revolver nipples

[8mmshooter]

Have a problem you round ball revolver shooters may be able to help me with: I have two Fpietta 1858 remington replica revolvers. While shooting them I have had problems with the caps backing off from the recoil and tying up the cylinders or falling off the nipples from the recoil. I've tried different size caps and different brands of caps to no avail. Anyone have a solution? Different nipples that fit the fpietta remington etc.? Open for suggestions. TIA

[northmn]

Usually #10 caps work well on revolvers, however a good solution is to buy a thin skirted cap like the Remington and pinch them before you place them on the revolver. I used to do this quite a bit especially for rapid fire competition and they stayed on. Sometimes different brands work better. Another solution that costs more is to go to Track of the Wolf on the net and order another set as they generally run the same metric size. Your best and cheapest bet is just to give the skirt a gentle pinch that distorts it enough to stay on.

Northmn

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Caps backing off from recoil and tying up the cylinder or falling off from recoil is clearly indicative of a poor fit. It may be the nipples, or the wrong size of cap. A percussion cap should fit snugly and all the way down on the tapered cone. The hammer strike sets it off reliably but won't let it blow off if the fit and length is right. Nipple dimensions as to threads , thread length and cone/cap length and fit are important as Remington, RWS, CCI and others make caps on machines by the millions. Machines make them nearly identical. The caps are pretty close in standard size by manufacture. Nipples on/for Italian guns seem to be still made by the home workshop system and are the usual source of problems. If #11 is really too big and # 10 too tight, you must stone or file the cone to accept the # 10s for a correct fit and to stop the problems you describe. Some nipples sold for # 11 caps may need work too. Buy your nipples from a vendor that will let you return them or exchange them. Grease the threads with a high temp, non seizing grease and install moderately snugly.

[2gundavid]

I had to replace the nipples on my .44 The POSSIBLE SHOP has Tresco 6.75mm for Pietta revolvers 6 for less than $20.00.These take Remington #11 caps with no problem.I have found everything I need at the range.They have bench cylinder loaders that are great for $15.00.Look at their web site.

[OeldeWolf]

Do you have an URL for th possible shop? I have a similar problem with my Pietta 1860's.

[freedom475]

It is easy to stop the caps from falling off....this is not a safety lesson just a perfect solution!

Put the caps on then one at a time cock and lower the hammer onto each nipple, now push the back of the hammer real hard...repeat for all nipples. This is a lot safer than the possible chain fire from a cap coming off.

If you are afraid of this, point the gun in a safe direction and on an empty cylinder just try to get a cap to go off by pushing the back of the hammer...you Can't push hard enough, the hammer will cut into your palm long before it goes off. The caps take a blow to set them off.

Great care must be taken as you lower the hammer onto the live caps....if you thumb slips all bets are off.

[44man]

Uncle Mikes makes great replacement stainless nipples.

[mazo kid]

[QUOTE=freedom475;311809]It is easy to stop the caps from falling off....this is not a safety lesson just a perfect solution!

Put the caps on then one at a time cock and lower the hammer onto each nipple, now push the back of the hammer real hard...repeat for all nipples.

I would use a wooden dowel rather than the hammer for seating the caps. It would be a littler safer in my opinion. You could make something up with a palm handle on the end. I always used #11 caps on my EAA 58 'Remmy and never had a problem, seem to work good on my Piettas too. Emery

[freedom475]

I would use a wooden dowel rather than the hammer for seating the caps. It would be a littler safer in my opinion. You could make something up with a palm handle on the end. I always used #11 caps on my EAA 58 'Remmy and never had a problem, seem to work good on my Piettas too. Emery

The hammer pushes square onto the nipples, and when it is done with the hammer you are assured of the boolit being in line with the bore.....If a wood dowel is used make sure that it is done only to the nipple in line with the barrel in case a discharge takes place.

It scared me the first time I saw someone do it too so much in fact I quickley covered my ears because I was sure it was going to fire as the guy forced the cap down onto an old mushroomed nipple.

Just try it with an empty gun and you will see that its very hard to get one to fire whille pushing the hammer.

[yarro]

I had the same problem in my 1861 navies and changed out the nipples with Treso's and don't have the problem any more.

-Yarro

[Doug Bowser]

I have a Uberti Remmie in .44. #11 caps are too loose and #10's are too tight. I pinch the #11 caps abd press them on with a dowel pin. I have never had a failure to fire using this method. I have fired this revolver at least 500 times.

[BUFFALOW RED]

i use #10 cci caps my cap jaming went away when i lowered my powder charge to below 25 gr of 3F real BP

[madcaster]

Also when you recock the gun hold it muzzle up and see if the cap falls away from the gun better.

[floodgate]

Jeff, et al:

That's why the old-timers usd to "th'ow" their revolvers back up over their shoulder as they cocked them - to dump the fired cap. Not considered good manners in BP Cowboy Action these days (however authentic)! A quick snap roll of the piece sideways to the right as you cock it - keeping the muzzle down-range at all times! - will accomplish the same purpose; also helps rotate a cylinder getting sticky from BP fouling

Fg

[AZ-Stew]

I seat pinched #11 CCIs onto the stock nipples of my 1860 and 1851. If I'm not sure I got them seated all the way to the nipple tip, I'll rotate the cylinder to the offending chamber and seat the cap fully by pressing the hammer forward on it.

Not much different than what others have said, I just use all the techniques together. I had to learn these for myself. There wasn't any internet 35 years ago when I started shooting front stuffers.

We were having a discussion at our local BP shoot a month or so ago and got onto listing all the stuff that's available for BP shooters now that wasn't invented (or not commercially available) 35 years ago. It was fun for the oldsters to discuss and for the younger shooters to hear.

There was no:

Pyrodex, Tripple Se7en powder, or any of the other substitutes, there was only the True Black

In-line muzzle loading rifles

Scope sighted ML rifles

Sabot bullets

Commercially swaged lead round balls (we ALL had to be casters)

Bore Butter

Propellant in pellet form

Rifles with twist rates faster than 1:66

T/C Patriot pistols

Pre-cut and lubed patches

Maxi-Balls

R.E.A.L Bullets

Quick-load devices of any description, unless hand-made

and many others.

Anyone else want to add to the list?

Regards,

Stew

[Doug Bowser]

Jeff, et al:

That's why the old-timers used to "th'ow" their revolvers back up over their shoulder as they cocked them - to dump the fired cap. Not considered good manners in BP Cowboy Action these days (however authentic)! A quick snap roll of the piece sideways to the right as you cock it - keeping the muzzle down-range at all times! - will accomplish the same purpose; also helps rotate a cylinder getting sticky from BP fouling

Fg

This practice makes me cringe, every time I see it. We have an indoor air pistol range and we do not allow this practice to be done in it. We do not need our range lights shot to pieces.

Even on an outdoor range the pistol should be brought from below the target to the center of the target. Seeing blue sky in your sights as you bring the pistol down to the target, is considered a safety violation at our club. The quickest way to get a range closed is to not worry about bullet containment.