Cap & Ball Shooting

[Bruce W Sims]

Yeah... I think thats why I have a soft-spot in my heart for re-enactors. Some folks think
its a waste of time and money and just a little bit anachronistic and hokey, but I used
to teach US History and any time I could add context to an event was solid gold.
Just sayin.....

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I found the cap guards on E-bay and the price was pretty good.  Sorry I don't remember the vendor's name though.

bestmuzzleloading supplies;

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/191241605141?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

[Bruce W Sims]

Thanks, Sir Charles:

I followed the link and read the blurb on the cap item. I'm trying to figure out what I am looking at.
Seems to me that if a person made sure that they had a decent fit between the nipple and the cap, they wouldn't need
something to hold the cap on.....or am I missing something?  Are these item less for folks on a range and
more for folks moving (IE. Hunters) or riders who fear that they might lose a cap? I don't get the idea of
eliminating cross-fires or keeping water out. These sound like issues someone would run into more in the field or maybe in a re-enactors camp. Thoughts?

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[Slowhand Bob]

I have had most of the problems at one time or another while playing SASS.  Only used cap guards one time and even then was only given enough to get through about two stages.  I was using brand new Remington '58s and this was the first time that a pair of Pietta '58s let me down totally.  They were dropping caps, flash firing, jamming on cap debris and just plain messing up in everyway that a revolver can mess up.  The two stages with the cap guards cured all problems but over indexing!That was three years ago and I have not fired the guns from hell since. 

[Bruce W Sims]

Thanks, Bob:
I've been trying to find some CCI caps as they seem to come highly recommended. Problem is that every single resource I contacted said they were ALL waiting on backorders. I settled for a tin of the Winchester Magnums as that was all the store
had except for Remington, which I had heard some issues about --something to due with messing up in the capper. Anyways, the Winchesters were a nice tight fit on my stock Colt nipples; I just need to file the end of the capper so that it can get in a bit closer on my Dragoon. I let one off and there was no fragmentation so thus far I'm a happy camper. I think I would still rather have the CCI but only because of the positive buzz. I plan on cooking up my own powder down the road so the Magnums may be something nice to have around, just in case I turn-out a bum batch. FWIW.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[St8LineLeatherSmith]

first time I have heard about these cap guards I am thinking they would be good for those of us ho open carry our C&B revolvers with spare ctlinders
protects the cap from moisture and keeps it on the nipple and eleminates cap shrapnel
ordering some right now!
Thanks for the link Sir Charls!

[rifle]

Cap Guards at.....

www.rmcoxyoke.com

Under RMC Products under "loading accessories".

item#ML1084

The cap guards keep the caps on the nips during and after ignition. No frag,no hang ups, easy to slip on,solves all the cap problems. They are made to keep rain out of the nipples in the field but they have good qualities other than rain proofing.After ignition the caps and cap guards come off easy.

The cap guard is slipped over the cap and also down some to be half on the cone below the cap. I thunk since the cap stays on the nip because of the cap guard there must be some blow back protection to the guards also.

Clever invention to keep rain out and multiple other good qualities to the cap guards.

Another clever invention would be an actual cap that didn't frag and fall off the nips.  The old CVA caps in the black plastic cap tins did just that. They didn't frag and open up and stayed on the nips in one piece. They were difficult to remove though. If an Hombre wanted to fan the loads out of his revolver the CVA caps worked fine fer that.

Just bringing that up to show there can be caps that don't open up and actually stay on the nips and...actually stopped blow back.

[Bruce W Sims]

Speaking of caps....YOU TUBE really has me scratching my head.

Its rather intriguing to hear people talk about BP being the next big thing with Preppers,
so I can forgive the dozens of videos on making your own BP or casting your own balls.
But now I'm wondering about people making their own caps........ really?
Is not finding caps a big problem on some people's planet?
This one kid actually turned-out a tool for converting soda cans into caps and then
punched out the powder from a roll of cap-gun caps. The word "tedious" does not even begin
to get it said. Anyone with that much time on his hands needs to find himself a girl.......sheesh.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Bruce WS;  Kits for making caps have been available for over 50 years, maybe more. Tedious is better than no shooting at all.

[Bruce W Sims]

Thanks, Sir Charles:

I guess I am wondering if things are that bad in that department that such an effort is worthwhile.

Of course, just about everyone knows about the standing ammo shortage.... and I am just finding out
that CCI has had an on-going back-order for its caps. But exactly how bad is it? Is it bad enough to make
producing one's own caps worthwhile?

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[rifle]

Knowing how to do something yerself is always a good thing.......unless yer neighbors find out and keep wanting favors.

I've had a "tap-o-cap" to make caps fer years. Lots of years. Don't use it much. Can't find toy caps strong enough to ignite the charge well. Some go off and some don't.

Never tried opening the flash hole of the nipples cones though.

Knowing how to make the ignition compound used in caps would be the ticket.

[Major 2]

I used to have one of the Forster Tap-O-Cap makers , haven't seen it in years (figure it was in the Barn/shop that burned down)
I had the same problem as Coffinmaker Toy caps are anemic at best...

I preferred Dynamit Nobel Percussion Caps , both red & green label....just don't see them any more.