Making your own percussion caps

[mannyCA]

Been thinking about this for a while and have finally had a chance to move on it. I fabricated a cap maker which uses aluminum soda cans and roll caps, similar in design to the tap-o-cap. It produces a stouter cap, especially if you double them up, and seems, for now, to work with the caps made in Germany you find at Wal-Mart.

Phase one, which was just described is completed. Phase two, field testing with BP and various amounts placed on the cap (or not) begins this week.

If everything works out I wanted to gauge interest from members about using these. Hopefully we can speak to the powers that be and start making them available.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words I thought I'd put some up close photos here so you guys can take a look and offer suggestion, comments, concerns, etc...

I also did a video going into some more detail on what I've done and how.

Like I said, the next week or so we will be testing these out to see just how reliable the caps are, and if its even still worth perusing.
I am not a machinist, and I don't pretend to be, just a hobbyist wanting to help out fellow shooters in a time of drought.

And yes, that is a brass punch, we hope to prevent damage to the serrated punch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMs3HeAo9EI

[Fyodor]

Looks like a nice device, and I'd love to try it. Unfortunately making percussion caps is illegal in Germany.

[Keith Sacane]

I have a tap-o-cap, and it works pretty well on cap and ball revolvers. I tried it on a Lyman GPR, and it didn't have enough spark to set it off. If the price was right, and it worked on traditional rifles, I'd be interested.

[Ghost101]

Hey Manny, I enjoyed your video. Nice work on your tool an am looking forward to the next one on firing. Hope it works, and have enjoyed watching some of your other videos.

Ghost101

[bandmiller2]

Suppose it can be done but its a lot of tedious work like casting air rifle pellets, and the caps are cheap. Might be a good skill to know though. Frank C.

[Bigslug]

I guess I don't shoot enough BP. Considering that roll caps for toy guns might warp the impressionable young minds of our future nanny-state subjects, I would have figured that it would be easier to get real percussion caps for real guns these days.

[44man]

My thoughts too! Can't give a kid a cap gun and if they find we use them to shoot real guns, they will be gone.
I am surprised they are still sold.
Big nanny doesn't want a kid to even see a gun but will send them into battle to save their butts. Chew a piece of bread to look like a gun and you will be suspended but you can die for the liberals.

[blackthorn]

Yes! If you want to stop war, make the politicians from both sides lead the first charge into battle! Hmmmm----solve a lot of our other problems as well eh?

[smoked turkey]

manny I also enjoyed your video and would like to give this a try myself. I believe your device will work to keep us shooting our blackpowder guns. It looks very well made. You did a good job on it and the video. Thanks for sharing.

[mdi]

I would be interested. I was recently thinkin'/looking into BP rifles and then saw the availability (and cost) of caps. Kinda put that fire out. Don't really want to go with a Flinter, but If I could make my own caps, that would make a huge difference in my decision...

[bedbugbilly]

I've shot BP for 50+ years and can well remember in the 1960s when Turner Kirkland carried the "Tap A Cap" in his offerings of his Dixie Gun Works catalog. I often thought of buying one - "just to have in case caps got short" but never did. (I'm talking about a time when I used to buy Remington caps at 25 cents a tine and BP at 75 cents a pound LOL ).

As long as caps are available, I would be using those on my revolvers & rifles - BUT - if they aren't - this certainly offers an "option".

I enjoyed the video and I think they would sell if priced reasonably. I'd be interested in one.

Originally, on the "Tap A Cap" - they recommended using a "paste" (or glue stick) to secure the punched "toy cap" in the punched tin cap. What you are doing certainly looks like they would 'stay put" without a problem. When they came out, a hand "hole punch" (as you would use in an office) was used to punch the caps out. Your method of using a hole punch is just as quick and allows a person to center it by eye over the toy cap.

When you are experimenting with them - what would happen if you lightly dipped a Q-tip (or similar) in something like lacquer or shellac and just lightly coating the paper cap in the tin cap to make it "waterproof"? I really don't know if it would "kill" the paper cap or not but it would be interesting to see.

This certainly gives a good option to a percussion shooter if caps get scarce. A abundance supply of cans around for sure. I'd like one just to "tuck away" along with a supply of cut tin and a quantity of the roll caps - store in an airtight container as a "back up".

Of course if you don't have caps - you can always use a flintlock and get by - but no caps means no shooting if all a person has is a side lock rifle or shotgun or revolver.

Keep us posted please - you design is simple and looks to work well. To mr, iy'd no different than hand loading cartridges with the old Lee Classic Loader. Might not be the fastest, but at least they go "bang". If the caps work well and provide enough spark - a person could make a good supply with just a few evening's worth of work. Good luck - look forward to hearing more and seeing there next test videos!

[Toymaker]

I bought a Tap-A-Cap a number of years ago and it worked very well. I had to make a little wooden "poker" to push the cap in, but I could make a lot while watching TV. They were stored in an air tight 35mm film plastic canister and I never had one go bad. The were used on a CVA Hawken Hunter with which I competed in muzzleloader matches for a number of years. However, when I made my own rifle they proved to be unreliable and I went back to commercial percussion caps. I putzed around a while trying to figure out why they worked on one and not the other rifle but never came up with an answer. It's still sitting in my field box but finding good toy pistol caps is more effort than worth while now.

[aspangler]

About 1/2 gr 3f or 4f powder under the cap makes it more reliable.

[cpileri]

Soooooo....
when are you ofering the die/punch for sale as a kit?
Seriously!

C-

[psychicrhino]

Nice looking tool

[bandmiller2]

Manny, have you tried strike anywhere match heads, the whole head or make a paste from the head chemical.?? Frank C.

[mannyCA]

Haven't tried any of the strike anywhere matches, haven't thought about it. I want to make sure the caps don't fly off as shrapnel when/if a round goes off in the chamber.
I forgot where I read it, but I remember someone posted how the blowback was strong enough to re-cock the hammer on their BP revolver after making homemade caps.
At the moment I'm lining up materials and time to make these things and will report back.
Thanks for all the suggestions and encouragement, the more independent we can get from conventional sources the better IMHO.
And Like I say in the videos, take a kid shooting, any kid, we wouldn't want our sport dying out.

[mannyCA]

Well, got a chance to test this out and it seems to work fine. Using the roll caps by themselves do not have the gusto to ignite the powder, so, just sprinkle a bit onto the cap, enough to cover the bottom in a layer, and shoot. Worked great that way, caps were destroyed and out of the 6 shots loaded one cap fell off. Not bad when you consider I got to fire rounds WITHOUT commercial caps! I see this as a victory in self-reliance. Let them have their cap drought, we will keep shooting.

heres the video I did this morning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNpZLswXxC0

Going solo with the camera so it was a bit challenging to say the least.

[Ghost101]

Hi manny, watched your video on YouTube before coming on here tonite. They seemed to work out pretty good. Seems I read somewhere that a bit of candle wax was used in the day to keep the caps on for carry so they didn't fall off. Anyway good job an enjoyed your videos.

Ghost101

[hickfu]

I have a cap and ball pistol that belongs to my mother in law (she is just old and doesnt shoot) and I wanted to shoot it but I cant find caps any where. I like your way of making them....


Doc