Correct cap size needed

[Night Hawk]

I have an 1860 army .44 (reproduction) that I inherited from my father. I've seen mixed reviews about whether to use #10 or #11 caps. Which is better to use with this gun?

[fryboy]

depends upon the nipples , in my experience most ( but not all ) italian made nipples are on the small side hence i'd be tempted to try the #10's , but of note , damaged nipples often have a swollen tip and may have to have a #11 , also of note is that many nipples i have found seem to be inbetween sizes ( strange but true ) the very best you could do is try a box of each and see what works best , a slightly larger one can be crimped a bit with your fingers but it's a bit harder to stretch a too small of one , also of note is caps are much akin to 22 l.r. ammo brand x may work best with this gun but not with that gun etc

[swheeler]

I use #10's on Pietta.

[docone31]

They should be #10.
IF the nipple is flared out, you can dress it with a fine file.
You want the cap to contact the nipple, not be driven to the nipple to be fired the second time.
Another point, the classic upwards movement on firing of the revolvers, was to eject the spent cap outwards rather than falling into the frame.
I know for myself, no revolver I have fired has ever made me do that.
They did it to eject the caps.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

depends upon the nipples , in my experience most ( but not all ) italian made nipples are on the small side hence i'd be tempted to try the #10's , but of note , damaged nipples often have a swollen tip and may have to have a #11 , also of note is that many nipples i have found seem to be inbetween sizes ( strange but true ) the very best you could do is try a box of each and see what works best , a slightly larger one can be crimped a bit with your fingers but it's a bit harder to stretch a too small of one , also of note is caps are much akin to 22 l.r. ammo brand x may work best with this gun but not with that gun etc


Do not be telling people to crimp an oversized cap to make it stay on a C & B revolver?

THAT IS THE MAJOR REASON FOR MULTIPLE CHAMBER DISCHARGES ASSUMING THE CORRECT PROJECTILE FIT IS USED. ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO HERE IS STOP passing out shooting misinformation to newcomers.

THE VERY FIRST THING TO DO IN SHOOTING A C & B REVOLVER IS TO OBTAIN CAPS THAT FIT THE NIPPLES SNUGLY BOTH IN DIAMETER AND DEPTH. EITHER BUY CAPS, CHANGE NIPPLES, OR MODIFY NIPPLES SO THAT THE CORRECT FIT IS OBTAINED.

BvT

[Night Hawk]

Thanks for the help everyone, this is why I came here...

I've read quite a lot here the last couple of weeks but this was the one bit of information I couldn't track down.


Now all I need is a flask and I'm set to go..... :grin:

[fryboy]

hmmm i wonder if the springs on these then cause all the so called multiple discharges as it assuredly crimps the cap when you use it ... in fact if one tries to push a cap thru one without it being on a nipple it crunches it ( assuredly more than a mere crimp and especially the double springed one ) yet they have been used for umm i dont know... better than a hundred years ...[sigh]
in years past there was a good selection of caps available , dixie used to sell some in a red plastic umm tin from italy , those fit the italian nipples very well and were also as hot ( if not hotter ) than the old RWS's , ( which IMHO were the thinnest sided ones at the time an honor i feel that remington now has ) the truth is that size varies a bit even when they state size 10 or 11 and the almost foil sides of them are very soft and malleable and most are ribbed ( as in expandable or crushable ) and one brand may fit good while another doesnt
i still equate them much like .22 l.r. ammo your particular gun and load may prefer one brand or another [shrugz]

[Omnivore]

I use cappers all the time, but have never had occasion to push a naked cap out the end. Don't do it and you'll not have any trouble.

The best cap fit I've obtained on my Pietta revolvers is with Treso nipples and Remington #10 caps. Perfect. The cap fits all the way down, with good tension at the end.

The original nipples fit too tight with CCI#10s and too loose with Remington #10s. The Pietta 1851 didn't have enough hammer force to seat and fire the CCI !0s, and the Remington 10s would occasionally fall off - very bad. The Pietta Remington New Model Army revolver had enough hammer energy to almost always fire the tight fitting CCI 10s, with occasional misfires. The Treso/Remington #10 cap combo fixes everything.

If you're really cheap and have the skill, you can turn the original cones down a bit and use CCI #10s.

One thing about the Treso nipples is that they were a bit too long for my Pietta Colt. Now you could use the revolver that way all your life and probably never notice, but rumor has it that the proper fit has the hammer bottomed out on the frame just before the cylinder touches the barrel. In any case the Tresos were a tad longer than the original Pietta cones, and I so far haven't bothered to try shortening them. They work well as they are.

Some say they won't use Remington caps because they're not available locally. So what? Order a thousand from Caleba's, or where ever, and you're good to go for a while. Order more before you run out, see.