Investarms Hawken Percussion FTF Fix

L

Lt. Skrumpledonk Ret

New member
The first half dozen times I shot my new .50 Hawken it worked fine. Then the cap would fail to detonate on the first try consistantly. We're talkin' Winchester #11's. I would really push the caps on hard with the hammer, to no avail. I entertained the idea of getting a bigger nipple, cap arrangement. Then I started to snip the cap skirt vertically with a pair of small snippers. Problem solved.
[Bang, cough] not: [Click, curse, cock, bang, cough]
 
Good find !!

Then I started to snip the cap skirt vertically with a pair of small snippers. Problem solved.
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It's entirely your call but you should not have to work that hard to resolve your problem. It's good that you defined a cap to nipple fit problem. Because it's a new rifle/nipple, sounds like your cone taper is a bit tight. If nothing else, try polising the cone surface. Also make sure that your cone walls are straight and trace of a mushroom head. Then again, you could just replace the nipple. ...... ;)

Good luck and;
Be Safe !!!
 
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a loading process that takes nearly five minutes
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What are you doing, casting your own balls between shots?:D Loading from a powder horn into a measure and then into the bore and cutting patches at the muzzle doesn't take half a minute. If was me I'd take the nipple out, wrap the threads in tape, chuck it up in a drill and hit it with a file. Not much filing, just enough to dress it up a bit.
 
I would also consider a larger cap like the Remington #10 (yes, the #10 will swell easier than the Winc/CCI#11) to fit the nipple. If the Remington #10 isn't a better fit (too small like the WW#11) then the Rem#11 should fit fine. I agree that reshaping the nipple will do the trick but "easy does it" as you remove metal you can't put back on.
 
It aint broke, not even a "Smidgen"

I would also consider a larger cap like the Remington #10 (yes, the #10 will swell easier than the Winc/CCI#11) to fit the nipple.
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It aint broke so really doesn't need fixin. Stick with the #11 and do little tuning on the nipple. You may just give yourself more grief by switching around on cap sizes. You sound a bit handy so you won't have a problem. If in doubt, send me the nipple and two of your 11's and I will tune it for you. ... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
If I reading right, from what you are describing you have a very poor cap to nipple fit. Either do what hawg suggests and turn the nipple OD down to fit your caps . . . or get rid of the "stock nipple" and put a good Ampco or similar on it. You shouldn't need to fight with a cap to get it on and to work. At the price of what a good nipple is . . . I wouldn't put up with the aggregation . . . life's too short. :)
 
The first half dozen times I shot my new .50 Hawken it worked fine.
Then the cap would fail to detonate on the first try consistently.
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Sounds like "something changed" after those 1st half-dozen times. :confused:

Notwithstanding that....

Dumb Question #1: You sure you don't have spent caps stuck up in the hammer well? (I once bought a used T/C Hawken "...which wouldn't fire right..." and then proceeded to pry out seven (7!) old caps from inside the hammer.

Solution #1 if Dumb Question #1 isn't the answer: Chuck the nipple in a drill and take some 150-220 wet/dry sandpaper to the cone til a #11 fully seats with some ease. You should never have to take more than ordinary thumb pressure to seat a cap. If you do, statistics will get you sooner or later.

(Do the math: a 1% chance of accident done 69 times is literal flip-of-the-coin disaster)
 
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I suspect that you already know this, but I will run it by you anyway. If you decide to install a new nipple, you need to get one like the Lyman item #6030080 which has metric threads. I have an Investarm Hawken and that is what mine uses and I suspect that all the Italian made Investarm Hawkens are the same in that matter. They are nice guns, enjoy.
 
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