Another "Whatizzit?" For Them As Likes Such

[Bent Ramrod]

I picked this up at a gun show somewhere with the vague idea that it could be something useful sometime. It says "Forster Products Lamark, Ill" on a machined band at the top. I thought it might be some kind of wad cutter from the saw cut below the band, but the tiny hole in the bottom of the die and the small post inside the die cavity seen at the top view kind of precludes that idea. Does anybody have an idea on what this thing could be? The tiny hole in the bottom does not go through the die, and I haven't been able to make the post or punch seen in the top view move.

[selmerfan]

Swage hollow-pointer? Send the pics to Forster - they're good people and should be able to ID it for you.

[Bent Ramrod]

The lady at Forster said it sounded like their press-mounted version of their Tap-O-Cap percussion cap making die which they called the Auto-Cap, missing the punch. She said there were no parts or instructions to be had for the device.

I've found no info on anything besides the basic Tap-O-Cap on my Internet searches so far. What I found are just reviews of how it works, no parts breakdown or pictures of the thing apart. The sale of the thing was discontinued several years ago, although jobbers like Midway might have the odd one still around in their warehouse.

Apparently, the failure of the Auto-Cap and the Tap-O-Cap were caused by the wimping-down of the toy roll caps sold today, so that "The Children" won't be frightened of loud noises, or some such. It was generally agreed that the dies made nice percussion cap shells, but the caps rarely ignited black powder, and then only when multiple cap centers were stuffed into the shell.

Still, a working example of the Auto-Cap would be nice to have around if the current panic buying extends to percussion caps.

If anybody has an instruction sheet for the Auto-Cap or a parts list, I would be glad to reimburse them for copying and mailing expenses.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Had 1 for awhile and actually hated the job of punching out the paper caps and pressing them into the caps, had so many go off just putting them into the cap I never wanted to press a cap onto a nipple on a loaded rifle. Finally gave it to a fellow in Pa.Robert

[429421Cowboy]

That is a neat piece of equipment i never knew existed before! Actually would be pretty handy based on the fact that even in a good time no 11 caps are hard to come by around here in this dirt-floor town. Do you know what material was used to make the actual cup that the toy caps were pressed into?

[Bent Ramrod]

I understand that the dies were to be used with snipped up aluminum cans.

The caps so produced would be plenty corrosive and erosive, but probably no worse than the old-time corrosive priming compounds.

[429421Cowboy]

Very interesting, thank you for the info!

[noylj]

The caps were as corrosive as black powder, which is what was being fired with the caps. They aren't mercury or anything like that, just plain old percussion black powder caps for cap-guns, back when kids could have fun