Nipple removal

[Dutchy Rodell]

I just got a new Uberti '58 Remmington this week.  I've cleaned the gun, but I can't get the nipples out to lubricate them.  Any suggestions on how to remove stubborn nipples?  I've ruined one nipple wrench.  I took the gun to my gun dealer and they were also unable to get the nipples out.  Am I correct in assuming I don't shoot the gun until I've had a chance to remove and lubricate the nipples?  If I can't get the nipples out should I consider the gun defective and get another one.  Dutchy

[Singing Bear]

Nothing wrong with shooting them as is, just make sure there are no obstructions in the flash holes.  It's just nice to know that the nipples CAN come out when the need arises.  Some will suggest soaking them in a good penetrating oil such as Liquid Wrench, etc.

[hellgate]

Hey there Dutchy Rodell (from my favorite movie),
Be patient. I've kept the stock nipples in my Uberti Remmies and they handle any charge up to 30grs under a 200gr conical. First of all, spray the nipples top side and into the chambers with a penetrating oil like Liquid Wrench. LET IT SIT OVERNIGHT. You will need a vise with thick  leather jaw pads to prevent marring the cylinder. Put the cylinder in the padded jaws. Take your nipple wrench and put it onto the nipple. Get a small hammer and as you torque on the nipple, tap the wrench with the hammer. Give it a short twist to TIGHTEN it first then taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap as you unscrew the nipple by simultaneously pushing down, tapping with the hammer and unscrewing the nipple. Work on the nipples near the jaws first then rotate the cylinder to the next ones otherwise it will rock sideways in the jaws. My vise has 1/4" thick leather pads. I've also ruined a couple of wrenches but have re filed & cut new jaws on them to get another life out of them.

[sundance44`s]

I`ve had the same problem with new guns that probally sat on a shelf for a time ....one thing you can do is get a new nipple wrench ...take it with you and go shoot the thing about 30 times and get her good and hot ...then try to remove the nipples while at the range ....i`ve had good luck with doing this .....if that doesn`t work ..which has happened to me just once ...i soaked the cylinder in a short glass of penetrating oil ..after  a week the nipples came out .....the biggest problem is with the cheap made nipple wrenches ...they are junk .

[44caliberkid]

Hellgate's advice is good, you may want to apply heat with a torch or put it in boiling water for 5 - 6 minutes.

[Dick Dastardly]

I want to put in a plug for Ruger here.  My very old Old Armies had the nipples in for a long time.  I did a dumb and seated a ball with no powder under it.  When I went to remove the nipple, it was stuck tight.  So, when I got back to the ranch I put it in a vice and removed it with the fine Ruger hex head nipple wrench.  Ruger nipples have a hex head and a good wrench.  If the wrench is missing, a good socket wrench will fit and work well.

I've had stuck nipples on other C&B guns and here's a trick that worked for me.  I put a piece of dry ice in the chamber and put some, not much, heat on the cylinder.  The nipples shrunk just enuf and the cylinder expanded just enuf that the nipples came right out.  Be careful with the heat so you don't soften the cylinder temper.

DD-DLoS

[Dutchy Rodell]

Through my dealer,Taylor's traded out my gun for a new one - one that they had removed the nipples from just to make sure they would come out.   Yeah Taylor's.  Dutchy

[hellgate]

Geeze DD,
You're starting to sound like a magician. Dry ice & blow torches. Excellent idea and fun even if it doesn't work!

[Dick Dastardly]

Ho Hellgate,

It works, but ya gotta move fast before the temperatures equalize.  It's an old trick I learned about removing frozen bolts.

DD-DLoS

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Where'd ya git dry ice?  Aint got no dry-ice cream emporiums round here. and the Ice Cream store don' wanna give up any of whut little they git.

[Dick Dastardly]

We've got a place in the Workers Paradise of Madison Wisconsin that sells dry ice.  Hellers Carbonic.

I use the stuff when we go to Canada once and a while.  Keeps stuff frozen for over a week.

DD-DLoS

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Cool!

 

[litl rooster]

Where'd ya git dry ice?  Aint got no dry-ice cream emporiums round here. and the Ice Cream store don' wanna give up any of whut little they git.

You might try a CO/2 fire extinguisier   works for making beer cold

[44caliberkid]

Steel Horse, the Wally World's here in Iowa are carrying dry ice now, don't know about your part of the country.  It's up front by customer service.

[Bristow Kid]

Do y'all use any antiseize or lube on your nipple threads when you put them back in the cylindar?

[hellgate]

whenever I replace, remove, or otherwisefiddle with my nipples I put anti sieze grease on the threads. Then i leave them in place for an eternity. I tend to not remove them again unless there's a problem.

[Bristow Kid]

Thanks Hellgate

[Stacey Lee]

My trick is to use a REAL wrench , not a nipple wrench. I use a 4" , 1/4" socket extension, a 1/4" socket wrench , and take the appropriate size socket and moto-tool the correct slot size into the socket to fit over the nipple. I have yet to owne a gun that could withstand the torque you can produce with this tool configuration. Nipples come right out with this tool set-up and your back to shooting. I ruined two nipple wrenches from Navy Arms on my Starr revolver before I became a genious and designed my own tool. Where there is a will, there IS a way.

Cheers 

[Doc Sunrise]

I am with Stacey Lee on this one,

I used a dremmel tool on a 3/16 and a 5mm 1/4" drive socket and now have all the clean power I need for those really tight nipples.  Thanks Stacey Lee for letting me know I wasn't the only one that went a little crazy!

Doc

[Steel Horse Bailey]

That's a great idea.  Use Brute Force when all else fails!  Yep, NO nipple could withstand the force from modern tools!

BK, while it's not a true anti-seize oil/paste, the teflon in BreakFree has worked well enough that my cones (Civil War time term for nipples) have always come out with any of the 3 nipple wrenches I have.