Boogered-up nipple (and it's still IN THERE)

A

awaveritt

New member
Help! While removing the nipples from my Uberti 1860, I rounded the edges of one of them (poor fitting wrench and/or impatient cowboy :o ). Well it's stuck so now what? Is this a job for a professional or can you help this old cowboy save face?

The gun's never been fired and I was prepping all the nipples with Birchwood Casey Choke lube, when this happened.

Any trade secrets greatly appreciated.
 
Use an appropriately sized E-Z out in the cone. That should get it out. After it's out, check the threads in the cylinder chamber. ;)
 
robhof

You probably don't need a pro., but you will need another nipple, as I would recommend an easy-out to remove the stuck nipple, lube well with penetrating oil or a mix of ATF and acetone, 50/50. Good luck and keep us informed, and a pro will easy-out that nipple also, which will require replacing anyway.
 
It's a new gun. there a chance that nipple could last the rest of the gun's life. Just buy a nipple pick [sounds dirty] and keep it clean.I have never had to replace a nipple in any of my guns. The truth is , I shoot B/P only a couple times a year, and the rest of the time I use conversion cylinders. Just make sure you clean it good after each outing. [Toothpicks work good, you can file them to any size you need, or use as is.]
 
Thanks, guys. Guess I won't worry about it until it's a problem. Sounds like it might outlast me :)

Speaking of conversion cylinders, are Howells good? I've been thinking about trying them eventually. Even though I have nothing that shoots 45 Colt, I have a set of dies and a 250 gr RNFP bullet mold just cryin' to be used for something.
 
I have gotten rusted in nipples to let go by heating them with the flame of a oxygen-acetylene torch. Do make sure the barrel is unloaded first.
 
AWAVERITT- I've got Howells in three of my B/P guns. 1860, 1861, 1858 rem.. They all work great and I use the same ammo as in my .45 Vaquero. Except the 1861, I use .38 wadcutters in that. Never had a problem, either with installation or use. The 1858 is the oldest [ I think it's 7 or 8 years old ] and was the hardest to put in. The Colt howells basically dropped in with only a little work on the forcing cone. Couple licks with a file did it. I really enjoy the heck out of them and they shoot straight. I hardly ever use my B/P cylinders at all. It's so easy to clean a revolver after smokeless ammo.
 
I hardly ever use my B/P cylinders at all. It's so easy to clean a revolver after smokeless ammo.
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That's sorta self defeating. Why bother with a bp revolver if you're not going to shoot bp? Sides cleaning black is faster and easier than cleaning smokeless.
 
I believe cartridge revolvers get less dirty even when you shoot black powder in them. You eliminate the blowback through the nipple which gets all over the hammer and goes down into the lockwork.
On the downside, you have a whole bunch of empty cases to clean after shooting.
 
I know 44-40 doesn't get any blowby but those are thin bottlenecks. I never shot bp out of a .45 Colt but I have shot bp out of .45 ACP in a 1911. As far as cleaning brass drop them in a jug of Windex right after shooting or you will forevermore have blackened cases.
 
I never said I don't shoot B/P. The fact is I have always admired the conversion guns, {1872 as an example} But found it was not a hard process to do a conversion and have 2 options. I used to have a Traditions .54 caliber cheap gun[ 99.99 as I remember]. Short barrel, black stock, and I liked shooting it but cleaning it was another story. Finally, when the breech plug rusted solid, and I couldn't get it out anymore, I sold it to someone who could get it out. Plus I had some pretty serious surgery on my back, and the doc. told me no more tromping through the woods. Kinda hard to walk with a cane and a rifle.
 
Try this, itworked for me.
Step 1:
Stand the cyloinder in a small container & soak nipple & cylinder in penetrating oil at least overnight, a couple of days is better. Start the oil inside the chamber, nipple down & replenish as much as needed to keep both ends of the nipple thread immersed. You can heat the cylinder with real hot water to give the penetrating oil even more of a chance.

Step2:
Get a soldering iron good & hot, really let it heat to temp & store some heat. A big tip is a good thing too so it won't cool down too fast.
Get a container big enough to immerse the cylinder in & fill it with ice water.
Heat JUST the nipple with the hot soldering iron. Let it get good & hot.
Plunge the cylinder& nipple rapidly & fuly into ice water.

Repeat 2~3 times. What this does is force the threads to expand & shrink rapidly, breaking the seal between the 2 & allowing the soaked in penetrating oil to get really effective.

Step 3:
Try with a small socket, tapped onto the mangled nipple to unscrew it with a power screwdriver or electric drill with a "hammer" mode. Keep lots of down prerssure to make the socket force down on the nipple's remains fully during the jarring process.
 
WOGPOTTER- I did something similar do that only I would put a half can of Liquid Wrench down the barrel and let it sit for several days with the breech plug down. That worked, but I used to shoot that gun 50 times or more every time I went out. I couldn't shoot it at home, much too loud, even with 70 grs. of Black Powder. So I would have to drive up to a state game area that had a shooting range, and get all the blackpowder rifle shooting out of my system. I remember sitting in the bed of my Chevy C1500, and rocking the truck when I bumped it up to 95 grains. I would sit in the bed and rest the barrel on bed-side. The gun came with instructions that you could go up to 100grs., but I think I only did that once. I used to regularly outshoot my friend with a .50 flint-lock. But his only went off about 70% of the time.
 
Hello, awaveritt. Your first post said the wrench might not be proper fit..and that the EDGES on nipple flats were subsequently rounded..Have you checked just how far down on the nipple flats that wrench is? Sounds like either nipple is bottoming out on inside, or end of wrench is too large in dia. to fit down into recess c'bore of cylinder.
 
[/Hello, awaveritt. Your first post said the wrench might not be proper fit..and that the EDGES on nipple flats were subsequently rounded..Have you checked just how far down on the nipple flats that wrench is? Sounds like either nipple is bottoming out on inside, or end of wrench is too large in dia. to fit down into recess c'bore of cylinder. QUOTE]

Yes, the wrench was a little large on the first try, so I used some emory paper on it and it went down into the recessed area on the next five. They all came out without incident. btw, went out to range today and fired both 1860's with 30 gr. goex fffg and had a blast. As someone mentioned, I'll just keep firing until I need to remove that nipple and then all your suggestions will be taken into account and hopefully I'll be able to get it outta there. Thanks for all your help.
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I can't imagine wearing out the whole nipple flat without having anything left for a wrench to grab onto.
I suggest to be persistent and try putting the whole cylinder in boiling water and then continue to try removing the nipple while wearing thick gloves or by placing it in a protected vice.
The nipple really should be removed so that the cylinder can have normal use and cleaning in order for it to have a normal lifespan and use.
It's your cylinder to do with as you please but being a brand new gun I would encourage you to not give up so easily.
Maybe a better fitting wrench could still make a difference.
 
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