Claypipe,
First of all please forgive me trying to step into the void left by our board expert, but I must politely disagree. Caps are split by pressure coming back through the flash hole, not by a hammer blow. The caps are an intentionally soft copper alloy and will deform from a hammer blow, not cut or split. This of course requires the cap be seated, you could create a thousand scenarios where you could set it up wrong to attempt to split the cap while seating. If you seat the cap as I have shown on a post on the second page of this thread then the hammer will not split the cap (unless of course you use a leaf spring from one of your afore mentioned muscle cars).
Well, I politely agree to disagree. First off, I do not recall mentioning anything about caps splitting when seated. As over the past forty two years of experience shooting blackpowder and using percussion caps, in that time, I have seen more than a few caps fail to fire and split by hammer fall. Due to the angle of the cone, there would be too much distance between the top of the cone and the primer area of the cap. And being a cheap b@$t@rd by nature, I don't spend money on anything that I can fix myself. In the old days, that was called self reliance.
You can test the premise yourself by killing 6 caps with oil and then snapping them until the cows come home. Use one of your pistols with your custom fit cones. You won't see splits or petaling. Then take your pistol and use a full charge (use at least 30 grains in an Army model) with fresh caps and you will see them peel up like a daisy.
Actually, that has already been done with all my CB revolvers and long arms. It is the first thing I do with a new acquistion. And why, years ago, I started the practice of fitting my nipples to caps. No slight meant by the way I word this, but, I am new to this dress up affair you call CAS. I am an old hand when it comes to shooting and hunting with CB firearms. Let me put it this way, my Colt type third model dragoon cost me a whole $25 brand new from the importer.
Caps flattening are something that is inherent to C&B shooting. That is if you are using what would be considered combat loads. Back down to less than 27 grains of 3f and it begins to change. Treso cones help attenuate the back pressure, but they don't stop it. Treso cones in my experience, while not as extensive as Bruce's (He's probably out shooting right now before breakfast, he even moved further East to be able to begin shooting earlier in the day.) help prevent cap fragmenting with 30gr loads and caps sometimes almost look intact except for discoloration with loads in the 25-26gr range.
Combat loads? Oh, that's right. I forget at times people can't handle normal loads. I always keep one revolver loaded with 30 grains per chamber, 5 chambers, for varmints, such as coons, possums and two legged snakes.
The channel in the recoil shield is there to guide the deformed cap out of the weapon. The intention was to have them fall out on the starboard side after they had been fired.
Well, considering how you are restricted from the use of the proper over the shoulder cocking of a CB revolver, it can be frustrating. That's the way I was taught, in the hills of North Carolina, by my first step father's granfather, who was taught by his father who was reputed to be a Confederate Cavalry soldier.
Well, I've done it again...I sure wish he would get back.
Regards,
Mako
What got you sweating? We're having a nice civil dialogue here. Nobody calling anybody out. We have two different trains of thought on the same subject. While Tresco nipples are probably a great product for some. The way they constrict the fire channel in the nipple gives me cause for concern. Having had to use my CB revolvers in the past for the defense of life, limb and property, I need to be sure that my gun functions as it should. When it comes to "target" shooting, I'm not so serious. I once shot a steel challenge match with a Thames Arms 5 shot .38 S&W. That peeved more than a few shooters when I came in second place.
In this day and age, there are few places where people like myself can go to discuss firearms, let alone cap and ball guns, without people looking at you like you have two heads. I'm not here to challenge anyone, or looking for a fight. Only to enjoy good discourse of ideas. And share what I have learned from experience. Book learning is great. I am a self edumacated c00na$$, stuck in a pile of political correctness.
CP