Nipples that take small pistol/rifle primers

[jimwill48]

Since it seems next to impossible to buy percussion caps or the ones I'm finding are close to $10 a hundred, got me thinking. There used to be a line of replacement nipples that used small pistol/rifle primers. Now that it seems the primers are getting to be easily availabile again seems like a good thought. Anyone tried played with these nipples and are they still available. This is for tradition muzzle-loaders such as my T/C's...

[C. Latch]

This comes up often enough that it ought to be a sticky. Call it 'alternative methods of igniting BP'.


http://www.warrencustomoutdoor.com/mag-spark.html
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=5875

I'm kicking myself for not putting back a couple thousand caps when they were available. I bought an extra 100 a couple years ago, opened the tin, used 4-5 caps, and drove off with the tin on the hood of the truck. :o

I have less than 200 left and haven't seen them in stock anywhere in months now.

[PatMarlin]

I've got one of those nipples. I never tried it.

I've been out of the loop on BP since moving and everything, but why in the world are caps now hard to get?

[C. Latch]

I've got one of those nipples. I never tried it.

I've been out of the loop on BP since moving and everything, but why in the world are caps now hard to get?


My guess: during the panic there was enough demand to empty the supply, but not so much demand as to make replenishing the shelves a priority just yet.

Give it a year, they'll be back.

[dondiego]

Not sure exactly why they are hard to get but it has been postulated that the companies are concentrating on getting their primers back on the market so they aren't running any percussion caps. Just a guess though.

[Junior1942]

About a month ago I found several pacs of Winchester #11 caps on the closeout rack at the local WalMart :-)

[bubba.50]

no experience with'em but a couple observations : looks like they'd be a real pain in the bee-hind for a long range session screwin' & unscrewin' that little cap but I guess it would be better than not gettin' any use from yer gun. a possible plus would be that you'd have a sealed ignition & wouldn't hafta worry about hammer blow-back.

last time I looked around on evil-bay there was some listed to fit t/c guns. luck & have a good'en, bubba.

[fouronesix]

no experience with'em but a couple observations : looks like they'd be a real pain in the bee-hind for a long range session screwin' & unscrewin' that little cap but I guess it would be better than not gettin' any use from yer gun. a possible plus would be that you'd have a sealed ignition & wouldn't hafta worry about hammer blow-back.

last time I looked around on evil-bay there was some listed to fit t/c guns. luck & have a good'en, bubba.

That observation about the design is right on the money. I got a couple of them a long time ago, tried them and they worked fine for ignition but were a pain. They're currently sitting in one of my "parts" boxes. I could always press them into service in a pinch.

[johnson1942]

you can buy a mag spark nipple that uses a shotgun primmer, and pedersoli makes a shot gun primer nipple that fits thompson center 1/4-28 thread. also i put this same post up a couple of months ago and a very nice member of cast boolits sold me a new pistol primer nipple he had. these arent made any more but they are still out their in drawers. keep this post going and a member may have one you can buy also. the pistol primer nipple is my favorite over mag spark or the pedersoli ones but all three are really good. never a misfire. keep looking you may come up with one.

[357maximum]

I had one that came on a TC hawken...bubba.50 is dead on in his postulation...it was a royal p.i.a , I tossed mine as far as I could into the ditch beside my range to save some other feller anguish.

Over tha last decade or so everytime I have seen the win #11 caps on the bargain shelf after smoker season was over I have bought all of them they had. They are great caps and I got most of them for about 2-4 bucks a hundred.....I doubt I live long enough to use what I have on hand...guess we shall see who/what outlasts eh. :mrgreen:

[bubba.50]

my apologies. I just looked on evil-bay & it was a magspark 209 adapter that I saw.

[Eddie2002]

I made a nipple for a .50 cal Hawkens that takes berdan primers just because I couldn't find any #11 caps. Finally found the right sized caps for $8.00/ tin (ouch) so I'm not using up my limited supply of berdans anymore but still can't figure out how to make a nipple for a primer that uses an anvil. The 209 conversions look way too complicated to put on a primitive ML like I'm using.
The berdan primers worked great but were a PIA to pry off the nipple after shooting and were a lot hotter than any regular #11 cap I've used.

[winelover]

Been using one, called Accra-shot, for years. The Mag-Spark is a dead ringer. They are not that big of a PIA. Advantages, far out-weigh the disadvantages. IMO. In hunting situations, you only get one shot, anyways. Make it count. You get more reliable ignition (especially with the substitutes) and you will definitely not loose your source of ignition. Safer, the cap contains the primer---anyone that shoots muzzle-loaders-----has experienced percussion caps turning into potential shrapnel, upon firing. As a re-loader, there are always small pistol primers, laying around.

