• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

Will #11 CCI work on a ROA?

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Harry K

32 Cal
Joined
Feb 11, 2021
Messages
12
Reaction score
5
I have only used Remington #10s and they seemed to work fine. I see the Ruger manual says to use either 10 or 11. I was curious if anyone uses #11 ?
 
Depending on whether your nipples are stock Ruger or not. If stock then
use Remington 10s. You can use CCI 11s, sometimes need a pinch to close cap
so to stay on. Tight-fitting cap is best to reduce moisture. Remingtons are
a bit scarce but will be back , probably by summer. Also there are RWS and
other caps from Europe that will do. Be sure to seat cap down firmly, best to use
a pencil,pen or wood dowel since very rarely, according to reports, they have
ignited upon seating. You can also measure(use specs) the nipple and then
source them carefully to size. Ruger specs has the exact size. With stock nipples
or replacements go for the Remington #10s when available. But CCI#11s are OK.
 
The number one cause of a chain fire is poor/loose fitting caps! If you have to "pinch" them for them to stay on, you are asking for problems. It's all about how well the caps you have fit the nipples you have, not what # they are.
 
Well having ROAs over the years and now, that is my advice.
#10s are not available for many. Never had a chain fire from
the back. From the front ,and I can explain in detail how those
usually happen. There has been some studying of chain fires
and their causes. The answer is, in a pinch you can use #11 CCI.
 
I have a 1975 manufactured ROA and use #10 caps on the stock Ruger nipples. The #10 cap fits snugly. I have used #11 caps in the past and pinched the cap to hold it on the nipple. Even then, I did not feel the cap was really secure to the nipple. Perhaps because I have a very early year production ROA. A trick I read online to retain a cap on a nipple is to buy some 'cap keepers', which is essentially a cutoff small piece of polyethylene tubing that fits over the cap on the nipple. Out of curiosity, I bought some on ebay and tried them out on my ROA with some #11 caps I normally use on single shot pistols. I found that the keeper does some tightening of the #11 cap on the nipple as it is a little hard removing both cap and keeper from a nipple. If you intend to try a cap keeper, be sure to force the keeper down as far to the nipple base for sufficient exposure the top of the cap for the revolver hammer to strike. The cap keepers appeared to work o.k. as the #11 cap didn't come off a nipple after several cylinder loads. There is a hassle with the cap keeper removing the spent cap and using it again. I don't know how many times that the cap keeper can be used repeatedly before it's useless. It's Interesting that cap keepers offered by several vendors on ebay say it is to prevent revolver nipple chain fires and powder moisture prevention which I have never read any tests of proof. There are a couple YouTube vidios of how to make your own cap keepers. I've read a few pros and cons about cap keepers, mostly cons from BP revolver purists who cringe at the idea of adding an abortion to their revolver, so the jury is still out as to the cap keeper. Except for the experiment that I did with the cap keeper and #11 caps on my ROA, I'll probably not use #11 caps again on my ROA with the small supply I have on hand of #11 caps for my single shot pistols given the dwindling cap supplies available at gun shops and online.
 
Last edited:
Ok I gave my wife a ROA made into an Avenging angel. We call
it a" Pinkerton." Named after the Detectives of old.
Great guy in California named Dean. When it is convenient
I will send photo. I put those keepers on it- but I have
not fired it with the keepers. Got them on e bay. I'm worried
that they might cushion the cap and maybe prevent ignition.
The Guy Dean sells avenging angels on GB and helped me
as a special order. His name is Saxman or some such. He is
a good smith and artisan. I just sent him the frame and
barrel. A wonderful guy at a great price. My Sons, nephew and
some of the gals have ROA's. Got years ago when
I was buying & trading BP's. Even back then I knew that the
ROA was a special item.That was years back. Some I sold I
now deeply regret.
 
TOW sells #11 nipples for the ROA
Nipple, 12-28 thread, for Ruger Old Army revolver, #11 CCI cap, stainless steel, for Ruger hex socket or Track's #NW-130 wrench
  • Cone length: 0.270"
  • Thread journal length: 0.260"
  • Overall length: 0.530"
  • Diameter of base: 0.285"

I had one and did all new nipples tune the nipples so they fit very snug once you get a cap on you almost have to fire it to get it off

I regret selling my ROA some times , I made decent money on it and funded other projects so not too sad.

it really honestly was about the most accurate revolver I think I ever fired
 
I used to use Remington 10 size for mine. I could pinch down an 11, but sometimes they would slip off from the recoil or the shot. I bought a set of Uncle Mike's replacement nipples years ago and replaced the factory ones. Worked like a champ and fit #11 CCI perfectly. I never used the factory nipples afterward.
 
does anyone happen to know which size percussion caps fit best on the ClassicBallistx aftermarket cylinders for the ROA?
 
I purchased a ClassicBallistix ROA blued cylinder a couple years ago. The company does not sell their cylinder with a set of nipples. You will have to buy your own set of nipples. I bought Tresco nipples for my ROA on ebay for $26.99. Search item number 123009003250 on ebay for a set of Tresco nipples. The Tresco nipple takes a #11 cap.
 
I guess I've been lucky but I use #11 CCI and Remingtons caps on Santa Barbara's, Euroarms, Uberties, Piettas and Rugers without any problems. I never owned a #10.
 
I purchased a ClassicBallistix ROA blued cylinder a couple years ago. The company does not sell their cylinder with a set of nipples. You will have to buy your own set of nipples. I bought Tresco nipples for my ROA on ebay for $26.99. Search item number 123009003250 on ebay for a set of Tresco nipples. The Tresco nipple takes a #11 cap.

Thank you for the info. I just ordered a set for my "73 ROA/
 
The number one cause of a chain fire is poor/loose fitting caps! If you have to "pinch" them for them to stay on, you are asking for problems. It's all about how well the caps you have fit the nipples you have, not what # they are.
Hunh. And here I thought it was inadequate sealing of the chamber mouths. 🤔

wm
 
And so does @Woody Morgan. My chain fires were all related to misshapen balls leaving gaps at the chamber mouth. Once I went to properly fitting round ball (0.380") when all the literature at the time called for 0.375" and the buck shot I was sold ws way under sized. But in 1967 there was so little knowledge of the differences between makers and dimensions of the chamber mouths in revolvers. My Navy Arms revolver was very much an unknown in the gun shop that I bought it. At least they did sell me black powder, FFG Dupont, and close enough to the correct caps, #11 Remingtons.
 
When l had my Old Army, usin’ #10 caps l’d have to run them around once to seat the caps then again to fire. Never once had one to go bang on the first hammer strike but went off every time on the second. #11 caps worked perfectly.

And it was factory new with factory nipples.
 
Back
Top