Pietta Starr Revolver Question

[Ridge Runner]

I recently acquired a Pietta Starr double action and discovered the firing to be inconsistent.  Now I see that with the nipple seated, there is a tiny gap of perhaps .010 when the hammer is down.  Base of the nipple to the top appears to be 8mm.  Might anyone know of a slightly taller nipple that would work?

[Ridge Runner]

Just measured correctly with a mic.  The cone length is .319.  Thread is 6-.75.  .319 is spec, so I'm guessing it's a manufacturing issue?  I cannot locate any nipples that would be around .325 cone length.  Suggestions?  Thanks.

[Abilene]

Howdy Ridge Runner, I'm not a capgun shooter and I'm sure some others will chime in, but here's what I know.  The hammer shouldn't touch the nipple, but be right up against it.  A trick that folks used to use back before the days of custom nipples was to take a tiny strand of copper wire, wrap it around the bottom of the nipple around the base of the threads, and when the nipple is screwed down it flattens the wire making it into thin shim or spacer. 

[Ridge Runner]

Abilene,  that is a great suggestion.  When the hammer is down, you can see a sliver of daylight between the hammer and nipple, so this should work.  Welding a thin piece of steel onto the face of the hammer, and then filing till it's just right, might also work, but I'd need a gunsmith for this. 

[hellgate]

You can make your own nipple shims this way:
Take fine soft steel wire, copper, or bronze and wrap it around a nail of appropriate size about ten times to makes a coil. Then take fine wire cutters and snip off the coils which makes about 10 open coils that resemble lock washers. Then take a small hammer and gently pound them flat on the anvil of your bench vise. You can then slip them onto the threaded part of the nipple to shim it up. I have done this dozens of times to fit replacement nipples so ALL of my guns use Remington #10 nipples.

OR, you can order them from the below source to get true shims that also fit the nipple shanks perfectly:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-shims/=q5h0dh


Click:  Metric 18-8 Stainless Steel Shims for Lengthening Screw Shoulders

Shoulder diameter of the nipples is 8mm.
 
Get the screw size 6mm which is the nipple threaded shank size. 

Pick the thicknesses you want.

[Ridge Runner]

Outstanding.  Thanks everyone.

[Coffinmaker]

Additionally.  A SlixShot Nipple is slightly longer overall than an OEM Pietta.  Maybe just enough and you will get more consistent ignition.

Tis an old wives tale the hammer shouldn't touch the nipple.  Atz horsefeathers.  A Cap Gun should never be "dry fired" as that is what causes damage to the hammer face.  The cap itself actually acts to cushion the hammer face.

The other mentions method to space the nipple back to the hammer face will work as well.  I should suggest copper or brass wire be used.

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[Abilene]

Hellgate, it was a 20(?)-year-old post of yours that I got the idea from for making shims from wire, but of course I left out all the details about how to do it.

[hellgate]

Probably. I've been blacksmithing my C&Bs for SASS shoots since 1993. Bought my first one in 1965 but didn't have to learn their innards til CAS ruined me.

[Galen]

Inside radius of the hammer may need to be relieved of metal.

[Coffinmaker]

Also, another handy dandy spacer for Nipples is the Copper Gasket for the Glow Plug used in Model Airplane Engines.  They crush nicely for a tight seal.

Unfortunately, in my small little hamlet, no Hobby Shop for Model Airplane folks (Sigh).

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[Lefty Dude]

22 gage center conductor coax cable copper wire makes great nipple shim stock. Easy to work with, and is just right. Worked for me.