Caps getting stuck in Hammer

[tward2]

I'm noticing that often times the fired cap will get stuck in the hammer after firing and I have to pick it out. I am using CCI #11 magnums on a Traditions Hawken .50.

I also noticed that the caps fall off the nipple easily before firing. This leads me to think I should try smaller caps which theoretically wouldn't get stuck in the hammer.

Thoughts?

 

[Little Wattsy]

I dont think smaller caps but maybe a larger nipple.. Dry fire it a few time and mushroom it out a tad???

 

[russecv58]

try some remington caps. theyre designed to blow open like a flower blooms. i used to have the same problem with my CVA kentucky rifle when using the CCI magnums. when i switched to the remington caps it solved the problem. :thumbsup:

 

[Spikebuck]

In addition to what the others have mentioned, make sure to thoroughly clean inside the area that strikes the caps. I use a Q-tip to clean in there after each shooting session. Amazing what crud can build up. If I neglect that, soon the caps are sticking due to the residue left from firing.

I use Remington #11's and have never had a problem with any falling off the nipple. Have used numerous brands of nipples.

 

[rafterob]

If you haven't yet changed the nipple on that Traditions, do it as soon as possible. The factory nipples are prone to shattering. Caps sticking in the hammer is fairly common depending on the hammer design. If the recess in the hammer is fairly deep and there is no "V" cut in the front of that recess, then the cap is more likely to stick. Me, I just pay attention and pry the cap out with the end of my capper if need be.

 

[Rifleman1776]

This has always been a common occurrance with TCs. I don't know anything about Traditions, they may be similar.
First, go to a 'hot shot' style nipple. They blow the cap apart and that helps a lot.
Then cutting a 'V' in the front of the hammer cup will (should) eliminate most of the rest of the problem.

 

[tward2]

Thanks all, the hammer cup does have a small v in it, which helps me pry out the cap. I suppose I could take a file and make it bigger. I think the least intrusive solution to try first will be thoroughly cleaning the inside of the cup. I'm almost out of caps anyway so my next cap purchase will be Remingtons as others have suggested. I'll move forward from there if I'm still having problems. Thanks!

 

[George T.]

They will stick in my GPR at times. I just flick them out of thr hammer. I misses by far being the hardest thing to do when reloading! :wink: Geo. T.

 

[cynthialee]

I agree with the poster that sugested the remington caps. Their #10's fit every gun I have regardless if it has a number 10 or 11 nipple.

 

[Mad Professor]

Polish inside of hammer cup, clean well after shooting.

 

[M. De Land]

Yeah, and it's also time to check the nipple port to see if it is getting enlarged by erosion. MD

 

[Matt85]

I agree with the poster that sugested the remington caps. Their #10's fit every gun I have regardless if it has a number 10 or 11 nipple.

this.

Remington #10s are my choice caps regardless of nipple size, they fit on both #10 and #11.

-matt

 

[cynthialee]

it was Matt85 who talked me into trying them
:thumbsup:

 

[Flash Pan Dan]

I agree with Cynthialee and Matt85, I started using Remington No. 10s in my pistols and found that they fit every other No. 10 or 11 nipple I have used.

 

[TraprMike]

years ago when I had my b/p revolver I used to slightly pinch the caps to make them oval. they stayed on better then just puting them on. and I still do this when I'm hunting.

 

[NAA_Silent]

My Traditions 50 Hawkens has been doing the same thing. I've just been flicking them out with a small screw driver that I keep on my shooting bench. If it starts to bother me, then I might try polishing the hammer and see if that fixes it.

 

[JJCASTINGS]

years ago when I had my b/p revolver I used to slightly pinch the caps to make them oval. they stayed on better then just puting them on. and I still do this when I'm hunting.

I saw a guy at the range pinching caps by biting them lightly. I got out my emergency suture kit and let him know it was available to sew his lip back together for when a cap finally went off as he bit it. :youcrazy: Then I was a nice guy and lent him a needle nose pliers to do the job of pinching the caps.

Told him I use #10 Remington on everything. No need to pinch them.

 

[Zonie]

Unless he had some extremely quick jaws, he probably wasn't in much danger.

In response to several posts about the danger of pinching a cap I proceeded to not only pinch, but to totally crush a number of new percussion caps.

I crushed them with a smooth jaw vise and, thinking the concentrated local forces of the serrations on my Vise-Grips (tm) might cause a cap to fire I crushed them with my Vise-Grips.

The caps ended up totally flat and not one of them fired.

To make sure there was priming powder in these flattened caps I then placed them on the small anvil on my vise and whacked them with a hammer.

All of them fired.

 

[AllenHawken]

I agree, the solution is to switch from CCI to Remington. I still have about 50 CCI caps that I'm trying to use up, and every time I use them I ask myself why I don't just throw them out and use the Remingtons.