They can be downright picky!

[docone31]

Went to the range yeserday, with the smokepoles.
Both the wife and myself had to double fire to ignite the caps. That had worked on me. First, one batch of caps was old. I had no control over it. Second, I had new caps.
First time I fired the rifles, the caps hit. This time, I had to double fire the caps.
After tossing things around, cleaning it, etc., I went today to look at the rifles.
My Hawken had some hard lube in the hammer cap cut out! Not much, but just a layer. I scraped it off, put a cap on, and bam!
I never figuired that would be an issue.
There is definately a learning curve here.

[405]

Anything that can cushion the hammer blow to the cap can cause problems. I have a ML pistol that has a hammer face recess exactly the right size to capture a flared, fired cap. If I don't pick it out it will cushion the strike and cause a fail to fire with the next cap about 50% of the time.

The other things that really help with cap ignition are a plumb strike between hammer face and nipple and the correct fit of the cap on the nipple. The cap should fit snugly and all the way down to where the priming mixture is in contact with the top rim of the nipple. Also, the top rim of the nipple shouldn't be too flattened. Dry firing on a nipple will quickly do that. I think I see those at guns shows pretty often:) I too have a varied assortment of old scrounged caps. I usually try to burn them up if shooting just for fun. Some of them even though they are marked "Rifle caps" or Size 11", etc. are a bit too tight on a standard #11 nipple and don't seat all the way. Once in a while, even in my rifles that have good hard hammer fall, they won't fire until the second try. The first pushes them down to the mixture and the next hit fires them.
Good flinch training tho :mrgreen:

[docone31]

Hehehe.
I finally got to show my wife she was flinching!!! She would pull the trigger, and lean immediately forward! No bang.
I had been telling her about it, and of course the argument would commence.
No argument here. I bet her centerfire shooting will improve. She was good, now she will be more relaxed.
Yeah, sometimes, I get the hammer to push down the cap, next hit, bang! I seen that one.
The CCIs are a little tight on the nipple. Might just have to get used to that.

[405]

Yep, I'd bet 99.999% of shooters will flinch at one time or another. With my centerfire shooting I really never get a misfire and haven't in a looong time. But piddling around with MLs will expose even the most cocky among us :) It just brings us back down to earth. I flinched not long ago with a friend's brown bess flinter that didn't spark.... I acted like it didn't happen but I know it did :) And, I knew it wouldn't have hardly any recoil!
Seems most common tho when shooting guns with really brutal recoil.

About the tight CCIs on the nipple? I have always liked the CCIs and their newest ones also marked "Magnum" seem to be really fine caps. If that is your go-to cap and the one that you have the most of you might try turning down the nipple just a skosh. Chuck the threaded part of the nipple in a drill or drill press then carefully stone down the outside part while keeping its original slight taper. Test often with a cap until the cap fits right. Won't take much material off the nipple at all and will greatly help the function.

[nicholst55]

If you want to master a flinch and your follow-through, buy a flintlock! They will either cure you, or else ruin you completely.

[jack19512]

The CCIs are a little tight on the nipple. Might just have to get used to that.








I have only used the CCI's with my new Lyman GPR and they fit real loose, are the caps suppose to fit snug?

[pietro]

The next misfire issue you might run across, but only after a bit of use/firing, will be worn nipples (on the smokepole ;) ) from the corrosion of repeated firings.

I would obtain some replacments for my possibles bag.

Cap/nipple fit can be serendipity, due to all the different nipples out there.
If the caps being used are a little loose, just pinch them slightly out of round, for a tighter fit.

.

[mooman76]

I have only used the CCI's with my new Lyman GPR and they fit real loose, are the caps suppose to fit snug?

Yes they should have a tight or snug fit. You can either get a new nipple or like pietro said squeeze the cap slightly for a snug fit. I like CCI best also. They are easy to work with. Easy to squeeze if needed and come off eazy too. I don't know if they still make them this way or not but the old CVA caps were a pita years ago. They were like a solid brass cup. Very difficult to squeeze if they didn't fit right and were so strong sometimes I would have to pry it off the nipple after firing with a knive blade or other tool after firing to put another cap on.

[cajun shooter]

When a firearms instructor on the PD we used a method called ball and dummy to help shooters. We loaded the guns with real and dummy loads in the cylinders. If the trainee would push the barrel down in anticipation on a dummy round they would know they screwed up without anyone pointing it out. You will have a hard road trying to help your wife. We would always hand off our wives to another instructor and it will work then as they will listen to someone else. Your problem is the same as many others!! Ha!! Ha!! Load the MZ in a dummy way and hand it to her. Hope this helps

[Hanshi]

If you want to master a flinch and your follow-through, buy a flintlock! They will either cure you, or else ruin you completely.

Master Flinch! Wasn't that Quai Chang Caine's teacher at the Shaolin Temple?[smilie=w:

[northmn]

I had to cut back to 1 oz loads when I shot trap. Mind said pull the trigger, finger said no (trap shooters flinch). Another little trick that helps with nipples for ignition is to lightly chuck one up in a drill so as not to damage the threads and slightly cone the tip with a file. Used to do that with the weak springed CVA locks. Some poin the rifle downrange and seat the cap with the hammer to make sure it is all the way down.

Northmn