Muzzleloader conversion
Can a sidelock Muzzleloader be fitted with a nipple that takes the shotgun primer? I am not happy with the percussion caps and want to take my gun hunting this year.
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do you ever remove the nipple when you clean the gun?..why go thru a drill and tap thing when all you need to do is drill the nipple out to a larger diameter and use a hotter musket cap..the german ones are real good.
it is good that we meet in the struggle of life or death.. .....it shall be life!0 -
good answer kris,I'd suggest the same.... 0 -
Only problem is....When you drill the Nipple out to a larger Hole it allows More back pressure to Bleed back thru the Nipple and has been known to Cock the Hammer....I been there and Done that...and after that lesson I learnd to Dress the Nipple with a Jewelers File and Fit the Percussion Cap Square to the Nipple....No More Problems.....Be Careful, Be Safe......
Captain Kirk, Tech Staff0 -
some of the larger cal rifles will take a musket cap nipple, I know my T/C 54 cal Hawkens does, another thing is there is no way i would want to drop a hammer on a shotgun primer that close to my eyes ,
Capt. would you go into a little more detail on what you do to the Nipple and why does it help ? thanks [;)]0 -
gskyhawk: What happens is that most Hammers after a few years tend to wear at an angle where it strikes the Nipple...Usually the Nipple is a Bit harder than the hammer...and the hammer cup begins to get a declivity in it..When it get's to bad it will not hit the Cap with the whole cup face, but only an edge...Then you have to have the hammer cup welded and then drilled out and Squared...To save a lot of agravation, You Find a Percussion Cap that barely fits the Nipple..and then dress the Nipple to where the Cap slides down over the nipple...and stays on ...without falling off...Remove the Percussion Cap and lay it aside..Then using a piece of paper the thinkness of a Postal Card, cut a small piece to insert into the Hammer Cup...Cock the Gun and Allow the Hammer to Strike the Nipple with the Paper....Look at the Piece of Paper and see if its striking True or at an angle...If at an angle file the opposite side of the Nipple and try another piece of Paper until it strikes it Flat and evenly...After I learned that trick I only carried Spare Nipples as a force of habit..I used to shoot competition Bench Shoots..I shot Cross Sticks and Off Hand once in awhile at the State Shoots...But for many Years I just shot Bench...Set a New Mexico Record with a 50x4X's for the State Championship Shoots in Estancia New Mexico back in 74...
Had a string of trophys that took up a whole wall in My Office/Shop..for other shoots I participated in...anyway...enough...
...You want the Hammer to Hit the Cap Square...and you want the Percussion Cap Square on the Nipple....Give it a try...Your Old Captain would'nt lead You astray......Best..........
Captain Kirk, Tech Staff0 -
I understand now , I'll have to check it out , thanks again [:D][:D] 0 -
Trying to answer the question, I recall seeing an article years ago, maybe in Muzzle Blasts magazine, how to make a primer ignition nipple replacement. Basic description (as I recall)it had a base piece that screwed in where the nipple goes. It was configured inside to receive a primer. A cover portion that held a very short firing pin was threaded to fit the base. I decided not to make one because it looked bulky and had loose parts that had to be handled every time you loaded. Also its length might have required some provision to allow the hammer to address it properly (important as discussed in above replies). On some guns that could have been done by backing the drum a few degrees (if it had a drum). On a bolster config the hammer would have to be reworked. The use of the primer probably would have given hot ignition but I gave up the idea as not practical for me. Hope this helps. 0 -
to expand the nipple opening has never posed a problem for me..but them im shooting a 58 cal enfield.with a heavy trigger pull..but then again i dont ream out the nipple either ,i go one drill size over the original size so the back pressure really isnt a factor...main reason for miss fire in the fall and winter is mositure related problems with the caps.......keep em warm in a pocket until your set up in your stand or blind...not uncommon for me to switch out the caps after a couple of hours of sitting...please remember to remove the nipple when cleaning the gun...soak and scrub off all the powder..it will buid up underneath on the nipple even if you think it is clear by running a nipple pick down it..plus that will allow you to check the threads in the barrel and clean the flash channel as well..and try those german caps!!!..test snap a few and compare those against what you have been using before
it is good that we meet in the struggle of life or death.. .....it shall be life!0 -
kiss goodnight, you didn't say what problem you were having with the caps. Is your cap firing, but not igniting the powder? Or is the cap not firing?
If the cap is not firing Capt. Kirk has given you good advice. If the cap is firing, but not igniting the powder, they you are not cleaning your rifle well enough.
For deer hunting, just prior to loading I remove the nipple and clean the nipple and the drum thoroughly with pipe cleaners, to get the last particles of oil or solvent out of this area. I run a couple clean patches to the very bottom of the bore, and turn the ramrod a few times while it is bottomed out, to pick up any oil that may be at the bottom of the bore. A drop of oil at the bottom of the barrel, or beneath the nipple, can soak the powder and ruin your day. I screw the nipple back in and load the gun. Then I remove the nipple again and put 4 or 5 grains of powder directly beneath the nipple. I don't mean weighed grains, I mean 4 or 5 of the tiny, individual pieces of powder.
Doing this, I have never had a misfire while hunting, and I have hunted a lot with percussion.
What kind of powder do you use? BP fires better than any other, if you are using a substitute you might switch to BP, or, for hunting, you could put in a little BP first, and put a bit of BP beneath the nipple, and then go on with the 777 or whatever.
As was alluded to above, when contemplating 209s, you have to ask how much flash you want going off in your face. A 209, if you could rig one up, you probably don't want. There are musket nipples that will screw right into your rifle, Dixie has 2 or 3 different kinds. Try it, but it is more flame in your face.
To get to your original question, Dixie used to sell a little housing that screwed into your drum, in place of the nipple. This little thing housed a small rifle primer. I put it right on my Tenn.Mountain Rifle and it worked great. I also wanted to put it on the TC Hawken,but I had to grind down the drum area of the rifle to make it work.
I can't find this little device in the current Dixie catalog. They have a new device that does the same thing. It looks like a regular nipple, but it has a little spring wound around the top of it. You put a small rifle primer into it and the spring holds the primer in place. It wouldn't require any modification, this thing would screw right in.
This is called the Primer Nipple.It fits the standard 1/4 by 28 drum. Part #NP1475, page 222 of current catalog. $9.95.
If you go with one of these hotter ignition devices, get it now and try it out before the season. You may find they put too much fire in your face, and you can do better by cleaning that rifle real well and sticking with the #11s.0
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