Cap maker from aluminium cans

[Jarikeen]

Does anyone know where I might be able to purchase a percussion cap maker, that uses aluminium cans?

 

[Bubba45]

Forester products

 

[Wes/Tex]

The "Tap-A-Cap" used to be listed in Dixie's catalog but I've have to dig one out to seeif they're still listed. Friend had one that he used to make caps for his T/C Cherokee in .32. He got about 70% reliability with his home-made caps and 10 grains of FFFG in that little rifle. He used commercial paper caps from kid's cap-pistols as his ignition. That was about the cheapest shooting I've ever heard of, even if it did require a lot of work time. Have fun!

 

[Jarikeen]

I've been told that the trick is to put a toy cap in first, then some fine smokeless powder then another cap on that, into the aluminium cap.

Caps here in the land of Oz are as expensive as .22LR bullets.

 

[Jarikeen]

Thanks for the name of the product. I was able to google it, and found two suppliers. The price is good and I've emailled them to see if they will post to the land of OZ.

 

[shmrck1]

Jarikeen,
Yep,I do believe DGW carries the Tap-a-Cap,or at least they did in the 2006 catalog.At least in
my case it is easier to find percussion caps
than toy caps.Wes/Tex might be right about
70%,but I would think it a bit lower than that even.
If I were a paper shooter,I would be very
disappointed with a 70%plus or minus ignition
rate.
As a hunter I would be:cursing: and thourghly
P/O with anything less than close to 100%.
Especially with a caplock.
snake-eyes :hmm:

 

[boar]

I got mine from forester. They don"t work in every gun I have, You can put more then one cap in them. I beleive it depends on your gun spring. Nice to have. Sometimes I just use them for target and save the store bought ones for hunting. Dilly

 

[Blizzard of '93]

if a supplier for mercury fulminate could be found a drop could be placed into, dried and then they would fire reliably.

 

[LFC]

Is that "Forester" or "Forster"? And can you give the website or phone number? Thanks!

 

[jgr1974]

Just a thought I had. I recall an article in The Backwoodsman magazine where someone was reloading rimfire cartridges. They used the white end of the strike anywhere match. The process was to carefully cut the end off with a razor blade, crush it in a mortar then use just a touch of water to make a paste and apply to the bottom of the shell. I wonder if it would work here?

The Mad Mick!!!

 

[Runner]

If you use the caps made with paper, you just have to have a drill bit the size of the inside of the nipple to clean the paper out. If you use that each time to clear all of the paper scraps out and then use a pick, they are very reliable with black. If you don't take time to remove the paper, they are hit and miss. I don't know where they still sell the caps to even make them anymore. I used them and the plastic toy caps all summer one year back in the 80's. Good target range option but the hotter commercial caps work better for hunting in my opinion. Of course, I put a primer charge under the nipple when hunting most of the time anyway.
The caps are perfectly usable but require a couple of different things from you than the regular ones do. The first is a tool to remove the paper debris, and the other is air tight storage for your caps. Paper caps are like fireworks. They draw moisture. You can take care of a reasonable amount in a tin, but don't make up the next batch until you need them and keep your paper caps at home in a very dry place until you use them.
There are also red plastic childrens cap gun caps that are usually on a ring to go in a revolver. They are a tight fit on a number 11 nipple and a little hotter than the average paper cap. Sometimes you can get the refill cards for around 50 cents for 144 to 200 caps already made up.
Good Luck!

 

[Jarikeen]

If you do a google search for Forster Tap-O-Cap you will find a couple of websites.

Thankyou all for the suggestions. Experimenting with this could be fun. I mostly want one in-case, for what ever reason, I can't get commercially made caps in the future.

 

[Jarikeen]

Interesting suggestion using the plastic caps. Have you had a problem with the plastic being punched out by the hammer and lodging in the nipple hole?

 

[Runner]

I never had a problem with the plastic. They are still paper caps and you have to clean the paper out is all.

 

[boar]

I got mine at Discount Drug Mart. They where with the cap guns. A bunch were cheap. Dilly

 

[rkeltner]

i took a completely different tack on the "home made cap" route, but mine was from the aspect of reducing the number of different components that i keep around. realizing that percussion caps and small rifle/pistol primers are the same diameter, i got some aquarium tubing, cut it to proper length, pressed the primer into the length of tubing, and went shooting(yes, i know, not pc; but it does work!) i've never had quicker ignition from a sidelock, and there are no cap fragments to deal with. interestingly the plastic tubing seems to be considerably stronger the brass in the caps, having gotten up to three or four firings from one length of tubing!

 

[2172]

jgr...back in my childhood in the dark ages of the early 1940's, paper caps were not available...some of us carefully cut the white ends off of "strike anywhere" matches and used them in percussion guns as caps...I had an old wooden drill rifle with a perc. lock, and made my "caps" stay in place with a dab of modeling clay...friends who used their granddaddy's Springfield found out one day that it'd been left loaded, as they shot a hole in a living room couch....so I know they will ignite a charge, even an old one....Hank

 

[xxgrampa]

fixit,

that is one of the best ideas i ever heard of.. thanks..


..ttfn..grampa..

 

[rkeltner]

as an add on, it should be noted that the musket cap is about the same size as large rifle/pistol primers, too. same concept, same approach. i use the large rifle primers on a custombarrel i made for my buckhunter pistol from traditions. wonderful ignition!!!! :grin:

 

[jgr1974]

Hank,

An old Brother and friend, has has passed on, told he used the tips of strike matches as well in a Blk pwdr shotgun his dad bought him back in the depression. He would just cut the match heads off the stick and then tape them to the nipple!!! Claimed they always had a full pot!

The Mad MIck!