Percussion caps

[Baja_Traveler]

I have the percussion cap maker on order, but will not be using it for awhile. Just checked my go-to black powder dealer for stock and this is what he has on hand (and not at jacked up prices):

74,000 RWS 1075+
500 Remington #11
100 CCI #11

That is the quantity available after my order of 1000 ($103 shipped to my door) - www.addictedtoblackpowder.com in Mineral IL

[LAGS]

I would hope that once you do get your primer cap maker , you make a couple of runs of primers.
Refine your skills while you have a abundance of primers.
That gives you confidence in what you are making , and you have plenty of factory primers to do a comparison to your home made primers.

[indian joe]

shellac works but I found that a fast smokeless powder dissolved in acetone overnight (it forms a thick paste) and then diluted in more acetone to liquid consistency works better. Or if you have it on hand, Duco cement which is nitrocellulose based diluted 50/50 in acetone also works well. If you try the smokeless route, it takes a very small amount to make a lot.

so is this the actual primer compound or just a cement to hold it in the cup ?????
thanks

[Brokenbear]

so is this the actual primer compound or just a cement to hold it in the cup ?????
thanks

The "compound" as supplied by one of the cap forming tool makers is not real sticky and for a more "factory like" field handling/survivability of the compound remaining in the aluminum caps an adhesive/sealant is added ..
I build caps but use toy cap gun caps rather than the priming compound ..but I still seal the 3 "caps dots" once installed into the cap cup with the 50/50 DUCO cement and acetone ..which holds firmly in place the 3 explosive dots as well as acts somewhat like a moisture barrier to keep the cap powder dry ...
I have a 3rd gen Colt 1849 that IF I were ever down to a CCW BP only situation I would cap with my home brewed caps simply because I have never had a misfire and even bigger reason ..using double pop can thickness (2 layers and not one) ..I have never had a cap jam (which open top Colts are famous for) because the double wall cap does not disintegrate or split there by falling down into the action and locking it up ..with double wall caps you will have to remove each cap to re-cap your shooter
But no you must have a concussion based compound to create the "flame" before the refereed to sealants are applied

Good shooting to all
Bear

[almar]

so is this the actual primer compound or just a cement to hold it in the cup ?????
thanks

What broken bear said..it's just to seal it in place.

[M-Tecs]

Why should it go hand in hand with primers? The whole reason (IMO) for primer shortage is paranoid hoarding. Why would someone hoard primers except perhaps for resale? The problem with all such things is they deteriorate with time.

Green primers are claimed to have a shorter shelf life so no comment on them but I recently was given LP primers for the 50's. Out of a couple of thousand none failed to fire. When shooting DCM match most of the issue ammo was at least 40 years old. Same for my 1972 LC match 30/06. Many thousands of round fired with zero issues.

The shortage is due to the factories using most of the available primers. Very little is get to the reloaders market.

I keep no less than a 5 year supply on hand. I normally shoot 10k to 12K per year.

[n.h.schmidt]

I have tried almar's binder idea. I use a pinch of 700x in about a tablespoon of acetone. I let it sit covered for a hour and stir it up and thin it if needed. It gets to be thick. I use a matchstick as a dipper to put a drop in the cups. I must say it does work. Its also a way to use up the last little bit of any can of powder. Before I do this I compress the powder with firm hand pressure with a close fitting rod of some kind. I have even really compressed the powders on a drill press . Estimated pressure of 40 lbs.
No problems but hand pressure is good enough.

[almar]

I have tried almar's binder idea. I use a pinch of 700x in about a tablespoon of acetone. I let it sit covered for a hour and stir it up and thin it if needed. It gets to be thick. I use a matchstick as a dipper to put a drop in the cups. I must say it does work. Its also a way to use up the last little bit of any can of powder. Before I do this I compress the powder with firm hand pressure with a close fitting rod of some kind. I have even really compressed the powders on a drill press . Estimated pressure of 40 lbs.
No problems but hand pressure is good enough.

I also use the thicker stuff to glue up paper cartridges.

[danmat]

Was in local Bass Pro last week they had #10 and 11s 13.95 hundred, I sucked it up and bought a tin of 10s as I was out. Remingtons

[dondiego]

And here I thought that paying $7.99 a tin at Cabela's a couple of years ago was highway robbery!

[curioushooter]

Reckon you're going to live long enough for primers or percussion caps to deteriorate, if they're properly stored??

I am relatively young, and I've become concerned with the primers I panic bought in 2008 starting to deteriorate. Maybe I'm just dumb on this. I do not have air-conditioning. I story my caps in plastic "shoe boxes" with some desiccant in them in a barn.

Anyone do a good write-up/tutorial on how to make caps?

[FLINTNFIRE]

Those primers should last a long time , as to caps a local store had some last year I bought musket and number 11 , well some are dynamit nobel and some of the musket caps are the older CCI extra strength , just to add to what I had as plan was to shoot more cap and ball and flintlocks during the shortage .

[SeaMonkey]

Quote from CuriousShooter:

Anyone do a good write-up/tutorial on how to make caps?

There are quite a few videos on YouTube. Here are the links.

[ourway77]

Midway USA had them don't know if they still do

[scrungy_doolittle]

they go hand in hand with primers. start making your own, its easy and cheep.

I found this on line.
https://www.aardvarkreloading.com/re...%20Oelberg.pdf

and
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD0717356.pdf is interesting
https://ndiastorage.blob.core.usgovc...usky_520pm.pdf

[scrungy_doolittle]

shellac works but I found that a fast smokeless powder dissolved in acetone overnight (it forms a thick paste) and then diluted in more acetone to liquid consistency works better. Or if you have it on hand, Duco cement which is nitrocellulose based diluted 50/50 in acetone also works well. If you try the smokeless route, it takes a very small amount to make a lot.

what powder did you use? I would assume it has to be double based for this to work?