CCI #11 caps?

[TFoley]

Anybody here experiencing problems with ignition of CCI #11 percussion caps? Specifically with the Ruger Old Army. Over here in yUK beggars can't be chosers, so I have to go with the flow and buy whatever percussion caps the local dealer has - or do a 90 mile drive around to get something else at $13.50 a gallon of gas.

I don't recall ever having any kind of a problem before with CCI caps, until today. A VERY busy day with a lot of noobs, all clamouring to shoot a REAL handgun.

I noticed, as I'm a model engineer who builds live steam trains, that the latest batch seemed to be kind of 'flimsier' that I recalled them to be, but put it down to old age and general decrepitude - after all, all six went off when I capped off.

That, however, was the very last time that all six went off sequentially all day long.

Thereafter, at least two out of six and finally, five out of six, failed to fire first time, but after a suitable safety wait, fired the second time. When the bits from those that HAD gone off didn't jam up the gun, that is. THAT had never happened before, either. They DID seem flimsier in contruction than I remember, as a look at an old one I found in my defunct in-line capper clearly showed me.

As you all know, the design of the ROA is such that the hammer does not actually impact the nipple, but strikes the frame instead if there is no cap in place, enabling you to dry-fire the gun without any damage to the nipples. I opine that the thing construction of these caps was not 'making up the difference' in the gap with sufficient bulk to permit a good strike...

I'd be interested to hear what anybody else has to say, even to the point of telling me that I've gotten it all wrong [again].

Whinemeal, I have nine unopened tins........

tac
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund

 

[Norinco]

My guess would be that the nipples are too wide, the caps are too long, or the caps are too skinny. All of those would result in requiring double strikes. The fact that the ROA is designed for the hammer to stop short of the nipple probably compounds the problem.

We have the same problem here with noobs. I'm trying to start a shooting club at the university. First thing I'm doing is making them all shoot single shot .22's to see who actually wants to learn shoot and who just wants to shoot the guns they saw on Call of Duty.

 

[jtmattison]

I picked up 1,000 CCI #11's real cheap a couple years ago. I had several misfires with them on my 1851 Navy.

My cap of choice is Remington #11's and I have never, not even once, had a Remy cap fail to pop.

I've been trying to use up the CCI's on the range because I don't trust them to use for hunting.

HD

 

[TFoley]

My guess would be that the nipples are too wide, the caps are too long, or the caps are too skinny. All of those would result in requiring double strikes. The fact that the ROA is designed for the hammer to stop short of the nipple probably compounds the problem.

We have the same problem here with noobs. I'm trying to start a shooting club at the university. First thing I'm doing is making them all shoot single shot .22's to see who actually wants to learn shoot and who just wants to shoot the guns they saw on Call of Duty.

Sir - my point here is that I've ALWAYS shot CCI #11 caps on this revolver. Here in my part of yUK that's all there is/are.

Just that this time they didn't work. Nothing else has changed. The gun hasn't suddenly worn out since last weekend when I shot the last of the last lot of CCI #11 caps.

tac

 

[Norinco]

Oh. So it's just a bad batch then? I guess there's no way to tell for sure until another shipment comes and it's not messed up.

 

[CaptainKirk]

If your gas is $13.50 a gallon, you've got bigger troubles than caps that don't ignite. :shake:

 

[arcticap]

I'm sorry to hear about your percussion cap troubles.
Perhaps you can contact CCI to see if the caps have been recalled.
Or if not, you can report the caps as defective. Then CCI might make arrangements to ship the caps to them for testing as they do with defective ammunition. Or maybe they will just refund a portion of their purchase price directly to you since returning them could be quite difficult.
I suggest to make a serious complaint to your dealer too and provide him with a lot number. Maybe that will prompt him to offer you a special deal next time to make it up to you.

 

[TFoley]

If your gas is $13.50 a gallon, you've got bigger troubles than caps that don't ignite. :shake:

Yup.

tac

 

[TFoley]

I'm sorry to hear about your percussion cap troubles.
Perhaps you can contact CCI to see if the caps have been recalled.
Or if not, you can report the caps as defective. Then CCI might make arrangements to ship the caps to them for testing as they do with defective ammunition. Or maybe they will just refund a portion of their purchase price directly to you since returning them could be quite difficult.
I suggest to make a serious complaint to your dealer too and provide him with a lot number. Maybe that will prompt him to offer you a special deal next time to make it up to you.

Sir - I live in the yUK.

CCI are less interested in my little problem than they would be for the price of fish in Botswana.

I WILL, however, be taking them back to the dealer later on this morning and asking for a try with a different lot number, in the very unlikely event that he actually HAS a different lot number stock, but I'm not holding my breath. The number of people in MY part of the world who shoot BP revolver can be counted by looking in the mirror.

Best

tac

 

[TFoley]

Oh. So it's just a bad batch then? I guess there's no way to tell for sure until another shipment comes and it's not messed up.

At the present rate of use and sales and current consumption - with me as the only buyer - that event is likely to take place some time in the early Fall of the year 2389AD.

...prolly on a tuesday afternoon, when the damn store is closed.

tac

 

[rafterob]

The fact that they are going off the second time around tells me that the caps are ok. they are perhaps not fitting the same as ones previously used. Try using a wooden dowel to assist in firmly seating the caps.

 

[FishDFly]

I had a problem with CCI #11 not going off on my ROA after the 1st cylinder had been shot.

I was told to use a small wire brush to clean the outside of the nipples, it worked, no more problems with the caps not going off.

Only thing I can figure out is that a bit of cap
residue and powder residue gets on the outside of nipple and the new cap does not seat on the nipple competely.

I also use a wood dowel to firmly seat the caps after wire brushing the nipple.

RDE

 

[brentp]

I'm trying to start a shooting club at the university.

What university?

I would like to hear how it goes for you.

Here at Northern Arizona, I may be starting one next year afer Flagstaff finnally gets its shooting range built.

 

[TFoley]

The fact that they are going off the second time around tells me that the caps are ok. they are perhaps not fitting the same as ones previously used. Try using a wooden dowel to assist in firmly seating the caps.

Hmmmm. Very odd, I have already answered this post, but it seems to have disappeared.

Well, I always use a wooden dowel pusher on my caps and this time was no exception. I also went into my hutch earlier this afternoon, and without loading - obviously - fired another cylinder load of caps to see if the thorough post-shoot cleaning had made any difference.

Nope - three out of the six failed to go pop.

The lot number, BTW, is E2iP in dot matrix type on the lid.

Luckily, I have a so-far unused set of new ROA nipples, bought about twenty years ago. I'll fit them and let you know what happens when I go shooting again on wednesday.

Whinemeal, thank you all for your contributions to this annoying problem.

tac

 

[FishDFly]

Crummy manufacturing does happen.

I have a bunch of Remington 10s which the ignition material falls out of about half of them and you find it in the botton of the tin container, very frustrating to say things polite.

RDE