Caps falling off

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I have never been able to replicate a chain fire from the nipple end despite trying with 5 different revolvers. over the course of many thousands of rounds. I have had chain fire from the front with under sized balls.
 
I think the chain fire thing can and does happen from either end of the cylinder. All it takes is the right circumstances. Just because one person hasn't had it happen to them doesn't mean someone else has not experienced it. I have a Walker that was real nasty about chain fires, I found the nipples were under size on the threaded end after getting hit in the face by flying nipples. After tapping and treading the nipple holes to accept TC Hotshot nipples the chain fire problem has not plagued me since.

I could see a rear chain fire with Cones that badly loose.

Mostly I think its a front phenomena. While I am not in the league of many here, I have shot maybe 1000-1500 rounds of Ball and some conical and other than using the right size projectiles, no precautions for chain fire, including using pinched caps when that was all I had.

I would think seriously eroded Cone holes might be another rear possibility.
 
Another way is if the chambers are not truly cylindrical. If they have a taper to them, then as the bullet is seated it is swaged to a smaller diameter. On firing, recoil can cause the ball to back out of the chamber slightly, ending up in a slightly larger portion of the taper. Now the bullet is undersized to the chamber.

It maybe that chain fires can come from the back end, also. I would think this would easily testable by firing with no caps on adjacent cylinders.

I have seen the balls move if they are .451. I back those up with a lubed wad and seat them down as I check them. Excellent point.

I have seen reports of people leaving caps off to test rear chain fire and they did not induce one.

I have had caps fall off and certainly pinched caps when that was all I could get, limited experience but no chain fires for me either (rear or front)
 
It will get your attention when or if it happens. Last one I had was about a year ago on my 1860 Navy. I got sloppy and got powder all over the front of the cylinder and stuck in the lube over the conicals I had loaded. It fired off two chambers besides the one lined up with the barrel, it got my attention.
 
Were the conicals not oversized enough to get a tight fit, or?
I'm not seeing how a few stray grains of powder would be much more of hazard than the gush of fire exiting the chamber?
 
Were the conicals not oversized enough to get a tight fit, or?
I'm not seeing how a few stray grains of powder would be much more of hazard than the gush of fire exiting the chamber?
It wasn't just few grains of powder. I managed to dump a measure full of powder all over the end of the cylinder. I brushed off the bulk of it and figured the rest wouldn't cause problems. The lube on the cylinder held enough powder to set off two chambers.
 
Recent purchase of TOTW nipples specifically stated for #11 caps and #11 CCI caps would fall right off if turned upside down.

I shortened the nipples on a knife grinder until the nipples would stay on and then cleaned them up some just to make them look better. Nipples are tapered cones.

This was on a SXS shotgun, as D Yager suggested shortening may become a problem on a pistol if the hammer fall doesn't hit them properly.

Later I found that Knights "Red Hot" nipples from OX-Yoke were the proper size, anyone who finds current production nipples that are properly sized please post and let the rest of us know.

Thanks!
I feel setting up your revolver for the nipples you plan on using is almost never considered and should be !
The hammer face is not supposed to contact the nipple top and how many of our revolvers have nipple tracks in the safety notch on the hammer face which by the way is one of the major reasons they suck caps.
You should be able to dry fire a percussion revolver without distorting the nipple top if adjusted properly.
I have reclaimed some factory nipples with bunged up cones by turning them in a hand drill against a file while repeatedly testing them for cap fit of the brand being used. If the orifice is not burned out they work as well as when new.
I do think the vented nipples have some advantages especially on rifles but have not used them enough on revolvers to form an opinion.
 
It will get your attention when or if it happens. Last one I had was about a year ago on my 1860 Navy. I got sloppy and got powder all over the front of the cylinder and stuck in the lube over the conicals I had loaded. It fired off two chambers besides the one lined up with the barrel, it got my attention.
Dang, I hope you pay more attention to detail when working on other peoples guns than that loading mess. So much for the safety of heavy shamfer of chamber mouths.
 
On thing you don't want to do is use WD40 to free up a stiff cylinder. Back when my older brother & I were teenagers, he had the bright idea to free up the cylinder so it rotated like it should and he loaded & capped his Remington then sprayed it with WD40, even though the can says flammable but who reads cans. He spun the cylinder and said to me see how it freed it up.
I got to witness my first full cylinder chain fire. Quite exciting to say the least. Fortunately no one was hurt but he did have to go inside and change his shorts.
 
Dang, I hope you pay more attention to detail when working on other peoples guns than that loading mess. So much for the safety of heavy shamfer of chamber mouths.
So I have a chain fire from getting messy on my own gun and you imply that my work is sloppy? This is coming from a guy who pretends to understand the Colt platform?
 
So I have a chain fire from getting messy on my own gun and you imply that my work is sloppy? This is coming from a guy who pretends to understand the Colt platform?
it doesnt take long hanging out on gun forums to see that guns owners are the most perfect people in world history. NEVER make a mistake
 


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