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Thread: Guide to making percussion caps

  1. #21
    Boolit Master

    FLINTNFIRE's Avatar
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    You are not that far away just over a hour , I have some 100 count tins of percussion caps number 11 , store here in town has the CCI number 11 and number 11 magnums for about $6 a hundred , no roll caps , am going to get a few musket nipples for rifles as I have musket caps .

    Are you shooting rifle or pistol ?

  2. #22
    Boolit Master
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    I have been using the primer cup from 209 shotgun primers. I made a punch to flatten the firing pin dent and taper slightly to make a snug fit on a nipple. They are fairly thick so they don't blow apart on a percussion revolver risking a chain fire.

    I tried the plastic toy caps that are in a circle by just forcing them on the nipples but that resulted in a chain fire. Sometimes I don't think far enough ahead. I was surprised that I didn't get a lot of lead splattered around from the cyls that weren't aligned with the barrel.

  3. #23
    Boolit Mold
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    Flint - yeah, about an hour is right. When I head north into Washington I generally go up the Oregon side through Longview. Shoot? Hah! Haven't shot anything yet! Still collecting the parts and pieces. Of course I've put way more attention on getting guns than I should have, so now I have several different guns to feed: two Italian 44 revolvers, an ROA, a .50 TC Hawken and a .58 Enfield. I think that about covers the gamut of cap sizes.

    rbuck - the chain fire didn't damage the gun? Seems like it would be super dangerous.

    I've done crazy stuff like that before - get an idea and go for it. I'd like to think I've gotten a little smarter in my old age...

  4. #24
    Boolit Master

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    I played around with chain fires when I was a teen seeing what and how , no damage to gun , I to have 58 muskets and 44 and 36 pistols , 50 cal rifle and 45 flinters , almost picked up a ROA but it was stainless so I passed .

  5. #25
    Boolit Master
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    No, there was no damage to the gun. That and the fact here was no damage to me really surprised me. I was aware of the possibility of a chain fire from the front of the cyl but the thought of it happening from the back never crossed my mind. I'm thinking maybe more are caused from the back than one might think. Loose or damaged caps or wrong size perhaps. I'm not going to play with this idea as it sounds like a good way to ruin a gun and some body parts.

    I probably should leave some of my experiments to others but I get an idea and just can't leave it sit.

  6. #26
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by rbuck351 View Post
    No, there was no damage to the gun. That and the fact here was no damage to me really surprised me. I was aware of the possibility of a chain fire from the front of the cyl but the thought of it happening from the back never crossed my mind. I'm thinking maybe more are caused from the back than one might think. Loose or damaged caps or wrong size perhaps. I'm not going to play with this idea as it sounds like a good way to ruin a gun and some body parts.

    I probably should leave some of my experiments to others but I get an idea and just can't leave it sit.
    Most chain fires are from rear flash over , poor fitting caps, poor fitting caps with spilt powder from loading. Would have to have way undersized round ball to be front end flash over, that said I have only seen one chain fire (on video) in many years, I have shot close to 50k percussion revolver shots and so far not had it happen (now I've said that).

  7. #27
    Boolit Buddy ofitg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rbuck351 View Post
    I probably should leave some of my experiments to others but I get an idea and just can't leave it sit.
    Back in 2003, a group called "Brimstone Pistoleros" posted an experiment which is worth passing along. Their website is long gone, but the archived report is still available (unfortunately, no photos, the images were not archived) -

    https://web.archive.org/web/20181123...s/capping.html

    Using a percussion .44 revolver loaded with a round ball and 28 grains of powder, they forced one chamber to fire out-of-battery. The velocity of the ball was measured at 146 fps, which works out to 7 ft-lbs of energy.
    "Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto."

    - Thomas Jefferson


  8. #28
    Boolit Master Ohio Rusty's Avatar
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    There is an advertiser in the back of Back Woodsman that has percussion cap makers for sale.
    Ohio Rusty ><>
    "This is America !!, where many have fought and died for our right
    to celebrate our views with inflatable creatures in our yards ......."

