Dexterado
32 Cal
It’s probably an old topic, but I bought 1,000 #11 CCI caps, and I used them for the first time yesterday on my pietta .36. I had tow or three fall off in 24 shots. I’ve never had a cap fall off before. What is the remedy for this?
Caps falling off
- Thread starter Dexterado
- Start date
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Track of the wolf sells nipples that are made for cci#11 caps.
That fixed all the cap issues for me.
That fixed all the cap issues for me.
Trev
40 Cal
I changed out all the nipples on my Pietta to one that fits CCI #11, the factory caps say they fit #10 but in 30 years of shooting BP I have never seen a #10 locally.
The thread size you want is 6x.75 mm.
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I pinch them before putting on the nipple.
Replace the nipples with Track of the Wolf or SlixShot nipples and be done with cap fitting problems.
That will keep them from falling off but runs the risk of a chain fire.
Please examine your pistol and consider the probable flame path exiting from an exploded cap. Most likely forward. Then calculate the number of directional turns necessary for that flame to reach the entry orifice under another cap on an adjacent nipple.
I have seen slow motion videos of chain fires and my own chain fire and they all originated at the back of the cylinder, most ignited the adjacent chamber not all chambers.
Edit: Even pinched caps will sometimes fall off under recoil. Best to have well fitting caps. I use RWS 1075+ caps on all my percussion guns, pistol or rifle.
Edit: Even pinched caps will sometimes fall off under recoil. Best to have well fitting caps. I use RWS 1075+ caps on all my percussion guns, pistol or rifle.
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Here is some specs for fitting caps to the nipples. Measure midway down the cone, .174 is what the diameter needs to be to work with CCI caps. If it;s not there they will fall off. That diameter works to make a firm fit. A # 11 cap doesn't fit very well on a # 10 nipple. Sometimes the nipple can be shortened to get further down into the sweet spot as long as the hammer will come within.005 of the un capped nipple. In the area where I live #10 caps are unobtanium so one has to deal with 11s.
That's a different problem. Pounding them on is not recommended. You can use the gun's hammer to seat them with forward thumb pressure only, but much better to get the correct size caps.
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thumb pressure did not do diddly. these things were super tight. Empty cylinder off the gun. wooden dowl and a leather mallet. Three taps per cap then load on the loading press. I managed to use them all up with no missfires or accidents.
justinoldguy
32 Cal
Pinch them. Been doing it since 1972, when I read that in the back pages of a Dixie Gun Works catalog. I have never had a chain fire, not that it couldn't happen next time out. After placing the pinched caps on the nipples, I cock and lower the hammer on each chamber, while pointed in a safe direction. The only occasions I have ever had with caps falling off is when I failed to pinch them. I use CCI #11 caps on all my revolvers, from pocket models to the Walker, and have enjoyed great success. One of these days I may use up my remaining 3,300 Remington #10's that I've been saving for my old age, as somehow I have seemed to have arrived there.
And the evidence I have seen has front chain fire almost at if not 100%.
I have pinched probably 500 CCI 11 and nary a chain fire.
What I can get now is the RWS1075 you mentioned and agreed, they fit far better and stay on.
Trev
40 Cal
I never had any luck in pinching CCI caps to fit the Pietta nipples, always some fall of f under recoil, good nipples are cheap enough that time spent pinching would easily pay for a couple sets.
Trev
40 Cal
What evidence is that?
I've never seen a chain fire in person and had read years ago that they ran across the front and were prevented by using flammable grease. I'm not sure I understand how that can be. The shaving and compression of the ball when loading must make an airtight seal and the grease seems to burn off or blow off during the firing of the first chamber or two, so can't be providing much protection for the others.
Not sure that open caps cause them either but if sparks from one open cap did ignite a neighboring open cap that cap could obviously shower sparks through the nipple to ignite the charge. Of course that wouldn't happen if the pinched caps fell off at recoil like mine usually did.
If you are interested in how chain fires originate get some popcorn and do a search on the forum.
Trev
40 Cal
I just want to read the thesis that some grad student must have written on the subject, with evidence and references etc. Not enough teeth left to enjoy the popcorn.
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Understand. I just had 3 teeth pulled on Friday, dry socket now, not fun at all. Here I go wandering off again. Oh well.
