Crockett hammer sucks caps

[doubleset]

I'm certainly not trying to tell you what to do friend, I was just sharing my learned experience from 15yrs ago or more about the same issue and how I resolved it.
You like funny analogies huh? Well at this point I'm thinking;
"You can lead a horse to water,,,,"

Couldn't have done it without you. Thanks.

 

[doubleset]

Just a follow-up on this ... I actually ordered a Hot Shot nipple to see if this would make a difference. The results were somewhat unexpected and unpleasant.

The nipple looked great and of course installed just fine. I put a (CCI Magnum) cap on it with my capper and seated it firmly with my thumb, just to be sure. It was on firmly. Snapped the cap and ...

Nothing. The hammer falls with no effect. Okay, try again ... Nothing. At this point I look carefully and see that although it looked like the cap was correctly seated (from all I could see), it was now apparent that it hadn't seated quite all the way, and the hammer blows had slightly mushroomed the top of the cap as they'd driven it even more tigntly onto the nipple. Okay, so try to pull it off ... No way.

I carefully made several attempts at getting it off, but without success. It's ON there! So I carefully remove it from the rifle, put the (thoroughly cleaned) TOW stainless nipple back in, and everything works perfectly. No failures to fire since. So now I have a Hot Shot nipple with an unfired cap FIRMLY stuck on it.

When I get around to it, I'll get that cap off one way or another, without harming the nipple. It could be just one of those odd differences in fabrication that happens now and then where the nipple diameter or cone angle didn't come out quite right. I'm sure I can fix that, but I'm curious if anyone else has encountered this problem with Hot Shot nipples.

 

[necchi]

Don't use Hot Shot's myself, but I usually pick bad nipples off with the blade of a knife

 

[doubleset]

I usually do too. But this one ain't having it. I'm also trying not to damage or scratch up the nipple -- hoping I can ultimately make use of it. I've just never had a cap stick on a solidly as this. On the other hand, if it turns out that I need to reduce the nipple diameter a bit, a few little scratches won't matter. I'm mostly curious whether the Hot Shots are known for being a little large in this respect.

 

[FishDFly]

Caps come in different diameters, you might try a different brand.

 

[Jim]

. . . . .When I get around to it, I'll get that cap off one way or another, without harming the nipple. It could be just one of those odd differences in fabrication that happens now and then where the nipple diameter or cone angle didn't come out quite right. I'm sure I can fix that, but I'm curious if anyone else has encountered this problem with Hot Shot nipples.

As a “standard” part of my kit at the range, I use a pair of needle-nose pliers to remove the fired caps that seem to glue themselves on the nipple . . . .especially after many shots.
No scratches anywhere!
As for the “hot shot” nipples . . . .
I’ve used them, but don’t particularly like them . . . .
I can’t see how venting some of the cap blast OUTSIDE the nipple will benefit the main charge . . . .
Seems counter-intuitive to me.

 

[doubleset]

Caps come in different diameters, you might try a different brand.

Thanks, but in that chart, no cap has a larger ID than CCI -- which is the cap that's stuck on there. Also, I have several hundred caps -- which have worked on every other nipple (either the manufacturer's or aftermarket) I have for both my Lyman GPR and the Traditions Crockett. So my strong preference is pretty much away from trying to find some other cap that fits this one nipple.

I only got the Hot Shot nipple to try it out. It's not like I have a genuine need for it. At this point I'm just curious if anyone else has encountered such a problem with the Hot Shot. Maybe not. My experience is that even if you buy the "same nipple" (same model, same manufacturer) for two different guns (which have different size/pitch nipple threads), those two individual nipples may be dimensionally different in the cones. There isn't exactly a highly recognized nipple dimensions standard.

 

[doubleset]

As a “standard” part of my kit at the range, I use a pair of needle-nose pliers to remove the fired caps ...

Yeah, me too. Couldn't budge the cap with those. Also tried knocking it off with a very small screwdriver as a wedge and a gunsmith's hammer. No go.