  9. #29
    Boolit Buddy
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    Great set of plans for percussion caps. I've had a buddy build a whole set of gas check dies using Idz's other plans. My question is: why use two layers of soda cans in making the percussion caps? I can source 0.005" thick, dead soft aluminum for less than $10...or could a person use the same aluminum flashing used in the gas checks (Amerimax 0.0078")? Just wondering before we build it and have to "re-build" it since we are using a different thickness material.

  10. #30
    Boolit Buddy TheOutlawKid's Avatar
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    The roof flashing is way to stiff...doesnt make good caps on the cap maker. The 36 gauge/.005 aluminum works good but is a little too weak as the caps back end gets destroyed (practically desintegrated) losing all pressure that could have been pushed into the nipple cone. Doubling up helps. The best that i have ever used is the .005 copper sheets that come in a roll at Hobby Lobby. Makes the best cap hulls i have ever used. They also have brass in .005 and it works great too only its a bit stiffer than the copper.

  11. #31
    Boolit Master
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    A lot of your effort and time went into this whole post, apart from making the tools. Thank you!

  12. #32
    Boolit Buddy
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    Just recently had a percussion cap maker fabricated. Great set of plans and much appreciated. I have used your plans for not only the percussion cap, but also for a set of gas check makers.

    You kept alot of us from having to re-invent the wheel. Thanks

  13. #33
    Boolit Mold
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    Your guide is flawless!!
    I viewed a thread about using the compound sold as "Prime All" and was amazed at how many people forwarded a guess as to what the chemicals were. They were all wrong. This mixture is well known to pyrotechnicians as a shock sensitive mix used in the past to manufacture thrown torpedoes such as "Silver globe salutes". They were as load as a real M-80 and have been banned for very many years. The chemicals in the set are: Potassium Chlorate, Antimony Trisulphide, Sulfur and gelatin. The oxidizer being the chlorate and the fuels are the antimony and the sulfur with the binder being gelatin powder. One gentleman suggested mixing by weight rather than volume and he quotes a Frankford Arsenal formula for FH42, a primer mix. he was spot on by using weight. The formula is:
    Potassium Chlorate 47.2
    Antimony Trisulphide 30.83
    Sulfur 21.97
    Gelatine +7.0
    The numbers are in % by weight plus added binder. If you wish to make this mix the buy Potassium Chlorate, Sulfur and Antimony Trisulphide from a pyro chemical supplier. You want acid free rubber maker sulfur and the antimony must be pyro grade( not Chinese needles or Stibnite which are both too corse). The grade of Chlorate doesn't matter but it should be powdered vs. granulated. For the binder used Knox unflavored gelatin powder from the supermarket. The solvent to use is Isopropyl alcohol 70% as the 30% water works very well to dissolve the binder. You can also use 91% Isopropyl.
    One caveat is PLEASE dear God keep the quantities small. This is a VERY powerful explosive and handled carelessly could result in fatal results if the amount is large enough. One major safety rule I have learned over the years is to assume an accident will happen and therefore plan all activity to minimize the problems that will occur when it happens because you can not prevent all accidents with 100% assurance but you can mitigate the damage done.
    BTW this mixture used with your awesome manual is producing 100% reliable caps. The bit about the hairspray is bloody brilliant.
    Thank you for sharing your knowledge and craftsmanship.

  14. #34
    Boolit Buddy
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    I have used the Prime-All and Fa-42 formula.They both work and are powerful. So the so called binder in the Prime-All is geltain. I had thought it was Dextrin. In any case It is not doing the job. Most who follow the directions end up with a crumbled charge that falls out of the cup.It did for me and many others. Some have given up because of this. There are several binders that do work. Acetone and Duco Cement is popular. I like to use Shellac flakes and denatured alcohol. I have also use Elmers white glue much thinned in water. All have worked and stick the charge into the cups. I work in small amounts .About what it takes to make 25 caps. I also mix using water. That's as safe as I know to make it.
    n.h.schmidt

  15. #35
    Boolit Buddy
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    I guess I am confused. Besides the binder, it is essentially H42 if I am not mistaken, and H48 without the glass and binder, if one chooses to use glass in it. Most of us have been saying that is what was in the kit since this got brought up many moons ago. Are you saying it is something besides that, and if so, what might it be? I stand behind the statement that it is H42, regardless of the binder.

