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Refurbishing Nipples

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No, this is not a thread involving your wife's or girl-friend's (.Y.).

Over the years, some of the nipples on my guns have become mushroomed over from use. When this happens, as many here already know, is your caps will not always fit down on the nipples. Hammer strikes will often seat the cap, but not fire it until the second or even third strike.

Now, I suppose I could replace them all on an annual basis, but I got a dozen guns, not including the percussion revolver, so that would add up to a tidy sum of cash these days.

What I did was to remove the nipples from a couple of my worst offenders and took them out to the wood shop where I chucked them up in a drill press at a fairly high RPM. Using a flat file, I took the mushroom off and kept at it until the caps fit snugly. This worked quite well and as soon as the warm weather returns in a couple of months, I intend to do the rest of them.

Just thought it might be a useful tip for those who are frugal such as myself. ;)
 
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No, this is not a thread involving your wife's or girl-friend's (.Y.).

Over the years, some of the nipples on my guns have become mushroomed over from use. When this happens, as many here already know, is your caps will not always fit down on the nipples. Hammer strikes will often seat the cap, but not fire it until the second or even third strike.

Now, I suppose I could replace them all on an annual basis, but I got a dozen guns, not including the percussion revolver, so that would add up to a tidy sum of cash these days.

What I did was to remove the nipples from a couple of my worst offenders and took them out to the wood shop where I chucked them up in a drill press at a fairly high RPM. Using a flat file, I took the mushroom off and kept at it until the caps fit snugly. This worked quite well and as soon as the warm weather returns in a couple of months, I intend to do the rest of them.

Just thought it might be a useful tip for those who are frugal such as myself. ;)
That is a fine solution for mushroomed nipples. I do the same thing to make a better fit for some caps that are too tight to seat properly. Do check the nipple orifice to see if it is burned out or enlarged. If the hammer on your guns goes to 1/2 cock after a shot, it is an indication that you are getting 'blow Back". If that is the case, it is best to replace the nipple with new.
 
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Related question. During a match yesterday I found it very difficult to seat #11 caps on a nipple that they previously fit very well. I replaced the nipple and finished the match but. When I got home I put the problem nipple under a mag glass and found that one side of the nipple was mushroomed. It looks like the hammer has not been striking the nipple flat on. Is this common? Should I attempt to scrape out the inside hollow of the hammer to effect a more flat strike?
Thanks
 
Your nipple is too long (go ahead, make a joke). When the hammer strikes, it hits the part closest to the hammer first and mushrooms it. This was and is common with nipples like the Uncle Mike's Hot Shot nipples that used to be around.. This is generally referred to as bad lock geometry.

No, do NOT do anything to your hammer! Dremmel tools wreck more muzzleloaders than rust some days.

What you might want to do is get a nipple that is the correct length for your gun. TOW has a pretty good supply.

For your immediate needs, chuck the nipple in the drill press. Get your file out and square up the top surface as well as any mushrooming... which in this case is generally on the outside of the nipple... though you can have it mushroom inside as well. You could also, in theory, remove material from the nipple such that the lock geometry is corrected.

Eventually, like flints, all nipples will need to be replaced periodically.
 
Your nipple is too long (go ahead, make a joke). When the hammer strikes, it hits the part closest to the hammer first and mushrooms it. This was and is common with nipples like the Uncle Mike's Hot Shot nipples that used to be around.. This is generally referred to as bad lock geometry.

No, do NOT do anything to your hammer! Dremmel tools wreck more muzzleloaders than rust some days.

What you might want to do is get a nipple that is the correct length for your gun. TOW has a pretty good supply.

For your immediate needs, chuck the nipple in the drill press. Get your file out and square up the top surface as well as any mushrooming... which in this case is generally on the outside of the nipple... though you can have it mushroom inside as well. You could also, in theory, remove material from the nipple such that the lock geometry is corrected.

Eventually, like flints, all nipples will need to be replaced periodically.
Thank you for the useful information.
 
I just got in from shooting. Previously I had replaced the nipple with a shorter T/C type nipple. Bad lock geometry. After multiple misfires, I replaced the nipple with an original length one and the misfires ended. My fifty-yard milk jug is no more!
 
I just got in from shooting. Previously I had replaced the nipple with a shorter T/C type nipple. Bad lock geometry. After multiple misfires, I replaced the nipple with an original length one and the misfires ended. My fifty-yard milk jug is no more!
My ML is an old TC Hawken. I replaced the long nipple with a shorter one as you suggested.
Lock geometry corrected. Thank you!!
I’ll bet I get less misfires and longer life nipples, too.
 
