Friends rifle has ignition issues...

[Lonegun1894]

A friend bought a CVA Mountain rifle in .50 and we went to shoot it yesterday. He loved it and is already talking about wanting a pistol and a bigger rifle. Here is the problem. There wasnt a single shot that went off with the first hammer strike. The second always set the charge off, but no luck on the first. We tried the nipple from my firle with the same results. After getting home, i swapped out the springs in our rifles, and that didnt help either. Here is what i'm thinking now. Either the nipple is too big and the first strike fully seats the cap, allowing it to fire the second time around--which doesn't seem right cause then my nipple should have worked. Or, the hammer isnt hitting the nipple quite square as it should. If it is the hammer strike itself not being flat to the nipple, What can i do to fix it? I thought about trying to get the nipple filed flat in relation to the hammer so it gets hit square, instead of a bit lopsided. I have jhandtools and a dremel so the job is doable, but wanted to ask here for advice to make sure i dont create an unsafe weapon. I do not have a torch to try and bend the hammer. Any advice yall might have is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[mikelange]

Before I modified anything, I'd try a different brand of caps. Also, be sure that what your friend is using are #11 caps. The fact that he was having the same problem with your nipple indicates that it might be due to something other than the mechanics of his rifle. Were you shooting from the same batch of caps, and did you have reliable ignition? If the answers are yes and yes, then it sounds as though his drum (the round protrusion from the barrel that the nipple threads into) may be either screwed in a hair too far, or not quite far enough, positioning the nipple off-square to the hammer. Again, I'd look at that before I went to grinding, cutting, or heating anything.

 

[boar]

Longgun I bought Cva new perfect nipple and I had to grind top smaller, it was doing same thing,cap was sitting to high on nipple,took two hits to go off. If your cap fits down on nipple I would check the flash channel,make sure it is open. A propane torch will bend the hammer.I just did one on a Hopins&Allen Kentucky Rifle, It is made in spain too. Could put a little 4ffff powder in under nipple to see if it will go off first hit. Dilly

 

[jtmattison]

I had a CVA Bobcat that did the same thing. The hammer was not striking the nipple square. I bent the hammer to make it hit square and it fired perfect after that.

I wouldn't reshape the nipple to make the hammer hit it square. The cap will still be off kilt because of how it slides onto the nipple. I think you will make the problem worse by filing the nipple face.

Check the alignment of the hammer to the nipple and go from there. I bet you need to bend the hammer a bit.

Huntin Dawg

 

[musketman]

Check the alignment of the hammer to the nipple and go from there. I bet you need to bend the hammer a bit.

Huntin Dawg

Perhaps the drum has rotated and placed the nipple out of alignment?

Can it be moved back???

 

[WI Smoke]

If any of you are having problems w/ nipples that are to big try the Knight Red Hot nipples. They are tappered so caps go on all the way and also have a line on them so you can tell at a glace that the cap is all the way down. Lyman has nipples that are to big also. I chucked mine in a drill and touched it on a file. They fit alot better but would stick on the nipple. Good fix until my new ones came in. Be sure of the thread. ( Lyman is 6-.75mm)
Wisconsin

 

[hcook]

Check up in the cup of the hammer to see if there isn't an old cap stuck in there. A friend has that problem often.

 

[Lonegun1894]

We were using #11 CCI Magnum caps out of the same little tin, and mine fired just fine. There wasnt anything stuck in his hammer, first thing i checked while we were out there as i've made that mistake myself when i first started. Just looked at the hammer/nipple/drum alignment and it looks just like my CVA Hawken. He asked me to take my dremel to the nipple and take off just a little on the outside diameter, to make sure it seats completely, as yall have mentioned, and leave the top surface alone. Think i'll try that as the next attempted fix and see if that helps any--since nipples are the cheapest part to replace. I have a feeling if this doesnt fix it, the next step is the hotshot nipple that was mentioned above. Thanks yall. By the way, since the drum being over/under turned was mentioned, if i ever have to do that, is it just a matter of me tightening or loosening it a bit, or is it something i should send the gun off to a smith for?

 

[shmrck1]

I think your answer to the problem may very well
be either one or a combination of Dawg & MM
solution. IMO
snake-eyes :hmm:

 

[hobbles]

Check up in the cup of the hammer to see if there isn't an old cap stuck in there. A friend has that problem often.

That's what I was gonna say,,,

 

[ss1]

I , also, at the range last week with t/c haw 50cal, had fired 80 rounds trip before, with no problems, the gentleman next to me [new gun] could not get cap to pop on first try, I shot and guess what, I also could not get cap to fire on my rifle first try. could see hammer marks on cap, fired always on second try. had changed nipples at the house [cva], and cleaned lock, using same #11 cci mag caps.went back to old nipple, worked better. old nipple was shorter. almost has to be in the nipple, too big in dia and cap not seating properly, or longer nipple was causing missalignment, even thou cap was showing hammer marks. will expermint later. ONE OTHER THING, could have something in the EAST TEXAS air that day. [a viris]

 

[Dave K]

I always "tune" my nipples to make them sure fire. Take the nipple and chuck it is a drill hold a file to nipple area, till you get a good cap to nipple fit and the nipple fits all the way down. Also, check to make sure the hammer is striking the nipple squarely. You may have to shorten the cap end of the nipple to get the hammer to strike it squarely. Also make sure the nipple is flat across where the cap sits. You have used a file and you don't want to round this surface over.

 

[Lonegun1894]

Gents,
Thank you all for your help. I ended up reducing the diameter of the nipple by just a little and then shortening the nipple to make the hammer strike square. It was just take off a little metal, and try and see if it works, and do it again til it did. Now, thanks to yall, his rifle fires everytime like a charm. Thank you all. I think we have a new convert in him now, as he was wasking when we can go shoot it again--the boy even asked about flintlocks. Cant help him much there having no hands on experience there just yet, and not having a flinter--yet. Thanks again.

Paul