Stuck nipple
- Thread starter Cleet
- Start date
I took one out of a friends blackpowder rifle. He had cleaned it since he shot it a year earlier. 
That thing was crusted with rust. I used PB blaster to get it loose. One spray, set for 10 mintues, came out no problem. I had tried to remove it earlier that day and bent the nipple wrench without it budging. That was the first time I had used PB Blaster. Now I use it all the time. It's awesome. You can get it at Lowe's.
That thing was crusted with rust. I used PB blaster to get it loose. One spray, set for 10 mintues, came out no problem. I had tried to remove it earlier that day and bent the nipple wrench without it budging. That was the first time I had used PB Blaster. Now I use it all the time. It's awesome. You can get it at Lowe's.googabeest
New member
Same deal happened to me with my Pietta 1858 (my first BP gun). Broke my first nipple wrench on it. I dabbed my nipples with Kroil on a q-tip from the chamber, and the next day they came out easily, using the 1/4 broken wrench no less. I did my spare cylinders the same way and they came out easily as well. Upon cleaning the nipples/threads I found they were all coated in black crud from the factory. Cleaned that off and gave them a bit of lube, they now go in/out without a fuss even after a long shooting session.
Definitely gotta lube them nipples with something, I tell ya what.
Definitely gotta lube them nipples with something, I tell ya what.
Once you get the nipples out, go to your friendly auto supply store and buy a tube of Permatex "Anti Seize" Lubricant. It's only purpose is preventing threads from seizing. It has an aluminum powder base that has never failed me. All my choke tubes and nipple threads are coated with it and will turn out with finger pressure.
madmo44mag
New member
Man I thought this post was going to be interesting to say the least - "stuck nipple"
It's just another gun tread. LOL!!!!
It's just another gun tread. LOL!!!!
Try putting it into a metal container with some transmission fluid. Then place it on a hot plate and alternate between heating it up and letting it cool off for as much time as it takes to loosen it up. Just keep heating it up and make it hot for lengthy periods of time if necessary and it's bound to loosen up eventually. There's other steps too, but it takes times and patience and this is just another step to try.
I know someone whose shotgun choke tube got so stuck that the gunsmith ended up using a torch to loosen it up.
Putting the cylinder in boiling water might work, but I think that hot transmission oil is better to penetrate the threads with. Then try removing the nipple while the cylinder is still somewhat hot.
I know someone whose shotgun choke tube got so stuck that the gunsmith ended up using a torch to loosen it up.
Putting the cylinder in boiling water might work, but I think that hot transmission oil is better to penetrate the threads with. Then try removing the nipple while the cylinder is still somewhat hot.
Last edited:
+1 wot Chris said
And try a small socket and ratchet drive wrench, you know, whenever you buy a small socket set, there is always tiny sockets that just get left in the box, never to be used.....
Until you get a stuck nipple, that is
Googa.... the thought of dabbing Kroil on my nipples bought a tear to my eye
And try a small socket and ratchet drive wrench, you know, whenever you buy a small socket set, there is always tiny sockets that just get left in the box, never to be used.....
Until you get a stuck nipple, that is
Googa.... the thought of dabbing Kroil on my nipples bought a tear to my eye
CaptainCrossman
Moderator
Cleet
Junior Member
Join Date: 2009-05-12
Posts: 3
Stuck nipple
My 1858 New Army revolver has a stuck nipple. The nipple wrench is starting to strip the nipple and I can't get "traction" on it to turn it. Anyone have this happen and know a way to remove the nipple or do I have to buy a new cylinder?
put a small pot of water on the stove, bring it to a boil- drop the cylinder in- let it in there for about 2 minutes. Put a glove on to protect your hand, take the cylinder out, then quickly while it's still hot, try to turn the nipple out.
basically do what the common mechanic procedure of heating it, which will break the rust/corrosion bond by expansion, then turn it out while it's still hot
as a mechanic we typically would heat all stuck fasteners cherry red with an oxy-acetylene torch, then they just spin off- but it you heat that cylinder with a torch, you'll ruin the bluing, and have to reblue it
if you don't mind rebluing the cylinder, just heat the area around the nipple with a plumbers torch, and that nipple should turn out
you may have to make a new tool to grab it, if it's stripped- or you can always just drill it out, and retap- you don't need a new cylinder
what gun is this for ? I have a few spare cylinders for Colts I don't need
Junior Member
Join Date: 2009-05-12
Posts: 3
Stuck nipple
My 1858 New Army revolver has a stuck nipple. The nipple wrench is starting to strip the nipple and I can't get "traction" on it to turn it. Anyone have this happen and know a way to remove the nipple or do I have to buy a new cylinder?
put a small pot of water on the stove, bring it to a boil- drop the cylinder in- let it in there for about 2 minutes. Put a glove on to protect your hand, take the cylinder out, then quickly while it's still hot, try to turn the nipple out.
