Reducing lock time, percussion cap

[Hart]

Hey all, any tips for reducing lock time in a percussion cap? I shoot a Lyman Trade Rifle and feel like ive got good accuracy when my rifle fires fast, but poor accuracy when I got a lag time. Your thoughts/opinions are much appreciated. Thanks!

[Hart]

Probably should add, Im currently shooting pyrodex RS with PRB and great plains bullets with number 11 caps

[swathdiver]

Switch to real black powder, GOEX Olde Eynsford. You can have as little as 3lbs delivered to your door for about $88. The more you order, the better the deal.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Hey all, any tips for reducing lock time in a percussion cap? I shoot a Lyman Trade Rifle and feel like ive got good accuracy when my rifle fires fast, but poor accuracy when I got a lag time. Your thoughts/opinions are much appreciated. Thanks!

I agree, real black powder may be a step forward.

I doubt if this is a true mechanical lock time problem, as that is likely to be the same all the time, and you seem to be experiencing inconsistency. It might take as little as cleaning out the nipple with a piece of wire between shots.

Try firing the rifle through al piece of paper a couple of feet in front of the muzzle, or over six feet or so of sheets on a tabletop. If there are unburnt grains, one could be getting into the nipple on some shots, but not on others. While a venturi shaped nipple hole, widening towards the bottom, works efficiently when it works, switching to one with a small hole down to the bottom may avoid this particular problem.

Some say making sure the hammer face contacts the full circumference of the nipple, and thus compresses the priming composition all the way around. Personally I doubt this. Composition-to-powder ignition is nothing to the speed of composition-to-composition. But could the nipple be too large for the cap, meaning that it sometimes isn't squeezed quite into place when you are capping the rifle? The answer to that is a slightly larger cap, smaller nipple, or chucking the nipple in a drill and reducing it with abrasive paper.(A good nipple would be hard on files.) Don't reduce it so much that the cap can fall off.
Back to pure lock time though, there are only three ways of speeding it up. Increase the strength of the spring, reduce the weight of the hammer, or reduce friction. Try a piece of metal or leather under the end of the spring which contacts the lockplate. I found a piece of leather which had lasted most of the lifetime of my French M1873 ordnance revolver, but you might regard it as an experiment to indicate whether a stronger spring is worth looking for. If there is a mark where the side of the spring is scraping on the lockplate, just oiling the place may help. Otherwise I would rather use carbide burrs on the inside of the lockplate than on the spring, which you don't want to weaken.

First thing I would look into would be tightness of cap on nipple, and the last thing would be lightening the hammer. It is a bigger job, and energy is proportional to MV². You don't want to reduce the M before you know you will increase the V².

[tranders]

As some of the others have said... switch to black powder. With my CVA Mountain Stalker using #11 CCI's or CCI Musket caps there is a noticeable delay when using Pyrodex RS compared to instant ignition with Goex FFFg.
I have thought about trying to find some Pyrodex P and see how it performs.

[Maven]

Hart, It may also be time to check and clean the flash channel and possibly replace the nipple.

[mooman76]

Easies and cheapest place to start would be to replace the nipple. I'd get a better than factory one like the Hot Shot or something along those lines. I've never had a problem with Pyrodex myself when I do my part.

On a note I might add that I think shooting a ML has increased my shooting skills. Even with a fast ML they are a few mil sec slower than center fire and forces me to concentrate and hold the gun steady longer for good follow threw.

[oldracer]

L&R and probably others make a "Schuetzen" lock which is close in shape to the regular locks. I have used several of these because they have less hammer throw and a harder main spring to give a very fast shot once the set trigger has been touched. About as fast is the reverse or back lock but I have only had several shooters tell me they work well.

[Bent Ramrod]

You might try CCI Magnum percussion caps. They're as powerful as it gets in No. 11 size, and should ignite anything quickly. I use regular BP, but when a regular No. 11 misfires for some reason, my first move is to reprime with a Magnum cap.

[bob208]

a hot shot or spit fire nipple. has cured any problem I ever had with ignition. but then I only ever used real black powder from the start.

[charlie b]

How well have you cleaned the ante chamber?

That is where most of the inconsistency comes from.

Do you wipe between shots? If so you can be shoving residual stuff into that chambef as well.

[Edward]

The best thing you could do is talk to Warren @ Magspark ,its sealed/ hotter /faster cheaper and every one sells 209 shotgun primers ! Not traditional but the squirrels hate them on a rainy day ,they count on slow lock times

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

For Pyrodex, I'd highly recommend the Knight Redhot nipple. I've used the spitfire and hotshot before, they still hang fire with pyrodex.

Seeing how its that cursed italian breech design, I'd also suggest switching to Pyrodex P. They really put a tiny powder channel hole in that plug with no funneling to help move it UNDER the nipple. It basically just gets blocked off with the bulkier RS powder and nothing flows under the nipple.

[mazo kid]

You did say "reduce LOCK time". What I have done is take the lock down completely. Next, draw file, sand, and polish the inside of the lock plate. Sand/polish the surfaces of any lock part....sear, tumbler, retaining plate. Break the edges of those parts also, so they are not sharp. I carefully relieve the inside edge of the mainspring, just enough that it doesn't drag on the plate. A light coat of gun oil or grease and you are good to go.

[OverMax]

I can't say I ever noticed a difference when shooting Black or Pyro RS under a CCI #11 mag mounted atop a Knight Red Hot nipple. Although I have changed-out all my rifles #11 nipples with Mag Sparks for the simplicity of easy 209 buying. So~over 30 plus years I never encountered lock time/lag time influencing accuracy. To be quite honest this is the first time I've ever heard of such inconvenience.

[xfoxofshogo]

convert it to 209 primers there is a kit for it

[mazo kid]

Lock time is different than ignition time! If you have a "slow" lock, then changing powders, caps, etc. won't speed it up.

[charlie b]

So, title is different than description of issue. The 'lag time' is ignition delay, not lock time.

Solution is improving ignition. Lock is fine as is (also from description).

[mazo kid]

Well, he did say lock time in the subject line, then proceeded to say there was a lag in ignition. They are two different issues. Sorry, I mis- interpreted the question. I second the suggestion to clean the ante chamber. If the cap fires, it should set off the powder if the pathway is clean.

[Geezer in NH]

Your follow through needs work , Practice , practice , practice.

Really it will make a big difference.