  16. #36
    Boolit Master trapper9260's Avatar
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    I make my own caps and there was a a tool if I remember it was call cap o matic it is like the one of the OP . I load for my side hammers 50 cals and 58 cal rifles . I use 2 caps in one and then I load 2 of the roll caps. You can get them at Cabelas since Walmart stop selling them . As long in the back said made in Germany , There is some made from China do not get them they are not made as good and will get alot of bad ones out of a roll. I put 2 punch out caps or cut them out in the cap then I put 325 mesh magnesium in and then 2 more of the caps. Then I take the nipple off the rifle and put the powder I use in it in the hole of the nipple is and put the nipple back in and then I put the cap I made and fire. What I found is if you have the cap right up to the powder you will have it go off with out any problem . If it is not then you need a extra I call booster. that is why I put some powder under the nipple on the side hammer rifle. I got the magnesium from a pyro supply There was one at a gun show I had went to. I do use soda cans to make the caps like was stated . It works for me .I also do primers for pistol and rifle and shotgun . some are load different then other the one thing they all have in common is the roll caps that is used .
    Life Member of NRA,NTA,DAV ,ITA. Also member of FTA,CBA

  17. #37
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    For darn certain, if making ANY Chlorate / Sulphur primer mixture, do these things:

    Make tiny batches, as Greenman said. A tablespoon is getting towards being plenty large enough to hurt you badly, so consider smaller than that.

    Wet the Chlorate, and separately wet the Antimony Trisulphide / Sulphur part (It'd be OK to mix those before wetting those two.)

    DO NOT mix dry Chlorates with dry Sulphur or Antimony Trisulphide , you want them all wet so they don't explode in your face. I'd make sure all of it's a thick syrup, no dryer. Better a little more drying time than losing fingers, hands, eyes, hearing...

    And yep be paranoid, assume that this stuff IS trying to explode on you, so don't give it a reason or excuse.

    Before I turned 18 I made a bit of this sort of "fun toy", decided to stop though, learned what I needed to learn.

    (Guy I know was disposing of a somewhat moist cup by volume of a similar compound by picking some up with a wire loop and putting it in an alcohol lamp's flame; Foom! each time. Indoors, at night. He got 90% of it burned up, but then didn't let the wire cool enough ONCE, and BOOM, blew up the glass jar he was holding in his left hand. He just got a few cuts, scared thoroughly, and his pride hurt badly, he was LUCKY. Be smarter than him... Please.)
    Last edited by Mr_Sheesh; 04-25-2021 at 07:21 AM. Reason: dang typos LOL

  18. #38
    Boolit Buddy ofitg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Greenman View Post
    ...... and the antimony must be pyro grade( not Chinese needles or Stibnite which are both too corse).
    Here's an excerpt from Chamot's 1922 book, The Microscopy of Small Arms Primers -

    "Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto."

    - Thomas Jefferson


  19. #39
    Boolit Bub
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    Great post especially in these times. There have been lots of questions as to how to make your own caps and this has lots of great information. Thank to those who shared

  20. #40
    Boolit Buddy
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    I do not wet the mix when mixing. I wet it after putting it in the 22 LR brass, primer, percussion cap, etc. I use the diaper method for mixing it and do not feel unsafe in the least. As stated, I do not mix large amounts. Generally, I mix enough to reload 100 22 LR shells, percussion caps, or LR primers. I made a couple of scoops out of LR and SP primers, and that works out great for me.

    There is a wealth of knowledge in the special projects forum where we hashed this over in depth with some of the best, in my opinion. Look for the sticky on the subject under that forum and read enough to get what I feel is enough info to safely do this and do it without fear. There are also plenty of videos that can be found easily that mirror the forum showing exactly how to do this. If one cannot overcome that fear, then they really should not do it. Just my 2 cents worth, for what that's worth!
    Last edited by Duckdog; 04-25-2021 at 09:02 PM.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check