1858 capper - no cylinder grinding required

rickk · March 14, 2007, 09:20:03 PM

Here a the solution to capping an 1858 without modifying the cylinder:

using this capper :

Unfortunatly, I don't believe that capper is made any more. I think it was maybe made by Uncle Mike's or CVA 25 or so years ago. If anyone knows where I can get a few like this, or even who used to make it, lemme know. In case you are wondering, there is a narrow slit about an inch long on the back side as well, which allows the forward-most part of the tube to be pinched down. That holds the front cap in the tube.

Since I don't know where to get more of them, I stared at a Tedd Cash capper awhile and came up with this idea :

using this modified Tedd Cash capper :

Modification was done with a bench grinder in about 5 minuts. Keep it cool by cooling with a damp rag often, stop a bit before the part where the inward-most angle of the fingers are. This allows the fingers to point outward a bit, making it wasi to load by pusing on the back of upside down caps. instead of loading them thru the normal loading hole. I bent the fingeers to slightly less of an outward angle with needlenose pliers.

It still needs a bit of tweeking, and the best bet would be for "someone" to make the nosepiece from scratch designed especially for this purpose. (Scott from Cash Mfg. Co ... hint hint

.

The tang on the original design would go away. A proper nose piece would be necked down as soon as it clears the tube on all four sides to form four separate fingers. The 4 springy fingers might want to each be curved to form a circle to better hold and guide the cap.. The fingers would flare outward slightly at the forward most position. This would allow the capper to be loaded by simply pressing the capper over the top of a bunch of business-end-down caps.

Rick

reloader4410 · March 14, 2007, 09:52:21 PM

I done the open the cylinder thing & like my snaill capper. I have one of those cappers you show, bought it years ago ,dont know the maker.Would be willing to trade it for a knight teardrop capper its $13.40 from cheaper than dirt. what do you think?

rickk · March 14, 2007, 10:07:36 PM

is it in really good shape?

reloader4410 · March 14, 2007, 10:15:17 PM

Tarnished but as good as one in picture. could get wife to post you a picture tomarrow I am not computer savy just an operator & not a good speller .

rickk · March 15, 2007, 05:57:13 AM

reloader4410, I sent ya a PM

Wolfgang · March 15, 2007, 09:47:03 PM

rickk, . . . thanks for posting. I cap my cylinders out of the gun as I have several and have them pre loaded, . . but that gadget looks handy to have. I'll make me one. Thanks again for sharing good information. Good shootin', . . . NMAs of course, . . .

Flint · March 16, 2007, 05:47:57 PM

Wolfgang, just don't drop your cylinder.......

Ringo Steele · March 17, 2007, 11:09:49 AM

I've got one like the old one shown in your pictures at the top. It was made (or at least marketed) by CVA. Mine is from the 70's. I still use it every time I shoot a SASS match, as I use a Remington Navy 36 as on e of my revolvers. Fixin' to acquire another to make a pair, and go Frontiersman!

rickk · March 17, 2007, 04:50:29 PM

Hi Ringo Steele... then you don't have any dremel tool marks on your cylinders

I wish that simple tubular capper was still available... it sure worked well. I'm buying up a few used ones, so I won't need to hack up any more cylinders.

Maybe Tedd Cash Manufacturing (The Capper Experts) can help us all out.

Ringo Steele · May 02, 2007, 01:51:43 PM

Hi Rick,
I am thinking of making one with a brass or copper allow tubing, if I can find the right size. It shouldn't be hard to make. If I get one of those "roundtuits" my wife always talks about, I'll try to post a couple of pictures.

The Avocado Kid · May 02, 2007, 03:05:58 PM

The capper shown WAS marketed by CVA I picked up a gun kit in the early eightys a CVA .36 Navy and the capper came with the kit,I also remember them selling the capper as a one-z,if anybody knows who made the guns for CVA please let me know,they weren't that good but they were cheap and fun to build the kits and were pretty good shooters. Dusty.

rickk · May 03, 2007, 06:59:51 PM

Ringo Steele, if you are successful, please do post a picture. Be aware that there is a very narrow cut in the tube on the back side on the nose end to make it a two-fingered nose. The cut is about 3/4 of an inch long.

I think the tube is brass plated steel. I'm not sure if brass would be strong and springy enough, but let me know if it works.

tinker2 · May 07, 2007, 07:49:49 PM

Ringo Steele

Look at tubing. If you want to make your own.
http://www.smallparts.com/
Most any type of small tubing that you may want.
You might try hexagon tubing for making fingers.

Tinker2

Flint · May 07, 2007, 08:53:34 PM

You got me wondering, so I checked. #10 caps will fit nicely, stacked in a small pistol primer pickup tube from the reloading machine. Now to figure how to push them from the rear without cutting a slot in the tube.....

Can you push a stack hard enough to cap the nipple without damaging the caps still in the tube? Or setting them off, for that matter?

rickk · May 09, 2007, 05:52:47 AM

My tubular capper holds about 20 caps, and it works fine.

To be honest, you don't exactly push the stack of caps to press the forward most cap in place.

The trick to smooth operation is not to use the pusher to push the cap onto the nipple, but to just keep it in position on the nose as you cap and keep it on the cap as you withdraw the capper.

When the cap feels snug, you continue applying pressure and pull back on the tube. The pressure on the pusher causes the caps to stay where they are and the tube backs up. This leaves a cap on the nipple and also advances the next cap into the nose.