Cap Guards for Percussion Revolvers

Ike Kant · February 10, 2015, 07:00:19 PM

Who is currently doing this modification? I have a brand new 1851 and 1861 Navy that need cap guards and taller front sights. I know that some folks say they can get by with Slix-Shot or Treso nipples and other minor fixes but I require that my guns work near flawlessly at all times and have lighter hammer pulls due to osteo-arthritis in my thumbs. That makes double-duelist double hard. I have a pair of Uberti 1860s that have never and I mean never let me down. The late great Frank Leaman tuned and modified them. Rowdy at Lee's Gunsmithing has done some excellent work for me in the past but is currently having his own work constraints. Even though others have said that this work is unnecessary, I still need it for my peace of mind.

Gabriel Law · February 10, 2015, 08:02:09 PM

What is a 'cap guard"?

hellgate · February 10, 2015, 09:03:47 PM

Ike,
I can't help you on this one. I just want to say that I'm sorry to hear that Rowdy Yates is not able to keep up.

I have had several long and meaningful talks with Frank Leman over the last years and he was one interesting fellow. He had lots of simple suggestions for your problem.

About all I can contribute is the (occasionally called Hellgate modification but originally suggested by Fingers McGee who who heard it from Noz) filling in of the safety notch on the hammer face of the Colts. I published the technique in the Nov 2009 SASS Chronical.

Ike Kant · February 10, 2015, 11:42:29 PM

Quote from: Gabriel Law on February 10, 2015, 08:02:09 PM
What is a 'cap guard"?

GL:

This is where two small rectangles of metal are welded to the frame on either side of the hammer where it passes through flush with the recoil shield. The hammer is then narrowed to clear the now narrower slot thus making a much smaller hole almost invariably preventing expended caps and cap fragments from falling between the hammer and frame. It is also referred to as the Manhattan conversion - an allusion to the Manhattan revolver of the early 1860s.

The Swede · February 11, 2015, 12:42:23 AM

They are rubber tubes that slip over the cap when it is on the nipple. The idea is to keep the cap in place. Seen'em on Ebay. Looked like a good idea except they came in all kinds of bright colors that no self respecting cowpoke would want on his sidearms.

Swede

The Swede · February 11, 2015, 12:44:52 AM

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=38252.0;attach=34669;image

This here what you mean?

brazosdave · February 11, 2015, 06:39:48 AM

Mike Brackett at http://www.goonsgunworks.com/ includes a cap rake modification as part of his package. This prevents cap fragments from ever falling into the action. I have a Dixie gun works .44 snubnose that he worked on for me, and it is so reliable and smooth, that i carry it for personal protection. That's how much regard I have for his work!

Roosterman · February 11, 2015, 06:49:28 AM

I have lead a blessed life. When I shot CAS I shot three weekends a month and almost always used C&B revolvers. That's probably thousands of rounds and I can only remember 2X that I had cap frags between the hammer and the frame. Most guys had more failure to fires with their cartridge guns due to bad primers than I did with bad caps or cap jams.
Never messed with the hammer safety notch and never welded on any ugly blobs on the gun. It is a non problem for me. I use treso nipples and the proper cap that fits them, a healthy charge of powder and full power springs. If I can thumb back full power springs with my arthritic thumbs, you can thumb them back too. When you get old , if it don't hurt you ain't havin fun.

Ike Kant · February 11, 2015, 01:15:50 PM

Swede: That's exactly it.

Brazosdave: I emailed Mike.

Roosterman: Somebody up there is lookin' out for you. If I suddenly had that kind of luck, I'd wonder what went wrong and who screwed up.

Roosterman · February 12, 2015, 04:55:17 PM

Quote from: Ike Kant on February 11, 2015, 01:15:50 PM
Swede: That's exactly it.

Brazosdave: I emailed Mike.

Roosterman: Somebody up there is lookin' out for you. If I suddenly had that kind of luck, I'd wonder what went wrong and who screwed up.

Something you might try is the C&B flip and shake....

When I had one of my two career long cap jams between hammer and frame Montana Slim came shuffling by in his usual cool sort of way and told me he avoids that type of situation by shaking/flipping the revolver while you're cocking it there by causing the spent cap to fly anywhere but in the hammer slot. BTW, I don't recall him ever having cap jams either.....
I'm thinking when I got over to the unloading station I rarely had any caps or cap debris on the nipples. I guess they must have blown to little bits upon detonation or fell off as the following shots were shot.....I'll have to pay more attention this spring and see what is actually going on.

Ike Kant · February 12, 2015, 05:09:05 PM

I packaged them up and sent them off to Mike after a long phone conversation this morning.

brazosdave · March 21, 2015, 05:41:12 PM

you won't regret it, everyone i know who has had him work on their pistols has been super satisfied!