Take a look at these Nipples!

[Eterry]

I pulled the nipples from my W. Moore shotgun and couldn't believe what I saw. As I said they are musket nipples but the flash holes are massive; they are tapered and at the bottom end measured .200". I'd swear someone took grease zirks and filed the top to fit a musket cap.
The blow- back must be awful and may explain why the gun's in good condition.

Has anyone else seen this?

 

[Grenadier1758]

Yes, I have seen nipples with that sized touch hole. This was a cheap import Zouave. Right out of the box the cock would get blown back to half or full cock on firing. Even back then. I knew that wasn't right. Very soon I bought a new musket nipple and also one for a #11 cap. The number #11 caps worked just fine. Those were about 1/16" in diameter.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Yes, seen this type before. Old nipples were made in different styles, from this type, to a narrow waist and wide both ends, to wide at top and narrow hole at bottom.
They all work but get more blast from some than others.
The style you have is quite common on 19th C muskets. I have some new ones that look like that. (Never fitted but 19th C EIC spares)

 

[Britsmoothy]

Yep, they did that back when....no misfires back then!

Probably dumped more powder and shot down there too than most would today.

 

[Eterry]

When i got my first muzzle loader i was 14 and had ignition problems. Dad's friend was a welder and gave me a torch tip needle file set.
I thought if I open the tiny hole in the nipple I'd get ignition.
I'll never forget the day i reached Maximum Ignition... lol.
The hammer blew back to half cock, black soot covered half my face, my cap blew off. Im lucky i can see.
I threw away the file set and got a small pick to clean the nipple.

That's why I knew these were bad news.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

ETerry,
They seem to work all right in muskets. Mine look like that and no worries. Mind, a big strong musket mainspring will prevent half-cocking.
I Hav ehad old guns half cock on firing, but not muskets.

Brit,
To quote you; "Probably dumped more powder and shot down there too than most would today."

Very much so!
An old bowl from a clay pipe was "supposed" to hold "Just the right amount" of powder and shot.
I measured what some held, (old pipe bowls used to turn up on the land all the time back in Yorkshire)
One from the 1600's held 3/4 ounce of shot, but the vast majority were a good bit bigger, and held At Least 1 3/4 ounces.

 

[tenngun]

Talk about click bait
I had a Zouave that wouldn’t fire. The flash hole was tiny and I did up it a bit, not that much though.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Tenngun, me too. .040" is my favorite hole D for reliable ignition.

B.

 

[Cowboy]

Have a Zoli Zouave. I ended up replacing the stock nipple and also bought another for #11 caps as well. Shoots just fine with either nipple.

Respectfully, Cowboy

 

[Feltwad]

English original percussion shotgun nipples about 99% of them are 1/4 BSF and 9/32 BSF , continental ones are UNF .
Feltwad

 

[Eterry]

Feltwad... that's too much alphabet soup for this Texan... can you define them please?

 

[Eterry]

A hole two tenths of an inch just seems way too much. The springs are very strong, but i don't wanna rely on that keeping burning powder gas out of my eyeballs.

 

[Feltwad]

Feltwad... that's too much alphabet soup for this Texan... can you define them please?

The difference in BSF and UNF is the thread most of these nipples have a 1/16 hole through the nipple and coned at the bottom .
Feltwad

 

[Eterry]

Talk about click bait
I had a Zouave that wouldn’t fire. The flash hole was tiny and I did up it a bit, not that much though.

I thought I'd get a better response with a title like that...worked didn't it ???

 

[Zonie]

BSF stands for British Standard Fine. It is a standard for screw threads used in the UK.
Not only are these threads different in the thread pitch but the shape of the threads are different when compared with the UNC and UNF threads used in America.
There is also a BSW thread standing for British Standard Whitworth. These are the "Whitworth" threads owners of old British cars sometimes run into. Not only is the Whitworth thread a different shape and pitch but the wrenches needed to tighten or loosen them are a different size when compared with the American style threads.
Adding to the confusion, there is also a British Motorcycle thread. Most of the different sizes of this use a 26 pitch thread.

Thank goodness, most of these old style threads are not used any more for new production so now the main threads are the American UNF and UNC and the Metric thread series.

 

[robinghewitt]

That looks like a nipple that has lost it's platina liner. Odd because it doesn't usually escape until the nipple cracks in half and you lose the top. I have a broken one on my desk somewhere. Blooming annoying when it happens

 

[robinghewitt]

I screw cut my nipples on a lathe, grinding the tool tip to fit the thread. The thread form is more Acme than Whitworth. I chase the finished thread with a file to gently round the tops. You should not need a key apart from the tightening, if you need a key to fit it you are damaging the gun. I have never had to do a musket nipple, shotguns are nearly always 1/4" x 32 tpi

 

[Eterry]

I screw cut my nipples on a lathe, grinding the tool tip to fit the thread. The thread form is more Acme than Whitworth. I chase the finished thread with a file to gently round the tops. You should not need a key apart from the tightening, if you need a key to fit it you are damaging the gun. I have never had to do a musket nipple, shotguns are nearly always 1/4" x 32 tpi

That was my next question... what size replacement nipple would i need? I have a sleeve of musket caps so i think I want a musket nipple.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

ET,
Musket nipples are 5/16 x 18 if British. If not British I don't know which size they will be, as different threads were used.

Squire Rob,
Had to make a set recently for an "Improved Central Fire" and they were half way between standard and musket.

 

[Eterry]

It's Belgium copying a British gun, so probably has British threads, thanks.