Interestingly, I did just find this on the Cast Boolits forum:

​

... I put an uncle mikes hot shot nipple on my CVA 50 hawkens and only use Dynamit Noble/RWS #1075 caps. ... I use a brass straight line capper to put them on and they're hard to get off without using a tool of some sort as they'll rip your finger nails off if you try. A knife back works or my favorite is a wedge tool. The slot is the correct size to slide on the nipple below the cap and just pull it off. They split when fired so they fall off, and I carry my ball starter, capping tool and wedge tool on a lanyard so it's always with me.​

​

​

So maybe my experience isn't exactly unique.

As for the “hot shot” nipples . . . .
I’ve used them, but don’t particularly like them . . . .
I can’t see how venting some of the cap blast OUTSIDE the nipple will benefit the main charge . . . .
Seems counter-intuitive to me.

It is counterintuitive -- and probably false. But, as I've posted before, I don't believe this is what happens with a Hot Shot nipple. I believe that in fact that side vent also vents air INTO the nipple by making use of such things as the Bernoulli Effect. I haven't seen an explicit account of this, but it seems to be the only thing that makes sense of the design -- which otherwise seems to be, as you point out, incoherent.

Maybe there's some competent physicist reading this who might chime in?

 

[FishDFly]

Some folks will take nipples and chuck them in a cordless drill or drill press and turn them down a touch so caps fit better on then.

Italian revolver nipples can be cranky

 

[doubleset]

Some folks will take nipples and chuck them in a cordless drill or drill press and turn them down a touch so caps fit better on then.

That's my plan for this one once I get the cap off it. I had to do that for the nipple that's on my Lyman GPR now.

Italian revolver nipples can be cranky

Tell me about it: Pietta 1851 Navy.

 

[44Bro]

Put the Hot-Shot back into the rifle, load 5-6 grains powder and a ball, block the rifle on sandbags and use a hot soldering iron (or red hot piece of welding rod) on the cap. Keep Hands and face clear. The cap should now be removed or removable.

 

[doubleset]

I think I'll try a purely mechanical approach first. I've also seen the suggestion of putting the nipple back in and just hitting the cap with a hammer -- which seems simpler than the soldering iron. But I'm really curious why you suggest loading powder and a ball. None of that appears necessary to set off the cap with the soldering iron. Another alternative I've considered is to use hydraulic pressure to blow the cap off with water (or grease).

In the end, all of this seems pretty silly since a much simpler solution is to just inject something like PB Blaster into the nipple from the bottom (to "disarm" the cap, and then just toss it -- which is likely what I'll do if my next couple of attempts don't succeed. And in that case, I won't replace it with another Hot Shot since (a) I can't be confident it won't have the same problem, and (b) I don't have a need for it anyway.

 

[44Bro]

The small charge of powder and ball will remove the spent cap instantly.

 

[TexiKan]

I have used the Hot Shot with CCI caps for some time and have not had this particular issue with my Sharon Hawken. However, I have one of those inexpensive CVA Darringers and the cap always has to be snapped twice before it fires.

 

[doubleset]

A simpler solution: I went out to my shed and grubbed around in my hardware collection until I came up with a 6-1mm nut. Went into my shop and clamped the nut (edgewise) into a bench vise. Screwed the nipple into the nut. Took a pair of large side-cutters and gently used them to lever the cap off the nipple. Voila! as my French colleagues used to say.

Alas, my messing with a small screwdriver in attempting to drive the cap off resulted in a rather deep gouge in the nipple cone that I didn't see until the cap was off. So the Hot Shot got pitched. Maybe I'll try another one some day -- but probably not.

However, there was a benefit: The 6-1mm nut is now part of my black powder took kit. 🛠 But the vise will remain at home when I travel.

 

[44Bro]

Weell,,,,,no bang and no hazard makes for a good ending. Although you could rework the hot-shot to take #10s.