Help an idiot

[Hem]

Hammer lowered over old nipple.

 

[Addicting]

I would just chuck it in the drill and take some 600-1000 grit paper on it till a cap fits all the way down then repeat your test.

 

[DFS]

Took a drive and a walk this afternoon in a direction I don’t usually hunt. Reinforced my thought that the deer are mainly gone. Got home and fired the muzzleloader that had sat in my house/ pickup all week it went bang.

 

[Hem]

I would just chuck it in the drill and take some 600-1000 grit paper on it till a cap fits all the way down then repeat your test.

Should I be thinking flattening the nipple or easing the edges?

 

[Hunter4Life78]

Is the rifle a kit build or a factory build. If it's a kit build might be such a thing that the hammer spring is catching or at least making enough contact against wood to hinder travel against the nipple. I'm taking a S.W.A.G. on that though.

I'll ask the Old Man when he gets home. He had a Lyman's Plains Rilfe that was having hammer and firing issues and there was a piece that finally gave out and needed repair by a gunsmith. I believe that piece kept hammer in firing position.

I'll p.m. if he has any thoughts or suggestions if you like.

 

[Addicting]

Should I be thinking flattening the nipple or easing the edges?

My bet is just ever so slightly rounding the top lip would do it.

When they pour the cap it should have round material edges on the brass keeping a small air gap your compressing on the first stroke.

Sharpie it and set a cap on it and twist it to wear the sharpie off.

 

[rogerthat]

So my problem was a weak main spring. You can see the difference between the old one and the new one. Used a vise grip to take the old one out and put the new one in. I guess that’s a bad way to do it. Therefore I will be ordering a replacement. Ol Bertha busts the caps now!

 

[David58]

So my problem was a weak main spring. You can see the difference between the old one and the new one. Used a vise grip to take the old one out and put the new one in. I guess that’s a bad way to do it. Therefore I will be ordering a replacement. Ol Bertha busts the caps now!

I'd recommend ordering a spring cramp (clamp) when you order the spring. Less likely to break the spring than with pliers - if you slip with the pliers the spring can snap when it rebounds.

David
NM

 

[44hunter45]

My T/C Hawken hates RWS and Remington caps. Both brands take two hits.
CCI #11 goes bang every time.

 

[Hem]

My T/C Hawken hates RWS and Remington caps. Both brands take two hits.
CCI #11 goes bang every time.

CCI #11 is what I have been using too.
Total faith in them.

 

[David58]

My T/C Hawken hates RWS and Remington caps. Both brands take two hits.
CCI #11 goes bang every time.

Interesting. Have used RWS for any "important" shooting for over 30 years - quite a number of those on my TC Hawken. I might be using one of those super-dynamite-flamethrower nipples which might have a bit of a taper. I use the CCIs I have at our monthly fun shoot, just to get em used up.

We're each an experiment with population n=1.

David
NM

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Glad you figured out the issue with a spring replacement. And got to learn a lot of other stuff too during rule out! I recommend #11 practice and then swap nipple to a musket cap for hunting. You never hang fire with a musket cap.

 

[rogerthat]

Glad you figured out the issue with a spring replacement. And got to learn a lot of other stuff too during rule out! I recommend #11 practice and then swap nipple to a musket cap for hunting. You never hang fire with a musket cap.

Is there a specific musket cap to use? Do the re-enactment caps work just as good as the multi use?

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Is there a specific musket cap to use? Do the re-enactment caps work just as good as the multi use?

Schuetzen, RWS, CCI seem to only sell flanged nowadays. I do have some Dynamit Noble caps, probably bought 15 yrs ago, that aren’t winged and there’s no ignition change between those or winged. True story, shot my first deer after it ran away from another hunter who had a #11 failure.

The caps are much more fire and the nipples won’t fit your standard nipple puller tool. I never bought a musket tool, use needle nose pliers.

 

[David58]

I have used the green label RWS for hunting for years. Now, my T/C is retired, maybe not shot in 30 years after I scratch built a rifle, but have never had an issue with the hot RWS caps. Never had heard of using musket caps on a regler rifle until very recently.

Sorry, but I really cringe when I hear needle nose pliers on a nipple (or regular pliers on a spring). There really are right tools for the job.

David
NM

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

I have used the green label RWS for hunting for years. Now, my T/C is retired, maybe not shot in 30 years after I scratch built a rifle, but have never had an issue with the hot RWS caps. Never had heard of using musket caps on a regler rifle until very recently.

Sorry, but I really cringe when I hear needle nose pliers on a nipple (or regular pliers on a spring). There really are right tools for the job.

David
NM

I know, it’s a small expense and I should. Sometimes I use a wrench for a hammer too. I’m just one of those types.

 

[BrentD]

I know, it’s a small expense and I should. Sometimes I use a wrench for a hammer too. I’m just one of those types.

You will always BE one of those guys, if you don't learn to use the proper tools now and then. You will always be, "That BUBBA". I used to be one of those guys. I'm still dangerous, but I'm getting better. I recommend it.

 

[David58]

I know, it’s a small expense and I should. Sometimes I use a wrench for a hammer too. I’m just one of those types.

I just got lectured by too many old time muzzle loader shooters, and it just kinda by osmosis went into my OCD. My Santa Fe Hawken has an ever-so-slightly boogered cleanout screw, so one of my Christmas projects is to file it smooth, back it out, and re-cut the notch. Gunsmith's screwdrivers - the lecture I got the first time I used a tapered screwdriver on a gun screw, oh my oh my.

Now get me away from my guns, and everything is a hammer, and lots of different tools can be wrenches....

David
NM

 

[elkduds]

I once rode my motorcycle 100 miles home using vise grips as a shift lever. Then I fixed it with proper parts and tools.

 

[The Hedgehog]

@rogerthat when you get that thing g figured out will you loan it to me next December?