Nipple Shortage?

[44caliberkid]

Seems that everyone is out of Ampco/ Tresso 6mmx .75 nipples for BP revolvers.   Now a few are available from Dixie at a very inflated price, but everybody else is out of stock.   Anyone know a source or Ampco's contact info so I can find out when more will be available?

[sharps1863]

 I need some too and I cant find any either.   

[Noz]

The most common reason to purchase new Treso nipples is a new gun.
If you have old nipples that have begun to "mushroom" due to wear they can be refurbished. Chuck the nipple into a cordless drill(lower RPMs)with the threaded portion inside the chuck and turn the mushroomed nose against a fine cut file. Easy does it as it doesn't take much to remove the offending area. 

[sharps1863]

The most common reason to purchase new Treso nipples is a new gun.
If you have old nipples that have begun to "mushroom" due to wear they can be refurbished. Chuck the nipple into a cordless drill(lower RPMs)with the threaded portion inside the chuck and turn the mushroomed nose against a fine cut file. Easy does it as it doesn't take much to remove the offending area. 

Mine are beyond that!!!! Has anyone used the traditions nipples I can find them.

[44caliberkid]

Yes, new pistol, a Pietta Starr SA.   Has the miss fire problem that plauged most of these pistols.  The hammer doesn't travel far enough forward to reliably hit the cap every time.   At first, people blamed the main spring, but just looking at the hammer/ nipple relationship, you can see the hammer hits the frame before it strikes the nip/ cap.  Some guys remove material from the inside radius of the hammer to give it more travel, but this gun has such a nice finish I don't want to go at it with a grinder, even though the area is largely invisible.   Tressos are a teeny bit longer and have a more squared shoulder at the tip.  A few posters were able to fix the problem by switching nips, so I'm trying that first.
   Oh, and I found some, but sounds like I better order a couple more sets before I reveal their location and they are sold out.

[Montana Slim]

Kid, Coincidently, I bought a Pietta Starr DA off of GB a few months ago. I removed a bit of metal from the frame with needle files to get the hammer down to the cone. I've also reworked the stock cones down to fit CCI #10s, also beefed the spring a bit. It does go off consistently in DA mode. However, I don't have 100% ignition in "SA" mode. After studying the design, I see the hammer throw / leverage  / momentum is weak design, hence the extra stiff mainspring. I've even beefed the spring up in mine. Like I say, DA works well. I may need a few more tweaks to make it work the way I want. This is a new challenge for me (lots of experience with Colt /Remington). I also have a set of Pietta stainless cones and popped these in to take advantage of my large supply of CCI #11s.



Have fun,
Slim

[44caliberkid]

To Slim, one guy said he took material off the frame, several said they took it off the hammer.  Looking at the design, it's awful thin at the frame where the take down screw goes through, so I'd rather scoop out the inside radius of the hammer.   The product reviews at Dixie Gun Works say several people returned these to Dixie and their gunsmith installed a stronger main spring, yet they don't offer a stronger main spring for sale, making me wonder if they also just relieved some material to give the hammer more travel.   I've also considered building up the hammer nose till it just reaches the nips.   
   I am looking out for a DA version too.  One, to add to my collection and two, I really like these revolvers, good sights and they shoot accurately, plus style points.   I love the ,"What the heck is that?" at the range.

[the missing link]

All it takes to solve the problem with short niples, is to put a small wascher under eats niple. If that aint enofh, then take two.

                                                                      Greating The Missing Link

[hellgate]

Missing link has the simplest idea or else get the longer Treso nipples but I have shimmed out quite a few nipples that were causing failure to fire. Here's a posting I have sent around at various times.:

It is easy to shim nipples. Take soft fine steel or bronze wire and coil it around a nail or screw shank about 10 times to make a spiral the diameter of the threaded shank on the nipples. Then with wire cutters snip them off and you end up with a pile of what look like lock washers. I then I take a small hammer and flatten them on the vise pounding surface or an anvil to the desired thickness. They resemble small open ended washers. Slip one onto the shank of the low nipple and screw it in. I use anti-seize lube or heavy lithium grease on the threads so I can get the nipples back out. If the nipple is too high, pound the shim flatter or find some finer wire. If it still isn't tall enough, use two shims or get a thicker piece of wire to start over with. I've done this on several guns and have had no problems with it. If you have too high of a nipple then the hammer face gets battered and may not fire the other nipples or it will get burrs on it that may lift spent caps off the nipples and drop them into the action.

[Montana Slim]

The frame on the DA Starr certainly isn't thin in the area I removed material.
A few seconds with a needle file a drop of blue & I was done.

Working the rather stiff trigger (painful finger is a result), while finding the the rear hammer sight and hitting the target are the biggest challenges.

Regards,
Slim

[44caliberkid]

I didn't think about having to pick up the sight notch in the hammer while firing DA, THAT would be a challenge.