Percussion cap availability

[Bnt55]

Is anyone seeing percussion caps for blackpowder showing up in any stores lately? (2/28/22) I am in somewhat of a dilemma, my 2 Uberti 1858 New Army pistols have small nipples and I only have a few No. 11 caps left which do NOT fit. It's either I try to find no. 10 caps, buy new nipples to fit no.11 then try to find those or just break down and get the conversion cylinder and start shooting 45 LC with smokeless powder and normal primers, bear in mind that conversion cylinders are $250 a pop...ouch.

[lawdog941]

I found it easier to switch to #11 nipples and then search for the caps. Number 10's are hard to find. I have had better luck with the 11's. I like Slixshot nipples or Track of the Wolf.

[elk hunter]

As far as I know Remington was the only domestic maker of percussion caps and they disappeared when Remington went bankrupt. I'm lucky to have a good supply of RWS musket caps and Remington #11's but only a couple of tins of 10's so I keep looking. Makes my flintlock look better every day.

[Bnt55]

Ok thanks for the info, I guess the 45 LC conversion cylinders are looking more economical everyday. I sure hope they start making percussion caps available again, but with the new inline muzzleloaders the demand is getting less and less.

[trails4u]

I would dearly love to find some musket caps! I have a really nice Burnside 5th Model ready to roll (many thanks to a GREAT friend!) but....I have no musket caps. :(

[fastdadio]

Musket caps in stock at Buffalo Arms;
https://www.buffaloarms.com/musket-percussion-caps-schmusketcap.html

[FLINTNFIRE]

In stock musket caps at Grafs also https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/28966

[trails4u]

Appreciate that guys! May have to bite the boolit and order 1K...don't need that many, as the Burnside is my only current use, but.... Get 'em while ya' can, right?

[megasupermagnum]

As far as I know Remington was the only domestic maker of percussion caps and they disappeared when Remington went bankrupt. I'm lucky to have a good supply of RWS musket caps and Remington #11's but only a couple of tins of 10's so I keep looking. Makes my flintlock look better every day.

CCI still makes caps. I'm pretty sure Winchester does too.

[armoredman]

I only found CCI #11 Magnums locally, and they were $25 a tin of 100. I am making these things last...

[megasupermagnum]

Yikes. A couple years ago CCI #11 magnums were $41 per thousand from Powder Valley. They are usually a lot more in stores, but not always. Sometimes you find them in the craziest places, like the back of an old gas station for $3 a tin.

[Gray Fox]

Around here on the Hotlanta southside I can usually find a few tins of CCI #11 caps on sale at the end of the deer season at Walmart. If you have one nearby it might pay to ask if they have any in the warehouse. GF

[trapper9260]

I am making my own now for my side hammer 50cal. Since a friend of my that is a gun smith told me that the caps are getting harder to find.

[Bnt55]

I don't think the wing percussion caps will fit the 1858 New Army cylinder cut outs. At any rate, I'm also looking pretty hard at making my own caps, apparently guys are having some success with that process.

[sharps4590]

I had a Forster "Tap-O-Cap" 30+ years ago. They work. I don't give them very high marks for quality but, there is absolutely no denying they work. I thought they were kind of a PITA to make but, if you don't have any....

[Sasquatch-1]

As others have said I think I would go with the new nipples. But...have you tried squeezing the caps a bit just to get by? You may have some fall off the nipples, but it might work.

[Rick R]

I bought an 1860 clone years ago and bought a set of #11 nipples. No caps falling off, no squeezing caps, no searching for #10 caps. Since my in-line uses #11 caps it was a win/win.

[Bnt55]

I pinched the caps and it did help a bit, but 3 caps would fly off the gun everytime I shot it. I was crawling around the gravel driveway trying to find those suckers LOL. Just going to order the #11 nipples. Shooting the cap and ball revolver was alot of fun, I had the whole family outside with 9 people in line taking turns shooting, it was a hoot. If I don't find some more caps real soon, I might be excommunicated from my family

[elk hunter]

CCI still makes caps. I'm pretty sure Winchester does too.


The only CCI caps I've ever seen were musket size. I did see a complete package of 1000 #13 Winchester caps in a shop a few months ago. They had to have been made not later than the 1960's. For $80.00 I left them for someone else. I did see a few cans of Italian rifle size caps and some Navy Arms musket caps in a black powder shop a couple of weeks ago. I didn't ask what they wanted for them.