cap & ball misfires

[PJ Hardtack]

Shooting a brace of Remington .44s yesterday, I experienced some misfires .....

The first one occurred on the third reload, requiring another drop of the hammer to fire. The second occurrence was with the same gun on the next reload; this time THREE caps failing to fire on the first hit. I do press caps home with a rod when loading.

This is my 'spare' gun (Uberti), but I'll be shooting it in 'Frontiersman' class next weekend along with my 'main' Remington pistol, a Pietta. I'm puzzled a bout the problem and wondering if it's a function of dirty nipples (easily cured with a toothbrush), caps, or both.

[Fingers McGee]

Hammer spring adjusted too light??

Wrong size caps?

Pressing the caps too hard with your seating stick causing the compound to get too thin in the cap over the nipple? (I know, that's a stretch)

Too wide a gap between the hammer nose and the nipples?

Battered nipples?

[Pettifogger]

You need to provide a lot more information.  What kind of caps?  What kind of nipples/cones?  Has there been any work to the gun (lightened main spring etc.)?

[hellgate]

One more thought: I've had some nipples be set a little low and needing shimming up to get closer to the hammer so they get smacked. If you could mark the chambers so you know which one(s) are consistantly misfiring you can identify if it is a random thing (and therefore a loading problem with cap fit, dirty nipples, light mainspring, etc.) or one or two nipples each time.
If the caps take two strikes to set off it is more likely a seating, fouling or light hammer spring. Turn the tension screw in a little more to increase the striking force.

[Cemetery]

Are the nipples clear of obstruction?  I was told to always run a nipple pick, or a period correct paper clip, through each nipple after loading the cylinders.

[Pettifogger]

I've been shooting C&B revolvers since 1961.  I have a nipple pick.  I have used it precisely one time.  That was in a driving rain storm.  The cap got wet and didn't go off and I was trying to dig the green unfired primer goo out of the nipple.

[Fingers McGee]

I've been shooting C&B revolvers since 1961.  I have a nipple pick.  I have used it precisely one time.  That was in a driving rain storm.  The cap got wet and didn't go off and I was trying to dig the green unfired primer goo out of the nipple.

While I'm not as old as Pettifogger    - I've only been shooting muzzleloaders & C&B revolvers since about 1967 - my experience with nipple picks & revolvers pretty much matches his.  Now a recalcitrant flint or percussion rifle is a different matter altogether.

[Drayton Calhoun]

Might want to check along side the hammer for a tiny piece of spent cap. I know with Remmies cap jams are rare, but, I have had small pieces of cap get into the darndest places even on a Remington.

[rifle]

The nipples might be gettin peened over at the top making the caps not seat fully? If the caps fire on the second hit then that narrows it down some. Usually caps not seated fully for one reason or the other or.........for one of the other reasons already mentioned. The gun just needs some eye ballin to check for the cause. Might be the wrong size caps.

[Paladin UK]

Too small a cap is a reeeel problem Ollie....



Paladin (Wot lurvs Stan `n Ollie ) UK

[PJ Hardtack]

Thanks, one and all! I appreciate the input.

- The gun hasn't been fired enough to have battered nipples.

- I was using #10 CCI caps at the time.

- I have tightened the mainspring screw.

[hellgate]

#10 CCI caps are really small and really hard to seat if the nipple is a little big for it. Try the CCI #11s or go to Remington #10s.

[Pettifogger]

#10 CCI caps are really small and really hard to seat if the nipple is a little big for it. Try the CCI #11s or go to Remington #10s.

+1

[Fingers McGee]

+1

+2

[PJ Hardtack]

I miked several CCI and Rem caps and the Rem caps were bigger.

[hellgate]

The Rem #10 caps might be longer and grab the nipple (aka cone) lower down on the shank and still hold. The #11 Rem is also "bigger" than the #11 CCI or the RWS#11 (1075) partly by being shorter. The Rem#10 is the same diameter as a Rem#11 just longer.