Isn't this interesting...a cap gun...I had no clue!

[XVIIc Wheelock]

http://www.hlebooks.com/patents/maynard/mayn01.htm

 

[wiscoaster]

They didn't work too well (moisture) and that feature got removed on the 1861 model in favor of just a percussion cap.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_Model_1855

Pretty interesting though, no doubt. Thanks for posting.

 

[Tumbledown]

Maynard primers. Great concept, but not practical in foul weather.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Those when 'wet' got more Union troops killed!

 

[jrweis1997]

gotta wonder if deep down they knew and thats why they kept nipple too

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

gotta wonder if deep down they knew and thats why they kept nipple too

The cap actually rested 'on' the nipple, much like a Perc cap does ... so they needed the nipple for the ignition flame path.

 

[jrweis1997]

interesting!

 

[hawkeye2]

If you look closely at the face of the hammer you will see a groove cut across the lower part. The lower edge of the hammer is sharpened to cut the tape off as the gun is fired.

 

[Stykbow]

That is the first pic I’ve ever seen that shows how those worked. Thanks for posting it. It answered some questions for me.

 

[hawkeye2]

A friend and I found a mint 42 and a mint 55 rifle behind a bureau in the attic of their house back in 56. I remember opening the tape priming door to see a mechanism that was identical to our cap guns.

 

[Flint1]

You can still come across some of the original primer tapes at CW shows. I have two, one unopened and still in the original wrapper and the other opened. I have even seen some in the original cylinder container. I have an original M1855 Pistol Carbine and the mechanism still works.

 

[cynthialee]

A gun that is only a good gun in a desert is not a good gun.

I have a second model Maynard that uses a musket cap.