Winelover

[johnson1942]

thanks for the info guys, i never thought of backing off a couple of turns and snaping it loose. i aquired a minature pliers years ago and that works pretty good but i think your way is better. the advantages do out weigh the disadvantages and i also found with black powder the breeches are alot cleaner as with other powders. the hot 209 primers in some way keep a cleaner barrel. the 209 primer is so hot that the man who invented the magspark made a barrel for .17 cal pellet gun pellets out of a single barrel shot gun. i believe it was a liner barrel. he used 209 primers for the power source. said they shot real well and were fairly powerfull. their is enough kid in me yet that i would like to have a gun like that, sounds fun.

[Freightman]

Put the Mag- Spark on my CVA rifles and don't have to clean the stock in that area as much I like them but it is what you want to do.

[fastdadio]

Been using one, called Accra-shot, for years. The Mag-Spark is a dead ringer. They are not that big of a PIA. Advantages, far out-weigh the disadvantages. IMO. In hunting situations, you only get one shot, anyways. Make it count. You get more reliable ignition (especially with the substitutes) and you will definitely not loose your source of ignition. Safer, the cap contains the primer---anyone that shoots muzzle-loaders-----has experienced percussion caps turning into potential shrapnel, upon firing. As a re-loader, there are always small pistol primers, laying around.

Winelover

^^yup, what Winelover said. I have the accurashot nipple. I love mine. Uses small rifle primers. They are a PIA for target and range when shooting volume. The cup gets fouled and the spent primers stick and have to be dug out, not good. I use mine exclusively for hunting. Water proof. Cap is contained. When the cup is clean, simply remove the top and turn the rifle over and the primer falls into your hand. No biggie.

[koehlerrk]

I got one of those mag-sparks last summer. It works, but I never grew fond of it. LGS got re-supplied with CCI caps and I bought 500 of them. Took it off and cleaned it up good and put it away. It works, just in case...

[rking22]

I picked thru my stuff after seeing this thread. I have 3 of the Accu-Shots that I picked up over he years for just that reason (just in case)I hunted with one on a Senaca and it did well, so I guess there's another one somewhere still. Plan to build an underhammer and use one there, but will always be able to make some smoke with flint even if I can't find primers or caps when I shoot thru my stash. By the way , I used small pistols in the Senaca, so they work also.

[johnson1942]

some one suggested to all of us a while back on how not to get a shotgun primer or pistol primer stuck in the magspark or accushot nipples and i tried it and it really works. when you screw on the cap all the way just back off i/2 turn and that way the primer doesnt get stuck in the bottom of the hole it is in. also i really like my magspark nipple as i can shoot blackhorn 209 powder in my traditional .45 roundball gun and my side lock cast bullet gun. i can shoot for quite a spell with out cleaning between shots and accracy stays perfect. it is all possible from the magspark nipple. the other reason i like blackhorn 209 powder is it is 15 miles away and the black powder is 135 miles away.

[Texantothecore]

There is a thread up above about making your own caps and you might want to take a look at it. It is about tap-a-cap.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I think Jon still has caps , I have sent a few people his way , he seems to have the stock but is not a site most people know about http://www.addictedtoblackpowder.com/2.html

[jjarrell]

Recently I bought 3 new unopened Accra-Shot primer adapters with 1/4x28 threads for my muzzleloaders. I also picked up 1000 Remington 7 1/2 small rifle primers and headed to the range. I have to say, I like the nipple very much. The rifle seems to have more of a "crack" with the hot bench rest rifle primers as opposed to the RWS 1075+ #11 caps. Accuracy was as good or maybe a little better. I wasn't having ignition problems with any of my rifles, I simply wanted to try primers and I stumbled upon the Accra-Shots for a great price. It also seems like the powder burns more completely, as there was less fouling left in the bore. I was expecting to have problems getting the spent primers out of it but didn't. I tipped the rifle on its side and they fell out with a couple of taps. I was most certainly pleasantly surprised.

[jjarrell]

185870Federal 205m small rifle
185871Federal 210m large rifle
185872Remington 7 1/2 small rifle bench rest
185873Remington 9 1/2 large rifle

[jjarrell]

185874CCI BR4 small rifle
185875CCI BR2 large rifle

[PatMarlin]

Wow… interesting.

I now see why I like CCI. Looks like a nice controlled ignition.

Wonder how Winchesters would measure up?

[aspangler]

I have one of the Dixie gun works adapters on my TC Renagade and have no trouble with it. It uses a spring to hold the primer in place so no unscrewing the top. It works without a missfire with a standard ML hammer. YMMV

[jjarrell]

PatMarlin, I'm not sure about Winchester primers. I haven't seen that they make small rifle primers. That doesn't mean they don't though. I have heard that Win large rifle primers are pretty hot because they are designed to ignite ball powders.

