what do yall think

[buckskin billy]

just got me a 2nd generation colt 1851 navy off gun broker last week. all of my cap and ball revolvers i have always put tresso nipples on them well because as we all know they"re just better. i was getting ready to place a order  and was reading over the specs on them and it stated that they have a tensile strength of  118,000psi which they claim is tougher than muzzleloading barrels.
 this got me to thinking and i started checking the hammers on my guns. by using these nipples are we adding more wear to the hammers of our guns. are they made of harder metal than the hammers. all of my cap and ball revolvers have wear on the faces of the hammers from striking the caps.
 what are some of yall thoughts on this. i know they are better nipples, but aint it easier to replace nipples than hammers? am i'm not understanding this tensile strength or do i just think to dang much?

[Forty Rod]

The hammer face should never contact the nipple.  Contact Rowdy Yates for the cure / prevention.

[rifle]

I was thunkin.....the 2nd Generations are dry fire safe ain't they? Hammers stop just short of the nips?
Check it out before doin sumpthin wrong. Move the cylinder backwards with the hammer down and see if the cylinder can be moved back enough to move the hammer. Then take a piece of paper or shim stock between the hammer and nip and see if the cylinder can be pushed back enough to imprint the papper/shim(shim of brass or copper). Reduce the thickness of the shim/paper till there's no imprint and hope you find there's a space left measured by the shim stock/paper.
I make the hammers dry fire safe by grinding/diamond file the hammer nose till the hammer hits the frame before it hits the nips. Then reharden the surface of the hammer nose by rehardening the whole hammer. I use Kasinet or the real deal wood/bone charcoal pack hardening. Thing is the hammer of a 2nd Gen is already the real deal pack hardened.
If the gun ain't dry fire safe as it is maybe shortening all the nips would be the trick especially if you are going to use the Tresso nips. You can play with those.
Tensile strength is "pullin apart" and compression strength is "pushin on" and shear strength is "pushin part of it one way and the other part the other way" like tryin to shear it off. The tensile strength of a Tresso must be tellin bout it not blowin out too easy and not about it's compression strenth banging it's imprint into the nips.
Nips are harder than hammers cause hammers are hard on the "case" on the outside and "tough" like a wrench or ball pean hammer on the inside. Nips are hard clean thru.
Anywhoooooo....I bet the 2nd Gen is already dry fire safe. Just gotta check it out as is then again with the Trees nips in it.
The holes in the Italian nips may be as small as the flash holes in the Tressos.
The nips in the 2nd Gen may be as hard as the Tressos too. They wouldn't put cheapy nips in the 2nd Gens.
You know.....if the 2nd Gen isn't dry fire safe already a piece of tool steel flat could be pinned in the hammer recess to make it that way if a person didn't want to mess with shortening the hammer nose and rehardening. I'd do the nose myself if the gun wasn't already dry fire safe. I'd want to redo the case hardening with the real deal pack hardening and.....hope the colors came out nice.

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[Forty Rod]

Always adjust the nipples.  They're easier and less expensive to replace than hammers.

[Major 2]

I can say this with knowledge
I have several 2nd. Gens  all purchased in the early 80's  ( 1860's & 51 Navy's

All have many shots through them in 20 years , all still have OEM nipples.
  I alway used RWS caps ... Green Label for the 60's reds for 51 Navy's
The caps fit fine and I've have very little misfire and only once in great while a loose cap falls in the works.

one 1860 however now sports an RD conversion

[Steel Horse Bailey]

As 40 said,

The hammer face should never contact the nipple.  Contact Rowdy Yates for the cure / prevention.

That's it in a nutshell.  If the hammer face contacts the nipple, you'll get a mark or indent.  With ANY brand of nips, save the accidental "butter-soft" one that escapes the factory before the hardening treatment.

If the length (nipple/cone) or gap is adjusted properly, only the cap will touch both pieces - nip & hammer.  I've heard figures from 0.005" to 0.01" being the right gap, altho I think any gap will do as long as the thickness of the cap metal plus the priming compound is greater than the gap.

[litl rooster]

don't fix what ain't broke