Caps and fitting the nipple

[archeryrob]

Ok, so yesterday I had my second in my life time of a cap failing to fire. It has only ever happened to me while hunting. I have a CVA Hawken and it recommends using a #11 it will also hold a #10 on the nipple. I have always shot #11's, but they fall off if the gun if turned sideways just a bit. So I pinch the end of the cap so it grips the nipple. The failed caps didn't have the priming material in them. The first time it was Remington 15 years ago and several caps in the tin on examination didn't have priming compound. This time its CCI and all the others in the tin are primed. I am not sure if it was a manufacturing error or if me pinching the cap to make it grab the nipple could cause this. I have never had a FTF with bad caps during range practice only hunting. Yes the nipple was clear and second cap back as the truck fired the gun.

Many times unshot caps from hunting are placed back in the tin. Some are lost, but most are reused. What do you do when hunting? I spent a lot of time Black powder hunting to finally get a shot just to have the hammer fall hard and scare the deer off.

Can I keep caps on without pinching them?
Should I use #10?
What are your thoughts and suggestions?

[mooman76]

You could try another brand of cap or get a new nipple or even go with the #10 cap. Whatever fits best. You want a good snug fit to keep out moisture and so it won't fall off. I also probably wouldn't put the cap back in the tin after carrying it around all day. One other thing you could do is get some of that small aquarium tubing. Cut off a small piece to fit over the cap. It will help it stay put and help keep out moisture also.

[dondiego]

If hunting, check to ensure that the priming compound is in every cap BEFORE you go out.

[OverMax]

Always have used CCI #11 Mag caps on my T/Cs. 11's were mounted on Knight's {slender looking} Red Hot nipples. Thinking back. Quite a few CCI's were given the OverMax treatment for looseness. i.e. A slight squeezing between my Eye teeth for their nipple tightening purpose.

Not too many years ago I switch all my rifles over to their using Mag Spark Nipples. No longer do I worry about biting my caps.

Now I'm hurriedly poking at stuck shotgun primers with a razor sharp pen knife while seated in my deer stand. As told its quite the spectral to observe. My only hope is I get them things pried out before my quarry gets bored of the human in a tree amusement gets up and runs away. Leaving me to ponder. "**** where did he go now?"

BTW: #10 percussion Caps were designed for Cap & Ball pistol use. i.e. smaller in stature looking nipples. Don't know for sure? but such pistol caps may not contain the same amount of primer mixture as there #11 cousin does.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

These might help solve your problem. They are Blue & Gray brand cap guards, kind of little neoprene tubes that you push down over the cap and halfway onto the nipple to keep the cap in place. Also provides a little waterproofing. You can probably get them or something similar from Dixie Gunworks.
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[fastdadio]

If you don't want to use a mag-spark, (which I like for hunting) you can convert to a musket cap.

[tomme boy]

Problem with musket caps is the CCI are made for reenactment only. They are half the power as #11's. So you are forced to find RWS which are still not as hot as the old CCI before they changed them. But they do wor good though.

[Edward]

Always have used CCI #11 Mag caps on my T/Cs. 11's were mounted on Knight's {slender looking} Red Hot nipples. Thinking back. Quite a few CCI's were given the OverMax treatment for looseness. i.e. A slight squeezing between my Eye teeth for their nipple tightening purpose.

Not too many years ago I switch all my rifles over to their using Mag Spark Nipples. No longer do I worry about biting my caps.

Now I'm hurriedly poking at stuck shotgun primers with a razor sharp pen knife while seated in my deer stand. As told its quite the spectral to observe. My only hope is I get them things pried out before my quarry gets bored of the human in a tree amusement gets up and runs away. Leaving me to ponder. "**** where did he go now?"

BTW: #10 percussion Caps were designed for Cap & Ball pistol use. i.e. smaller in stature looking nipples. Don't know for sure? but such pistol caps may not contain the same amount of primer mixture as there #11 cousin does.A little spit ends that problem ,For sure and it works every time (honest ) try it /Ed

[Moleman-]

For hunting I don't reuse the caps. I put an uncle mikes hot shot nipple on my CVA 50 hawkens and only use Dynamit Noble/RWS #1075 caps. They sound like a 22lr going off vs Rem, CCI, CVA and others I've tried that sound like a capgun. I use a brass straight line capper to put them on and they're hard to get off without using a tool of some sort as they'll rip your finger nails off if you try. A knife back works or my favorite is a wedge tool. The slot is the correct size to slide on the nipple below the cap and just pull it off. They split when fired so they fall off, and I carry my ball starter, capping tool and wedge tool on a lanyard so it's always with me.

