Capping and De-capping a Muzzle Loader

[FPrice]

Okay, I am still basically brand new at this. As in haven't yet shoot my first black powder firearm and have (another) question.

What is the proper and safe way to cap and de-cap your rifle? I am looking for an instructor here in the local area (had an offer from a forum member in CT but for personal reasons have been unable to take him up on this) to show my son and I the proper and safe ways to shoot.

Do you just do it by hand? I have seen some references to various tools but shops that carry muzzle loading firearms and supplies are few around this area.

 

[Zonie]

Yes, most people just use their fingers to put the cap on a rifle or a single shot pistol.

If the gun isn't fired and you want to remove the cap, usually it can be removed with your fingers but sometimes it will have become so tight on the nipple cone that a pocket knife might be needed to pry it up a little bit.

Although there 's always someone who will say, "I knew a guy.....", in my opinion, percussion caps are totally safe to handle so installing and removing them from the nipple with your fingers is a safe thing to do. They need to have a very hard impact from something that will compress the priming material to get them to explode.

As for caps that have been fired, they usually self destruct or are blown off of the nipple by the high pressure powder gas from the burning powder. I have had a few that didn't and remained on the nipple after the gun fired. These stubborn caps almost always needed to be pried off with a pocket knife.

Speaking of removing a cap after the gun has fired, always do this before you start to reload the gun and leave the nipple bare before you start to do the reloading. This is especially important for the guns made by the big factories like Thompson Center, Lyman, Pedersoli etc. because most of them have a long, small hole that connects the bore with the nipple.
You will want the new powder charge to be blown back thru this hole to the base of the nipple while your ramming the patched ball or bullet in order to get a fast, sure ignition on the next shot.

The various capping devices of course can be used to cap the nipple but they (IMO) are best suited for capping the cap and ball revolvers which have the nipple down in cut out pockets on the rear of the cylinder.

 

[FPrice]

Jim,

Thank you for an excellent explanation of this process.

 

[Zonie]

While I'm at it, some of the modern sidelock guns like those from TC have a "half cock" position that leaves the hammer too close to the nipple to allow you to cap it. It is necessary on these guns to bring the hammer to full cock to get the cap on.

That's fine if you want to shoot the gun right away but, if you want to put the gun in the half-cock position without shooting it there is a right way and a wrong way of doing this.

Lets say you've loaded the powder and patched ball or bullet with the hammer at half cock and no cap on the nipple on a TC Hawken. Now, you want to cap the nipple so you pull the hammer to full cock and install the cap.

Because these guns have double set triggers on them, they also have a "fly" in the lock. The fly's job is to prevent the locks sear (the thing that holds the tumbler and hammer in position) from entering the half cock notch when the hammer is falling from a full cocked position. Due to this, if you try lowering the hammer while using your thumb to control the fall, the gun will not go directly into the half cock notch. It will keep on falling until it rests on the capped nipple if left to its own devices.
The only way to get the hammer to a half cock position is to slowly lower it down until it just about contacts the cap and then, pull it back up slightly until you hear the "click" of the sear falling into the half cock notch.

I mention all of this because of one of the "tricks" a fly can pull on you that leaves the gun is a totally unsafe condition.

Like I said earlier, the fly's job is to prevent the sear from entering the half cock notch while the hammer is falling and in order to do this, it stands proud of the tumbler. In this position sometimes if your lowering the hammer from the full cock position to try to get it into a safe half cock position the sear will "hang up" on the fly and the hammer will stop falling.
When this happens, the gun will appear to be at half cock but because the fly is the only thing that is keeping the hammer from falling, the slightest jar of the gun can get the fly to release the hammer. Just sitting the gun down against a hard surface like placing the gun into a gun rack can be enough to make the hammer fall and the gun to fire.
This is the reason I always lower the hammer slowly until it rests on the capped nipple and then slowly raise it until I hear the "click" of the sear entering the half cock notch before I consider the gun safe to sit aside.

By the way, a fly is in almost every lock that is designed to be used with set triggers so this "fly hang up problem" exists with all guns with set triggers, not just the TC, Lyman and other factory guns.

 

[bang]

On single shot pistols and side lock rifles just pull the hammer back just enough to get the primer on. This way the lock will still be in half cock mode and is way less of odds the hammer would fall to the nipple if it slips. Some use a piece of wood dowel to push the primer to seat it. Another way is to set the hammer on the primer and push the hammer against the primer. Generally niether is needed if the nipple is correct, primer properly fits nipple and hammer spring pressure and alignment is correct.

 

[Baxter]

I advocate the use of a cap-holder. These are available on-line from many shops and are reasonably inexpensive. When it is cold and you are trying to "fish" a cap out of a small tin or other container, you will appreciate having loaded your capper beforehand and being able to put a cap on that nipple with a tool that is easy to grasp and use. Many cappers have a lanyard loop that allows the capper to handily hang where it is most convenient for you.

 

[Carbon 6]

I gave Zonie a like for each comment,

Only thing I would add is that even when I use a capper, I still make sure the cap is fully seated with my thumb.

Beyond that use whatever method you feel the most comfortable with, fumbling is what can cause accidents.

 

[Dibbuk]

My opinion only:

First, do NOT put a cap on the nipple until you are on the firing line, and ready to shoot. No exceptions.

Whether you put the cap on the nipple using your fingers or by using a capper is a matter of personal choice. I have fat fingers, and wrestling a small cap can be a chore at times, so I often use a capper.

Most spent caps have the skirt blown open, and will just fall off the nipple. Occasionally a cap will mushroom and seize on the nipple. When this happens, you can remove the cap with a small knife or a set of needle nose pliers. I keep a Leatherman in my range box for when this occurs.

