How Often Nipple Replacement

[Artificer]

LOL!!!

Gus

 

[FishDFly]

"If I had to do it in an organized way, I'd change hot shots and stainless each New Years,"

Had a friend who would get a bottle of his favorite adult beverage. On New Year's eve he would build a fire in the fire place, replace all the nipples in his guns and enjoy his beverage.

Off the streets, safe at home and ready for the new shooting season.

 

[galamb]

For the cost of a nipple, particularly if you use the rifle for hunting and it could be the animal of a lifetime in the sights, why not swap them out once a year?

 

[FishDFly]

For the cost of a nipple, particularly if you use the rifle for hunting and it could be the animal of a lifetime in the sights, why not swap them out once a year?

Another point, it lets you handle each gun you shoot and become familiar with it again for the next year.

 

[Strawstalker/NM]

I am a lucky guy as I have quite a few muzzleloaders. Thus there are some I just don't shoot too much. I keep a shooting log in my safe a change the nipples out on these guns every 200 shots. I shoot my rendezvous rifle quite a bunch during the rendezvous season and change it out every year but I pull the nipple and examine it every time I clean the rifle. I use Ampco on all my rifles and Hot Shot on my pistols. I file a "V" into the front edge of the hammer and the Hot Shot nipples seem to direct the cap pieces and gasses directly to the front. Works for me YMMV.

Also be sure you coat the threads with anti-seize. The first thing I do when buying a used muzzleloader is to pull the nipple, check the nipple threads and then scope the bore.

The Strawstalker

 

[Rat Trapper]

I pull the nipple every time I clean it and always put breech plug grease on the threads prior to putting it back in.

 

[mike3132]

I pull the nipple every time I clean it and always put breech plug grease on the threads prior to putting it back in.

This is my ritual too.

 

[crockett]

And..the cleaning brings up some interesting points not yet discussed. I think, theoretically that on an uncapped nipple the hammer is supposed to stop about the thickness of a sheet of paper off the top of the nipple. If you have a nipple that isn't screwed down all the way or is simply too tall, well even with a cap it MIGHT get beat up a little more.
Mainspring tension. Some locks have a much stronger main spring than others and if the nipple is a bit too tall, that's a situation where the life of the nipple could get shortened quite a bit.
Then there is the cleaning. I am sort of a neat freak about firearms and try to clean out the nipple after a shooting session, I roll a toothpick in the top tube area and it does get out some fouling. I think I have longer than normal life on the nipple per shot issue but I've had more than a few that needed to be replaced after about 100-150 shots.
Then there is the issue of whether a firearm is a target rifle or just used for hunting. If you own a lot of rifles each particular rifle might not get that many shots per year- if a rifle is used only for hunting you might shoot 10 shots at the beginning of hunting season to check the sights and then a few shots hopefully during the season. After 5 years the nipple needs replacing but maybe on that particular rifle you only shot 150 rounds out of it in five years.
I do know this: some nipples simply do a better job at igniting a charge. The price is cheap and if used in hunting the cost of the nipple is virtually nothing in the overall cost of hunting.

 

[Artificer]

GREAT point about the length of the nipples. When I used to buy nipples by the dozens, I measured them with a dial caliper from the bottom of the shoulder to the top of the cone. I didn't have to reject a lot of nipples, but some were made too short or long.

Gus

 

[Richardhardison]

In a NRA muzzleloading class I was told that using live fire, a steel nipple would start going bad at 100 rounds but an Amco nipple lasts "forever"

 

[cynthialee]

In a NRA muzzleloading class I was told that using live fire, a steel nipple would start going bad at 100 rounds but an Amco nipple lasts "forever"

This is too general of a statement for my tastes.
How heavy your loads are will have a big impact on that nipple. The hotter the charge the more the damage each shot does to the nipple. Now if you are dead serious shooter and have the cash to get them, Platinum lined nipples are the way to go. They have a very long shooting life.
And the Ampco nipples are good to go, but they are not immune to really heavy charges doing them in over time. Now if you are just shooting light to moderate charges with a PRB yes they will stick around for a very long time. Start firing heavy conicals with 120+ grain powder charges and this is a different story.

 

[Rifleman1776]

In a NRA muzzleloading class I was told that using live fire, a steel nipple would start going bad at 100 rounds but an Amco nipple lasts "forever"

The "forever" thing is an exxageration. The older steel nipples did not last long and changing them before matches used to be a must. The ampco nipples will last and last and..... :shocked2: But not forever.

 

[Billnpatti]

The frequency with which you need to change nipples depends on what the nipple is made of and how hot you load your rifle. Like Rifleman said, the Ampco nipples will last a looong time but even they have a finite lifetime. If you shoot light target loads, an Ampco nipple will last through a LOT of shots. Conversely, a cheap nipple used in a rifle in which you shoot hot loads will burn out much more quickly.

 

[Sure Shot 2]

I've had my rifle many years close to 40 I believe. Have never found a need to replace its nipple. I don't shoot match. But I do shoot mine often. Its stands to reason how one cleans their rifle has a big influence how long its nipple will last. One should remove it at the same time the barrel is being washed and soak the nipple in soapy hot water.
Using thick doubled-up un-waxed dental floss works for me. It pulled thru a nipples orifice's will help remove most caked on corrosive acids. {something that may not happen when simply plungering soapy water through it.} Same goes for the Hammer's (Cup) area. You ignore. Both will fail to give extended service. Not in any way am I critiquing what others prefer too do or change their methods. But I personally feel it all boils down to a fellows choice whether he wants too or not remove his rifles nipple for proper cleaning.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I've had my rifle many years close to 40 I believe. Have never found a need to replace its nipple. I don't shoot match. But I do shoot mine often. Its stands to reason how one cleans their rifle has a big influence how long its nipple will last. One should remove it at the same time the barrel is being washed and soak the nipple in soapy hot water.
Using thick doubled-up un-waxed dental floss works for me. It pulled thru a nipples orifice's will help remove most caked on corrosive acids. {something that may not happen when simply plungering soapy water through it.} Same goes for the Hammer's (Cup) area. You ignore. Both will fail to give extended service. Not in any way am I critiquing what others prefer too do or change their methods. But I personally feel it all boils down to a fellows choice whether he wants too or not remove his rifles nipple for proper cleaning.

SS, welcome to the cauldron.
I agree, this is very much a do yer own thang game, within the bounds of safety.
But, I disagree that pulling the nipple is necessary for cleaning. Leave in and clean normally and all will be fine.

 

[cynthialee]

I pull the nipples every time. Get ahold of somebodies gun that they don't pull the nipple and it becomes obvious why it should be cleaned as a matter of course.

 

[Billnpatti]

You and I agree almost all of the time but we do differ on this one point. I agree with Cynthialee that the nipple needs to be removed and cleaned separately. Then, when replacing it one should apply some kind of grease to prevent the nipple from becoming frozen. But, that's just how I do it. It's what works for me but I don't hold myself to be the last word in muzzleloader cleaning technique. A person needs to stick with what works best for him/her.

 

[azmntman]