Snap caps for cap and ball pistols?
- Thread starter mrappe
- Start date
CajunPowder
Moderator
I think snap-caps for a cap and ball revolver could certainly be a viable product.
If they were a rubber "nipple" perhaps a piece of rubber seated into a metal base that had threads, I think it would be a commercially viable product.
If it is ONLY a slip over, a rubber cap, that might sell as well.
I'd like to have some for sure. There are a lot of dry fire exercises to improve accuracy that I just won't do on my pietta 1858 target because I know the hammer and nipples will peen fo sho nuff.
If they were a rubber "nipple" perhaps a piece of rubber seated into a metal base that had threads, I think it would be a commercially viable product.
If it is ONLY a slip over, a rubber cap, that might sell as well.
I'd like to have some for sure. There are a lot of dry fire exercises to improve accuracy that I just won't do on my pietta 1858 target because I know the hammer and nipples will peen fo sho nuff.
Support_and_Defend
Moderator
I would be careful with that, Noz. I don't know if this is normal or not, but on my 1851 Navy replica, if the hammer does not fall forward enough, it locks up completely. I can't pull the hammer back until it goes forward enough to clear whatever in the trigger mechanism is locking it. Something in the curved channel under the hammer on my gun would keep the hammer from going all the way forward and would lock up my gun.
It works with all of my 1860s.Rifleman1776
New member
For target use, which means a lot of shooting, nipples should be changed fairly frequently anyway. Just keep an old set of nipples and do your dry firing on those.
BTW, a good quality nipple wrench is invaluable.
BTW, a good quality nipple wrench is invaluable.
Andy Griffith
New member
How long do nipples supposedly last?
I've got perhaps 1000rds. through a steel frame 1851-style in .44 and haven't bradded them up at all yet, but then I've never dry fired it. I've got a set of Ampco nipples to try on one of my guns, but I haven't yet because I've never had any problems...yet.
I honestly think it takes a lot of shooting to wear out nipples, anyway- wouldn't it be the flash hole to get too large first? You'd start noticing the hammer flying to half-cock. Dry firing though, perahps not a lot.
I've got perhaps 1000rds. through a steel frame 1851-style in .44 and haven't bradded them up at all yet, but then I've never dry fired it. I've got a set of Ampco nipples to try on one of my guns, but I haven't yet because I've never had any problems...yet.
I honestly think it takes a lot of shooting to wear out nipples, anyway- wouldn't it be the flash hole to get too large first? You'd start noticing the hammer flying to half-cock. Dry firing though, perahps not a lot.
aarondhgraham
New member
Pull the nipples,,,
Remove the nipples first,,,
That should give the hammer room to drop enough.
Then rubber cement the leather to the cylinder,,,
The rubber cement will rub right off when you are ready to reinsert the nipples.
.
Remove the nipples first,,,
That should give the hammer room to drop enough.
Then rubber cement the leather to the cylinder,,,
The rubber cement will rub right off when you are ready to reinsert the nipples.
.
madcratebuilder
New member
yup.
If the hammer is hitting the nipples just remove them for dry fire practice.
The title answers its own question.
Oh boy here we go again.
Rifleman1776
New member
Gbro is absolutely correct.
I didn't mention it because it is a very rare out of the box C&B revolver that is really properly set up that way. These pistols can be tuned to do that.
Plus/but other factors can come into play. e.g. not all nipples from different manufacturers are identical. Where the hammer may not strike with one brand, it might with another.
Banging up the nipples with use is not the problem, burn out is the problem. Probably not a big issue with pistols. But bench rest ML shooters can see the difference and many are obsessive about changing nipples before big competitions.
I didn't mention it because it is a very rare out of the box C&B revolver that is really properly set up that way. These pistols can be tuned to do that.
Plus/but other factors can come into play. e.g. not all nipples from different manufacturers are identical. Where the hammer may not strike with one brand, it might with another.
Banging up the nipples with use is not the problem, burn out is the problem. Probably not a big issue with pistols. But bench rest ML shooters can see the difference and many are obsessive about changing nipples before big competitions.
If I wanted to dry fire a cap&baller I'd change the length of the hammer nose to be a few .001's in. short of the nipples when the cylinder is pulled all the way forward. Of course the hammer would need re-hardened after the dimension change.
Some cap&ballers are already "dry fire safe" out of the box. I'd check that first to see if they are and if they were I'd dry fire away.
I've noticed some Piettas are "dry fire safe" out of the box. Some aren't.
It seems the higher quality cap&ballers are made "dry fire safe" out of the box.
I've several that are "dry fire safe". One notable revolver is a "top quality" Italian gun. Well I'd imagine it to be Italian but there are no makers marks on it. It's an 1861 Colt style.
The gun has masterful Nimski/Young type engraving about 85% coverage. Beautiful work of art. Engraved by a true master of the art. Part of it's worth is it is tuned to near perfection and one trait of the "tune" is that it's "dry fire safe". The other trait besides the action in perfect time,index,alignment ect.ect. it that it was made to be sighted to shoot point of aim/point of impact the same. It's a real treasure. I bought it at a "swappers day" type event where guns are sold as well as other flee market type stuff. Paid $250 for the gun. Very little handling marks on it. French grey frame,rich high grade bluing to the cylinder,barrel,backstrap ect.ect.