Aspangler, I haven't seen the one from DGW. It doesn't have a cap to encase the primer? Interesting. Do you have a picture Of it? I got all3 of them for $24 so I couldn't pass them up.

[Duckdog]

There's no caps to be had by me, either, so I just make my own. I use a tap o cap and some prime all powder that I mix up and I have very hot caps. The prime all is actually the old H48 primer mix from the WW1 days. It is very effective, but corrosive.

I see that 22reloader.com is selling clone of the tap o cap for anyone interested.

[PatMarlin]

How bad is the corrosion? Wondering. Never used corrosive propellent of any kind.

Anyone reloading 22LR? Have to do a search and check that out.

[jjarrell]

I also saw where you can use the crushed heads of strike anywhere matches and is use them to remake pistol primers. I'm sure it would probably work for #11 caps.

[Duckdog]

I load a lot of 22 LR and caps as well. What happens, is the potassium chlorate in this mix turns into a salt of sorts, and causes corrosion. It is not different that the older surplus ammo with corrosive primers. The trick is, to just use good ole water to rinse it off before regular cleaning. It removes this salt where powder solvents will not. Then it is pretty much cleaning as normal.

I must admit, it is fun to mess with. I have a mold from old west bullet molds that casts the heeled 40 grain 22 LR bullet. I made a sizing die, case mouth expander, and I bought a crimping die. Seating is just done by hand. I use either `1.5 gr of Unique or 700 X. For priming, I made a dipper with a small pistol primer soldered on one end of a stiff piece of wire, and a large rifle on the other. I give a dip of priming powder in the small pistol end.

As far as the percussion caps go, it is just a matter of punching them outa d priming them with a dip of priming powder in the small pistol end. A drop of acetone and a small disc of paper seated on top of that, and wall, a very good cap.

In any case, after dumping the priming powder in either a 22 LR or the cap, it must be wetted with something. I use acetone because it evaporates so fast.

Pat, can I hear those gears or yours turning way over in Wisconsin? Lots of room for potential as far as products go!

[PatMarlin]

Yep… gears in my head always turnin' (can never shut it off… lol) but I've shied away from combustable components. Just be my luck some dumb as blows hisself up with a primer cup or something made from my dies.

I designed a damn nice set of cap making dies. So far they have remained in my domain on the bench… :mrgreen:

[PatMarlin]

Dropped some nice bullets from a TC 54cal I picked up at a gunshow for $10.. !

Drops like butter. I think it was unused.

186428

186429

186433

[Fly]

I have a mag spark & really like it. Shotgun primers so much cheaper also. BUT most of my uses for #10 & #11 caps are for my revolvers.
I use a lot more caps shooting those.

Fly

[mooman76]

How bad is the corrosion? Wondering. Never used corrosive propellent of any kind.

Anyone reloading 22LR? Have to do a search and check that out.

I'm not sure why people have a problem with corrosive propellants in primers for BP. The powder used is corrosive in it's self so the point seems moot. Someone here posted about soaking the toy paper caps in water for one minute. Then scraping the powder from like 5 caps increments and letting it dry. Then using that as the propellant to make caps and having good results.

[54bore]

Dropped some nice bullets from a TC 54cal I picked up at a gunshow for $10.. !

Drops like butter. I think it was unused.

186428

186429

186433

What the heck is this Pat?

[PatMarlin]

That's my secret weapon for the 1859 sharps I'm working on… :mrgreen:

It allows me to use and set my OAL on any 54 cal cast bullet (not just a Christmas Tree), in a cartridge case so I can take preloaded cartridges to the range and work on load development. Resurrecting Berdan's Sharp Shooter sniper rifle with some new high tech help… lol

[Randolf]

Has anyone out there seen a black powder nipple that takes a larger rifle primer? I had one but lost it then I was hunting.

[mooman76]

Are you talking #11 rifle primer or musket cap nipple?

[Good Cheer]

There was an adaptation to the Mag-Spark devices that enabled the use of regular metallic cartridge primers (in lieu of 209's).
The ones I have are 1/4-24 thread for use with TC rifles and M6x.75 thread for use with the Lyman GPR / GPH and some other foreign guns, and both type use 209 primers.

Something to note about the metric thread Mag-Sparks, I got one to use in a fast twist forty caliber Great Plains Rifle.
And it didn't fit my rifle.
Then I found out that there are actually different nipple lengths for GPR's depending upon when your rifle was manufactured.
:roll:

That GPR had been bought second hand, long after the initial purchase, and then rebarreled to .40 bore.
So, there you go.