basically do what the common mechanic procedure of heating it, which will break the rust/corrosion bond by expansion, then turn it out while it's still hot
as a mechanic we typically would heat all stuck fasteners cherry red with an oxy-acetylene torch, then they just spin off- but it you heat that cylinder with a torch, you'll ruin the bluing, and have to reblue it
if you don't mind rebluing the cylinder, just heat the area around the nipple with a plumbers torch, and that nipple should turn out
you may have to make a new tool to grab it, if it's stripped- or you can always just drill it out, and retap- you don't need a new cylinder
what gun is this for ? I have a few spare cylinders for Colts I don't need
I have 4 cylinders for my 1858 Pietta and had not shot it several years. I was trying to get the nipples out of them. Some came out ok but some I still cannot get out. On one cylinder I have busted 3 wrenches. I think I am going to have to by the wrenches by the dozen. Once I get them loose I put bore butter on the threads so I won't have trouble in the future. The 4 or so that I still haven't got out I have left soaking in WD40 for weeks at a time, several times I have heated them up with a propane torch and when that did not work I sprayed them with WD40 when they were hot and so on. I just got a new cylinder last week for my 1860 Pietta that was all oily and the nipple wrench broke on some of those also. I think that Pietta puts them in to tight to begin with but the 1858 seems to break the wrenches easier because of the design. The sharp edges of the recesses along with the angle of the nipple tends to snap them off. I was wondering if someone makes a closer fitting wrench. Maybe one that would fit a ratchet would be good. The steel it to hard and brittle on them also. The tips break off.
I never tighten mine when putting them back in just snug them, then back off 1/4 turn. You do have to check more often to make sure they haven't backed out to far. I do this with my pistols and my rifles never had a stuck nipple or breech plug, also use anti-seize on the threads also.
long rider
New member
I will go with hillbilly on that, i never over do the
tightning, just snug is good, that way you will have
no probs, just like me.
tightning, just snug is good, that way you will have
no probs, just like me.
Andy Griffith
New member
If you want a nipple wrench that will not deform even on the most stubborn revolver nipples, I have the solution, and it is suprisingly simple, although not "period correct," I don't think you will mind.
Go to your local hardware store or tool supplier and purchase a 3/16" nut driver.
I used the Pratt-Read brand because they are still made in the good old USA.
The factory part number is #77710 for the nut driver. Plus, the head of this one will just fit down in the recess where the nipples are, which might be an issue with another brand- I measured to be certain.
When you get it home, break out your Dremel tool, or a small set of files (they will take you longer) and cut out the sides so that it will go down over the nipple.
So long as you don't heat up the end of it too hot, it will stay hard and it is nearly impossible to strip this tool unless you continually let it slip off. This is guaranteed to get out the most stubborn nipple.
There is one other way if you think a cylinder is "lost," and it does work well.
Use either a Coleman stove or some kind of small gas burner- I used a little butane hiker stove that has one of those little butane/propane mix cylinders for backpacking. Put your cylinder on it and turn it up until it gets red hot- Make certain that you have some way to hold it and take it off of there without burning yourself or anything around that will burn! I built a metal plate affixed to my work table with two 1/4" pieces of drill rod on it to slip up through the chambers so it wouldn't turn. Then I got out my trusty nipple tool, and worked the nipple out gently. This worked when the penetrating oils wouldn't even budge it- this is a "last resort" remedy though, but it works.
Go to your local hardware store or tool supplier and purchase a 3/16" nut driver.
I used the Pratt-Read brand because they are still made in the good old USA.
The factory part number is #77710 for the nut driver. Plus, the head of this one will just fit down in the recess where the nipples are, which might be an issue with another brand- I measured to be certain.
When you get it home, break out your Dremel tool, or a small set of files (they will take you longer) and cut out the sides so that it will go down over the nipple.
So long as you don't heat up the end of it too hot, it will stay hard and it is nearly impossible to strip this tool unless you continually let it slip off. This is guaranteed to get out the most stubborn nipple.
There is one other way if you think a cylinder is "lost," and it does work well.
Use either a Coleman stove or some kind of small gas burner- I used a little butane hiker stove that has one of those little butane/propane mix cylinders for backpacking. Put your cylinder on it and turn it up until it gets red hot- Make certain that you have some way to hold it and take it off of there without burning yourself or anything around that will burn! I built a metal plate affixed to my work table with two 1/4" pieces of drill rod on it to slip up through the chambers so it wouldn't turn. Then I got out my trusty nipple tool, and worked the nipple out gently. This worked when the penetrating oils wouldn't even budge it- this is a "last resort" remedy though, but it works.
This C&B ratchet wrench from The Possible Shop was posted on THR and it looks like a winner! [Thanks to Blacknet for the top picture]
http://www.possibleshop.com/nipple-wrench.htm
http://www.possibleshop.com/nipple-wrench.htm
Attachments
Last edited:
Freeze it. put the cylinder in the freezer for a couple of hours. it will shrink up the metal. then take it out and let it warm up naturally. any rust or anything will break loose. But do not try to loosen it yet. you just want to do that to start it off. After that go back to putting it in a jar of penetrating oil. for a few days then use a very good nipple wrench it should come off easy by then.