Anyway, higher grade cap&ballers are set up to be "dry fire safe". I've included that trait to the list of requirements a cap&baller has to have to be "tuned" by me for people wanting the near perfect action to their cap&baller. That's besides the point though. I only mention that as a way to brag on myself(why not?) but mostly to tell that the "dry fire safe" cap&baller trait is attainable if you can hone down the nose of a hammer and reharden it. Kasinet(sold at Brownells gunsmithing supply) is a good way for a "Kitchen Table Gunsmith" to get an acceptable hardening back to a hammer nose. That doesn't make the hammer nose impervious to nipple impressions though. It would be difficult to harden a "stock" hammer well enough to not be peened by the nipples during dry firing. A new hammer fashioned from a higher grade carbon steel may be made to be impervious to nipple damsage. That would be work for someone with a lot of extra time on their hands.
Anyway there are several ways to make a gun "dry fire safe". The hammer nose honed down. A spot of weld in the hammers channel that's honed to the right height. Nipple recesses deepened with an end cut/bottom cut end mill on a milling machine. Nipples themselves shortened at the cones. "Cones" are another name for nipples.
Anyway the easiest way to be safe on the gun when dry firing for practice or play would be to remove the nipples from the gun.
Personally I'd thunk that "snap caps" for cap&ball revolvers for sale on the retail market would be a total failure in the sales department and very difficult to make and be viable and to last any time at all.
I'd imagine using leather as a cushion would be too short lived as leather compresses and stays thinned afterwards. When would a person know to stop dry firing and change the leather before damage to the hammer and/or nipples accured?
Some cap&ballers are already "dry fire safe" out of the box. I'd check that first to see if they are and if they were I'd dry fire away.
I've noticed some Piettas are "dry fire safe" out of the box. Some aren't.
It seems the higher quality cap&ballers are made "dry fire safe" out of the box.
I've several that are "dry fire safe". One notable revolver is a "top quality" Italian gun. Well I'd imagine it to be Italian but there are no makers marks on it. It's an 1861 Colt style.
The gun has masterful Nimski/Young type engraving about 85% coverage. Beautiful work of art. Engraved by a true master of the art. Part of it's worth is it is tuned to near perfection and one trait of the "tune" is that it's "dry fire safe". The other trait besides the action in perfect time,index,alignment ect.ect. it that it was made to be sighted to shoot point of aim/point of impact the same. It's a real treasure. I bought it at a "swappers day" type event where guns are sold as well as other flee market type stuff. Paid $250 for the gun. Very little handling marks on it. French grey frame,rich high grade bluing to the cylinder,barrel,backstrap ect.ect.
Anyway, higher grade cap&ballers are set up to be "dry fire safe". I've included that trait to the list of requirements a cap&baller has to have to be "tuned" by me for people wanting the near perfect action to their cap&baller. That's besides the point though. I only mention that as a way to brag on myself(why not?) but mostly to tell that the "dry fire safe" cap&baller trait is attainable if you can hone down the nose of a hammer and reharden it. Kasinet(sold at Brownells gunsmithing supply) is a good way for a "Kitchen Table Gunsmith" to get an acceptable hardening back to a hammer nose. That doesn't make the hammer nose impervious to nipple impressions though. It would be difficult to harden a "stock" hammer well enough to not be peened by the nipples during dry firing. A new hammer fashioned from a higher grade carbon steel may be made to be impervious to nipple damsage. That would be work for someone with a lot of extra time on their hands.
Anyway there are several ways to make a gun "dry fire safe". The hammer nose honed down. A spot of weld in the hammers channel that's honed to the right height. Nipple recesses deepened with an end cut/bottom cut end mill on a milling machine. Nipples themselves shortened at the cones. "Cones" are another name for nipples.
Anyway the easiest way to be safe on the gun when dry firing for practice or play would be to remove the nipples from the gun.
Personally I'd thunk that "snap caps" for cap&ball revolvers for sale on the retail market would be a total failure in the sales department and very difficult to make and be viable and to last any time at all.
I'd imagine using leather as a cushion would be too short lived as leather compresses and stays thinned afterwards. When would a person know to stop dry firing and change the leather before damage to the hammer and/or nipples accured?
Support_and_Defend
Moderator
mrappe said:
http://www.tdcmfg.com/cgi-bin/cart/...995*XY7gk6&p_id=E-RATCHET&xm=on&ppinc=search2
Positively the best nipple wrench available!
Another Nipple Wrench
Support and Defend
Thanks for the link. I've been considering getting another type of Nipple Wrench. I have about a half dozen different types now, so what's another one? I ordered one "just in case". You know what I mean if you've waded through the range box looking for the one that works, when a nipple even starts to feel "stuck". Nipple wrenches are like screw drivers, you just can't have one.
Support and Defend
Thanks for the link. I've been considering getting another type of Nipple Wrench. I have about a half dozen different types now, so what's another one? I ordered one "just in case". You know what I mean if you've waded through the range box looking for the one that works, when a nipple even starts to feel "stuck". Nipple wrenches are like screw drivers, you just can't have one.
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Support_and_Defend
Moderator
The nipple adapter has a standard hex size head that will fit into a regular socket. If you had to, I'll bet you could put your cylinder in a vice, put the adapter in a socket and the socket on a 3 foot cheater bar and you would break the nipple off before that adapter gave way!