While you're at it, drill a little cone on the bottom where the hole is a pin-point and the reliability will go up exponentially too....
This is the first of have heard of doing this. I know no line shooters who do this and they are very particular about accuracy.

If it works, how come manufacturers do not do it?
 
This is the first of have heard of doing this. I know no line shooters who do this and they are very particular about accuracy.

If it works, how come manufacturers do not do it?
I think maybe it was a joke? I don't do this, I don't recommend it and manufacturers don't do it because they do not want hammer blow back damaging guns or sending cap fragments into the shooters' eyes.

Take everything you read here with a grain of salt... even this advice. People who give advice in online forums are not liable for damages if your gun blows up in your face, kills your favorite dog or blinds your wife. Never forget this.
 
When I first started in this crazy ml avocation, my mentor told me nipples were to be considered disposable items. You may have a lot of gun but you can still shoot only so many at a time. Buy new nipples, I like the 'hot shot' style. But, I don't worry about that issue very much anymore after I got smart and started shooting primarily flintlocks many years ago.
 
No, do NOT do anything to your hammer! Dremmel tools wreck more muzzleloaders than rust some days.
There are different opinions then that.
Squaring the hammer IS a known, accepted and excellent technique that helps avoid nipple damage and also helps assure ignition.
Nipples wear out, period. And DO need to be replaced, anywhere between 200-500 shots, The variables are the load charge and the individuals care/cleaning of the nipple during it's use. The pressure variables and a thing called "gas cutting" cause the demise.
Now I'll agree with you that a Dremel will wreck a lot of guns, in the hands of a novice.
Why are your long used nipples getting a mushroom in the first place? Is there a lot of dry firing?
I get 300-400 shots from a nipple before the orface of the nipple is toast, they don't get mushroomed at all.

there's a lot more I'd like to add, but it's late and I'm tired,, maybe later,
✌️
 
There are different opinions then that.
Squaring the hammer IS a known, accepted and excellent technique that helps avoid nipple damage and also helps assure ignition.
Nipples wear out, period. And DO need to be replaced, anywhere between 200-500 shots, The variables are the load charge and the individuals care/cleaning of the nipple during it's use. The pressure variables and a thing called "gas cutting" cause the demise.
Now I'll agree with you that a Dremel will wreck a lot of guns, in the hands of a novice.
Why are your long used nipples getting a mushroom in the first place? Is there a lot of dry firing?
I get 300-400 shots from a nipple before the orface of the nipple is toast, they don't get mushroomed at all.

there's a lot more I'd like to add, but it's late and I'm tired,, maybe later,
✌️
I don’t dry fire but I do have 300 plus shots on this nipple. I did notice on close inspection the only half of the nipple edge was mushroomed. Which seems to indicate that the hammer was not impacting the nipple squarely. Nipple is too tall. As mentioned earlier, bad lock geometry. I happened to have a shorter nipple. Put it in and there is no misfires and hammer impacts nipple square on.
Thanks to @Dale Allen Raby for this info.
 
I suppose that one could square up the hammer to "fix" this sort of issue, but honestly, wouldn't it be much easier, cheaper and less risky to just put the correct nipple in the gun? Yes, nipples wear out and need to be replaced just like flints and frizzens. No getting around this fact. That said, advising someone to get the Dremel out and start grinding on the hammer face without knowing for certain that this is what is needed would be bad advice... kinda like telling someone to divorce a woman for making a twenty-five cent error while balancing the check book.

Yeah, I made a guess when I said that the nipple was too long... but it seemed to have been the likely scenario and it seems that I guessed right. I've had it happen myself when the Hot Shot nipple craze started in the late eighties I think.

Best for all concerned here to take ALL advice on this forum and everywhere else with a grain of salt. Not all advice is good advice... even that which I dispense. I've been shooting for a long time and know lots of "stuff", but I don't know everything and I do make mistakes.
 
Here's a thought. Install a new nipple. Use a dab of your wife's lipstick on the nipple, don't cover the hole.
Lower the hammer into the nipple, then check the imprint left in the hammer face.
Often the results are surprising, and a small amount of burnishing is needed on the face to make solid contact.
 
Here's a thought. Install a new nipple. Use a dab of your wife's lipstick on the nipple, don't cover the hole.
Lower the hammer into the nipple, then check the imprint left in the hammer face.
Often the results are surprising, and a small amount of burnishing is needed on the face to make solid contact.
Great idea but I gotta wait until the wife is not home. 🤪
 
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