What do you'all use......to prime with?

[litl rooster]

  Just had my first attempt of my move to the darkside. > Key word is attempt.<  A small local club, in Maryland...Not sure what the tempature was but each stage started with "It's Cold" might of been high 20's with WC in the lower 20's..Just enuff wind to leave that wonderful aroma of Black Powder on you for the ride home. Without obstructing yer targets. Remember the Key word. I was the 2nd shooter. Loaded powder ball dab of grease, went to Loadin' table, loaded rifle double checked shot slide. Capped first pistol, started capping 2nd. Placed 2 on nipples went to pull capper away on the 3rd and the entire contents came out on the table. Not to dispare, reached in my coat pocket pulled out new capper loaded. I was not able to get a one to place over a nipple. So my question is what type of cappers do you all use? These were both the strait inline type recommended for Revolvers. Is there something I need to modify? I had my Rooogers there so loaded them up. Unfortunately it was the Heathen powder.

[44caliberkid]

The kind of revolver you're using makes a differance.  If they are Colt type, I use a Ted Cash snail or tear drop shaped pistol capper.  If they are Remingtons, the only capper that will fit is the in-line with springs on each side of the cap.  Don't get the in-line with a spring on one side that traps the cap against a brass arm.

[Lars]

Long, long ago I opened those pesky narrow little slots on the Remington C&B cylinders to be much like the slots on Colt-type C&B cylinders. THEN I use a straight liine capper of the type 44caliberkid describes.

I also "machined" each and every nipple such that my favorite brand of caps fit snuggly and securely all the way down onto the nipples with just firm pressure from the capper. This I consider essential to trouble-free C&B shooting.

Lars

[litl rooster]

These are Colt style pistols

[Lars]

litl rooster,

Do I understand correctly that you simply could not get a cap to fit down over the nipple, while the caps were still in the capper, with apparent reason being that the capper nose simply was too big to fit into the area around the nipple?

I only have limited experience with Colt-style C&Bs but, both the straight line, "Cash-type" for pistols, and the "snail-type" pistol cappers have always worked nicely. With these I have always capped by pressing the cap, in the capper, down onto the nipple and then pulling the capper directly to the side, leaving the cap fully seated on the nipple (assumes proper match of cap and nipple).

I also have cappers for musket caps and  other cappers that only work on rifles and shotguns, which have totally exposed nipples.

Lars

[litl rooster]

Yes Lars, the first pistol loaded up pretty smoothe considering my bare hands and being cold. The second got 2 nipples covered on the 3rd, I placed the cap over the nipple and pulled it away and the balance on the in line (for revolvers) emptied on to the table the second capper apparently has a bigger nose than the other. I will measure them up this evening and see. I may also go ahead and buy a snail type, I have 4 in line cappers. I will also check the nipples it might be one has a burr on it.

[Lars]

litl rooster,

There is a check that you can do at home. Take ALL the nipples off each cylinder and then take a cap and see which nipples fit into the cap easily and fully, but snuggly, which will not go all the way in, which are a loose fit in the cap. Repeat with as many caps as needed for you to feel confident with the results.

Do not be surprised if the nipples are not all the same size. That seems to be SOP for nipples that come on these replica guns. Some folks go to aftermarket nipples to avoid this. I adjust the nipple cone sizes as described below.

At same time, check each and every nipple for the presence of a smooth cone (the tapered end that the cap fits onto). IF someone has dry-fired the gun without caps, the nipples can become battered on the end and make seating caps difficult. A little work with a file can fix this problem too.

Should you find some nipples that are seriously too big or too small, maybe you can avoid using them by leaving them out or marking them so that you do not load that 6th chamber.

Nipples that are seriously too large in diameter of cone can be reduced in size with an electric drill and a file (makes for a poor-man's "lathe"). This is what I do. Place the big end in the drill chuck, being careful not to bugger the threads, run the drill and place the file lightly on the cone. Proceed with caution and check results often.

Getting excellent fit of caps to nipples is one of the essentials to really reliable C&B shooting.
Lars

[litl rooster]

Lars and 44cal. Thanks for your help...The weather has warmed up today i will be heading down in the shop in just a few and do some studing on this.  I have some rifle tinkering to do and some Shot shells to load. I'll let you know what I find.

again thanks