Cap Splatter

[DuncNZ]

First off Good morning and Happy Christmas , It is 10.30 am on Christmas day here in New Zealand 25 C or 77 F warm and sunny , everyone is off to the beach or back yard for a barbeque .
Any way I was looking at a photo of an original Hawken breach and the amount of wear caused by cap splatter caught my attention .
Over 35 years I have fired thousands of rounds out of a Hawken copy and it never showed any damage from cap splatter .
This got me wondering why? I would imagine that a Beaver trapper , away from access to supplies and in country where the locals often had hostile intent , where a shot could attract unwanted attention , would only fire his rifle to get food or in self defense ,probably less than a hundred times a year, not a lot of shots compared with a modern target shooter .
I guess the priming compound or cap construction would be the culprit . Any one done a study on cap development ? is there a difference between then and now ?

 

[Widows Son]

First off Good morning and Happy Christmas , It is 10.30 am on Christmas day here in New Zealand 25 C or 77 F warm and sunny , everyone is off to the beach or back yard for a barbeque .
Any way I was looking at a photo of an original Hawken breach and the amount of wear caused by cap splatter caught my attention .
Over 35 years I have fired thousands of rounds out of a Hawken copy and it never showed any damage from cap splatter .
This got me wondering why? I would imagine that a Beaver trapper , away from access to supplies and in country where the locals often had hostile intent , where a shot could attract unwanted attention , would only fire his rifle to get food or in self defense ,probably less than a hundred times a year, not a lot of shots compared with a modern target shooter .
I guess the priming compound or cap construction would be the culprit . Any one done a study on cap development ? is there a difference between then and now ?

Merry Christmas my Kiwi neighbour. G’day from Queensland

That erosion/spackling/dimpling that is seen on the breech of many old guns I believe is from them not being sufficiently cleaned before storage, or before being found in-situ. At least that’s my considered opinion.
Back then caps used mercury fulminate, which is corrosive as hell. Also considering that iron/steel used in those barrels was softer than nowadays, they would have corroded easier.

 

[Widows Son]

I hope your chilly-bin is full and your jandals are comfortable

 

[DuncNZ]

I hope your chilly-bin is full and your jandals are comfortable

Churr Bro cool as good on ya . Have a good one

 

[Widows Son]

Churr Bro cool as good on ya . Have a good one

Choice

 

[satwel]

"Back then caps used mercury fulminate, which is corrosive as hell."

This.

 

[Rudyard]

Ile translate the above comments 'chilly bin' fairly obvious.' Jandles' are flip flops .' Cool as ' is a premier to' good as any thing you can think of ' Chur probably means Sure, .Bro being' brother . & 'choice means' he likes it . You cant buy many lollies for tin cints . & if you want fizzy drinks you need to ask for' lolly water' . after many years I can speak' Strine' with the help of a' pig' on my nose .
Yours levitatiously.fond
Regards Rudyard

 

[n.h.schmidt]

They weren't all mercury. Chlorate priming was known almost from the beginning. Just as corrosive though. It's what the Prime-all is based on.

 

[dave951]

Old school priming compound was about as corrosive as it gets. Not cleaning immediately after firing gets it started.