is totally controled by pressure. Low pressure=slow burning rate. Raise the pressure, the rate goes up fast. Really high pressures raises it to almost an explosive speed and pressures go up even more.

Now, if the pressure under the nipple is low (due to leakage around the cap) the smokeless may actually burn much slower than good ole blackpowder so it can slow down the ignition.

If however the pressure raises fast for whatever reason, the powder may actually exceed the safe pressure levels which the gun was designed to work at, all of this happening in milliseconds.

The guy is an idiot if he continues doing this in any gun not specifically designed for Smokeless Powder.
(Sorry if this sounds grumpy but sometimes a little grumpy can get the point across).

Little Grumpy? Now who the He** let him in? Oh well, everyone is welcome, even Grumpy.