[idahoron]

I had to alter my Ampco nipples to make them work here is a video of what I did.

https://youtu.be/V0_Sbzy7A4E

[waksupi]

When I still shot percussion rifles, I had three separate nipples. I turned each down, to properly fit a particular brand of cap. I have seen hundreds of misfires on ranges over the years, by people who will not take a few minutes to do this simple process. I've considered setting up at shoots and charging ten bucks to correct the problem. Some apparently prefer to spend money, rather than taking ten minutes to fix the problem correctly.

[Eddie2002]

Most of the miss fires I have had were from caps that weren't seated on the nipple properly or ones that had the priming compound missing. I also have two tins of caps that are so old they won't fire or just go poof. Seems unlike primers caps have a shelf life.

[rodwha]

My ROA nipples didn't fit the old Rem #11's my father gave me with the gun. They needed pinched. Rem #10's fit extremely well and are hard to pry off. Unless you are intending on buying a new nipple I'd try #10's or even standard (non magnum) CCI #11's if you can find them.

[mooman76]

The 1075s are somewhere between 10 & 11. Some say they are hotter too.

[tomme boy]

I have a sleeve of Navy Arms caps. They seem smaller than #10's.

[Moleman-]

I have a sleeve of Navy Arms caps. They seem smaller than #10's.

Silver tin with a red sticker on it? Bet it says in the fine print Dynamit Noblel 1075. When I started running low on those and the LGS couldn't get them anymore is when I saw who actually made them. They're hotter than the CCI #11 magnum ones in the pic. I do like the Remingtons for revolvers though.

[archeryrob]

My CVA hawken manual said #11 caps and that is what I have used. Obviously I can't turn my nipple down if they caps are already too large. :razz: Now, being I shoot cap and ball revolvers too, I had #10 caps in the gun area. They fit my nipple tightly and only fall off when banging on the gun with it upside down. So I am assuming I should be using #10 caps not #11.

I guess my real question is are #10 the same strength in primers? The two I tested on my Hawken fired both times.

[archeryrob]

I had to alter my Ampco nipples to make them work here is a video of what I did.

https://youtu.be/V0_Sbzy7A4E

Thanks Ron, I like that Idea, but I don't know what threads the CVA has for its nipples yet. I'll have to look that up and I like that idea.

Looks like its this one. 12-50-05 but I sure on the 6 x 1mm and if there is a nut I can buy to do this also. Would that be an M6?

[rodwha]

Strength of the cap firing is something I don't know about. I'd venture to guess the magnum caps are the hottest. But the Remington caps state they are 40% hotter. Regardless Rem #10's have never failed to fire Triple 7 or Pyrodex which need a hotter ignition from either of my pistols or my Lyman rifle. But then I mostly shoot Olde Eynsford these days as it's just as energetic as T7 but costs quite a bit less and BP doesn't need as high of an ignition temp as subs.

[bigted]

I know common thought is to squeeze a cap to ensure a nice tight fit ... however ... even tho this works well ( i do it a lot) ... turn the little devil over to ensure that it has the fulminate disc remaining inside the cap and not lose as it very easily falls out when turned back over to install on the nipple.

Best way tho is to get anipple/cap combo that is too tight, then litely chuck the threads in a drill motor and turn on your hand held lathe ... now take a fingernail emery board and sand the cone just till your cap seats completely and still remains nice n tight. Now no squeezing necessary AND no fulminate disc loss .

[tomme boy]

Silver tin with a red sticker on it? Bet it says in the fine print Dynamit Noblel 1075. When I started running low on those and the LGS couldn't get them anymore is when I saw who actually made them. They're hotter than the CCI #11 magnum ones in the pic. I do like the Remingtons for revolvers though.

Yep, I even have the box that holds all of them. Picked it up a couple years ago at a oldtimers gun shop. He had 3 of them. But not bad for $2.50 for the sleeve.

[AllanD]

In 30-ish years of shooting my four percussion pistols I've had about a dozen failures to fire, ALL OF THEM with some "ancient"
Caps I was given with some Range scrap ingots I bought from a guy I worked with.
These "Ancient" caps were made by Dixie Gun Works and packed in little plastic containers and I only use
those caps at the range, I'm just trying to burn them up and Since I started with 35,000 of them it is taking a while

I make it a point to buy a Fresh tin of new production#11 caps from either CCI or Remington every time I'm somewhere that sells them.

I also make it a point to discard any cap I remove from a tin for any reason. Generally I just toss them into my coal stove....

[Newtire]

Most of the miss fires I have had were from caps that weren't seated on the nipple properly or ones that had the priming compound missing. I also have two tins of caps that are so old they won't fire or just go poof. Seems unlike primers caps have a shelf life.
I think I have had misfires more due to the cap not being seated all the way down than anything. I have an earlier Navy Arms(Pedersoli built) "Poor Boy" .36 mule ear that used a #12 cap. Had to turn the nipple down to fit #11's when I couldn't find #12's anymore. No more misfires after that.