 

[FPrice]

We have definitely thought about that. In our defense I would say that starting out in muzzleloading is a bit more complicated than modern firearms.

I advocate the use of a cap-holder. These are available on-line from many shops and are reasonably inexpensive. When it is cold and you are trying to "fish" a cap out of a small tin or other container, you will appreciate having loaded your capper beforehand and being able to put a cap on that nipple with a tool that is easy to grasp and use. Many cappers have a lanyard loop that allows the capper to handily hang it where it is most convenient for you.

 

[30coupe]

I advocate the use of a cap-holder. These are available on-line from many shops and are reasonably inexpensive. When it is cold and you are trying to "fish" a cap out of a small tin or other container, you will appreciate having loaded your capper beforehand and being able to put a cap on that nipple with a tool that is easy to grasp and use. Many cappers have a lanyard loop that allows the capper to handily hang it where it is most convenient for you.

I agree! Especially if you live and hunt in a cold state like Iowa. Capping with cold, stiff fingers can be an exercise in futility. I would add to what Zonie told you to make sure you take your finger OFF the trigger before you bring the hammer back to half cock. With a TC Hawken and most other caplocks, you will hear a quite audible click when the sear engages the half cock notch.

Welcome to the addiction, by the way. Sidelocks, be they flint or percussion, are like Lays potato chips, nobody can have just one! Did I just date myself with that allusion to an old Lays commercial or what? Oh, well, the white beard in my avatar might have already done that, lol!

 

[Zonie]

We have definitely thought about that. In our defense I would say that starting out in muzzleloading is a bit more complicated than modern firearms.

After you get used to needing to do a few extra things to shoot them you'll find that this is what makes muzzleloading more enjoyable.
It combines shooting and reloading and because it takes a little longer, it doesn't break the bank like modern cartridge guns can easily do by eating up $30 worth of ammo in 10 minutes time.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

I use a pocket’s knives to pry up the cap. Be careful not to enscratchen the stock!!

 

[Ames]

As for caps that have been fired, they usually self destruct or are blown off of the nipple by the high pressure powder gas from the burning powder. I have had a few that didn't and remained on the nipple after the gun fired. These stubborn caps almost always needed to be pried off with a pocket knife.

Don't forget the occasional exploded cap that lodges itself inside the cup of the hammer. It can leave you wondering why the next shot wont fire.

 

[stewart.leach]

Once again Zonie has dispensed a lot of good advice. We are blessed by his participation.

I am a fan of mechanical capping devices. They hold those pesky little things under control. My favorite is the lozenge-shaped item by Ted Cash. It holds a generous number of caps, and the two I have had function flawlessly. After installing the cap I flip the device over and press the cap down with the backside to make sure the cap is fully seated. A foot or so of thong on the ring has a nipple prick wire on the other end.

The curved end cappers meant for revolvers have not worked out so well.

For hunting I keep a "straight-line" stick type capper in my shirt pocket. It holds 10 or so caps, more than I'm likely to need whether hunting large or small game. I bought it after dropping three caps in the snow while reloading after putting a ball in the right place on a 3x2 muley eating buck. Sixty plus years of hunting deer and elk and I still get buck fever!

 

[longcruise]

Don't forget the occasional exploded cap that lodges itself inside the cup of the hammer. It can leave you wondering why the next shot wont fire.

That's far more common for me. Rarely does a fired cap hang up on the nipple on my rifles but I'm sure it could be a more frequent problem for some.

Recently another shooter brought something to my attention as he observed me popping a spent cap out of the cup of the hammer. He put a Remington cap on the table next to one of my CCIs. The CCI was noticeably taller than the Remington. I tried a few of the Remingtons and they did indeed work better.

As far as cappers go, I have settled on the leather ones. Super easy to make with a punch. Press the cap on with the thumb and then slide the capper off sideways via a slit on the edge. I use them exclusively for hunting and targets.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I do occasionally use my fingers to cap my rifles or my pistols. I do like to set the caps firmly on the nipple so I find the use of a capper to be beneficial. Removal is done with a small knife. Fired caps generally fall off. Sometimes they hang on the nipple or in the recess in the hammer. Usually a quick wipe with my thumb will remove the cap fragments. Sometimes the caps get stuck in the hammer, so I use a small knife.

Here are my cappers. I have four, well five counting my fingers.

The first is a linear capper. It holds 12 caps, is a pain to load the caps but it will load everything from my revolvers to my rifles.
The second is a leather one that hangs around my neck. I punched the holes to fit the caps and slit the edge to ease removal of the caps.
The third is the lozenge one from Ted Cash. It holds about 80 caps. Pour in the caps and gently shake the holder to get the caps to come upright. Great for rifles with clear access to the nipple. Easy to really push the cap in place.
The fourth is the snail caper from Ted Cash. It holds 80 to 100 caps. It was designed to load caps on revolvers. It does pretty good on the Colt's revolvers, but not so good on the Remingtons.

 

[CTShooter]

No rush, when you have time.
I try to keep it simple, just fingers, but I do only keep like half a dozen caps in the tin, in case my fingers get stupid, I don't drop a whole tin full.

 

[LeonardC]

You might check with your state Fish & Game about taking a local ML course. I learned a lot from taking the online course and during the hands on part I was able to get answers to a lot of my questions.

 

[THBailey]

"What is the proper and safe way to cap and de-cap your rifle?"

Good advice above. I would add that capping is the absolute last step in loading and preparing to fire. Do not have any part of your anatomy in front of the muzzle of a gun with a cap on it.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Another thing; every now and then I will fire a cap and the explosive contents of the cap will come loose from the cap, go slightly down in my guns nipple and plug it. I don't usually realize this until my gun fails to go off on the next shot.