What’s the scoop on making your own caps ?

[bcraig]

I am tired of being held hostage by the manufacturers for finding caps for my cap and ball Revolver.
Is it hard to make your own caps that are reliable with Pyrodex P powder?

I am also tired of being held hostage by the manufacturers to find black powder and would like to be able to make my own blackpowder to use with my Cap and ball Pietta new army 1858 revolver.

Is it hard to do safely ?
If it is relatively easy to do so I would like to know how to do it.

I see there are some old sticky’s but it seems like there are 10 zillion replies to them and I don’t even know where to start and in addition to that at 63 years old I might not live long enough to even make it through all of them !

Thanks

[HamGunner]

Actually, nothing difficult about making your own caps and powder. Not dangerous either as long as you use some common sense as well as taking some good advice of others in the know. You can quickly skim through the threads about making Black, and Caps as well, and gather up plenty of knowledge. Concentrate more closely on the later posts as many of the beginning posts are probably hit and miss as far as the best methods.

The sticky thread was mostly a learning thread for many and the progression of learning went along with the length of the thread. There are many types of equipment that one can use in the Black Powder production and anyone's individual method is certainly not the only method. Do skim through and learn for yourself, the best method and equipment to use in your particular case.

It would be nice if someone had all the information outlined and narrowed down so that it would be just a "paint by number" situation, but it is worth your trouble to spend a couple of days rummaging through the very lengthy thread and learn for yourself. What many others have spent years in the development, you can easily learn in just a few weeks.

[LAGS]

It really isn't that hard to make your own primers or powder.
I just happen to be teaching a friend how to make his own powder.
He wants me to teach him how to make his own primers.
He wants to know because of the same reason that you do.
He has used home made powder and primers , and is satisfied with both.
There are so many ways to make the powder and you can use the methods that fit your reloading set up.
As far as Safety.
Making both items is not that dangerous if procedures are followed.
I am sure there are many members on this forum that will advise you how to get started.
The Making Homemade BP Thread has refined my work greatly even though I have made my own stuff for years.

[Gtrubicon]

If you are capable to safely load your firearm, then you are capable of making caps, it’s simple. Like anything else you will refine how you make them and never look back.

[Brimstone]

I like to use pie plate or turkey pan aluminum rather than aluminum cans.
A good binder or glue (Ducco) greatly helps anchor the compound and boost reliability.

[ofitg]

A good way to get started with caps is to buy a cap-making die from these guys -

https://22lrreloader.com/products/11-percussion-cap-maker

They also sell a "Prime-All" kit which includes the basic ingredients -

https://22lrreloader.com/products/prime-all-repriming-compound

Here is some discussion for using the Prime-All kit -

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?453041-Prime-All-quot-Super-Duper-Secret-quot

To get started making serviceable black powder, this video seems to cover the basics -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4Pzwni45Ac

[crandall crank]

We made a cup former/punch at work. As a trial, I just bought the primer compound from 22lrreloader. It was easier to buy a small amount and try it than buy in quantity and discover it didn't work or I didn't like it.

The punch works great, so if you have a machine shop, make it yourself.