Making your own percussion caps?

[Ballshooter]

So in the mist of the virus I found out I am very short on caps. I am down to my last 200...So I ordered a percussion cap die and Some of that prime all powder. Has anyone here made their own?

 

[longcruise]

I looked into that and I'm very curious as to how it works out for you. Hope you do a follow up.

 

[Ballshooter]

I will let you know.

 

[Roundball2319]

I'm interested too.

 

[eggwelder]

I have a cap maker, used the compound from the red plastic caps, giant PITA, but worked, especially when mixed with some black powder in the mix.
not sure if the prime-all will get thru the border these days

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

So glad I purchased a case of 1,000 CCI caps when I could.

It’d take me a month of sundays to get through them with my Hawken rifle. About 25 shots is an average for me so that’s at least 40 trips to the range for me, several years. Hoping it bides me enough time for the cap makers to restock.

 

[Tasbay]

Try using just the Red plastic caps. I use them on all my #11 percussions. With real black though.

 

[brewer12345]

I posted my experience yesterday in this thread (12) Sharpshooter cap maker | The Muzzleloading Forum

Yes, they work.

 

[Grimord]

So in the mist of the virus I found out I am very short on caps. I am down to my last 200...So I ordered a percussion cap die and Some of that prime all powder. Has anyone here made their own?

I have been making my own caps off and on now for a few years. I like to use .005" brass sheeting for the cap body which I punch out with a Fosters Tap-a-cap tool. I use 3 of the cap blisters on roll caps and seat them in the cap with a allen wrench end, then a drop of "Duco" cement to seal it up. I prime the nipple with a nipple primer, then place my cap on the nipple. I have only had one failure in about 1000 of my home made caps so far.

 

[jdesro]

I just ordered one of those cap makers today, too. If nothing else, it will give me something to do on these cold winter evenings.

 

[Ballshooter]

Good to know I was thinking about using the Duco" cement and a piece of gift tissue paper its super thin and burns fast. Did not think about mixing Duco with acetone.

 

[n.h.schmidt]

I have been doing this for many years now. I use a home made die pretty much on the Forrester Auto Cap design. I also have a Forrester Auto cap die. They both work on a reloading press. Production is high and it's easy to make 600 per hour or more. Some of you may want to use two layers of pop cans to make your cups with. They will hold together far better. The 22 reloader die is said to work well. The powders work well too and it is powerful. There is a problem with the mixture though. If used as instructed the mix often crumbles and falls out. A good binder is needed. The Duco Cement and acetone works really well. A drop mixed with a tablespoon of acetone. Works great. Shellac ( I use flakes) mixed with denature alcohol also works well. A last resort would be to use several light coats of hairspray. Use too much and you dull the mix. This stuff will work really well with Pyrodex too. Some other mixes are not so good.
You don't need to use so much powder in the cups. Less than half full as loose powder works great. One of the little plastic ring cap cups glued to a match stick and cut down to about half is ideal. To measure your powder with. Find something to press the loose powder down into the cup. You can use more pressure than you think. It will not go off so easily. The pressed powder should be about as thick as cardboard or close to it. Then put a drop of your binder on it and let dry. I put no paper or foil over this. I just use them as is.
n.h.schmidt

 

[Icemanxxxv]

I just ordered one of those cap makers today, too. If nothing else, it will give me something to do on these cold winter evenings.

I ordered one also. Same thoughts as you!

 

[VADSLRAM]

You can buy nitrocellulose lacquer online, fireworks suppliers and such. It works great, burns completely and can be thinned as much as needed.
BUT!!!!

GREAT CARE needs to be taken when you have anything more than tiny amounts of the friable compounds inside the caps. The amount needed to go from just burn to explode in an uncontained area is not that much. It is dangerous stuff. If you try to combine your own, which you can buy the supplies for, be prepared to get hurt. I've been making fireworks for year, I am licensed by the BATF and have the proper set up... and I don't mess with anything but the smallest amounts of flash or picrates.
Commercial caps and powders have a long history of built in safety that you won't have at your work bench.

 

[n.h.schmidt]

This is all true. For myself I only work with enough to make about 20 caps at a time. Think about half a thimble full. I never premix the powders. When I do this I also mix with water and do it all wet. This is powerful stuff. Even when using the german role caps I have them wet. I lift the dots from the paper and put the dots in the cups. Five or six dots will work in the revolvers. I use ten or more dots for my rifles. All done wet.
n.h.schmidt

 

[Kansas Kid]

This is all true. For myself I only work with enough to make about 20 caps at a time. Think about half a thimble full. I never premix the powders. When I do this I also mix with water and do it all wet. This is powerful stuff. Even when using the german role caps I have them wet. I lift the dots from the paper and put the dots in the cups. Five or six dots will work in the revolvers. I use ten or more dots for my rifles. All done wet.
n.h.schmidt

So you’re saying you actually mix the prime all compounds with water? How wet do you make it?
I ordered some the other day but have no experience with it.

 

[n.h.schmidt]

Yes I do use water. About three drops from a eye dropper. It mixes up to a thick paste. While I'm loading the cups ,I almost always add one more drop or it gets too dry. I have used tap water and distilled water. Works just fine. The water does not affect the charge once dry. When the charge is in the cup,I push it down to flatten it. Let it dry and bind it.

 

[Ballshooter]

This is all awesome info.

 

[Ponderosaman]

I figured that one of the 4 components was a binder to keep it glued in the cap. I suppose that I’ll follow the directions the first time and if that doesn’t work or I have problems, I’ll go from there.

 

[Icemanxxxv]

I figured that one of the 4 components was a binder to keep it glued in the cap. I suppose that I’ll follow the directions the first time and if that doesn’t work or I have problems, I’ll go from there.

That was my in tension too. Pretty much not going to do the man thing and step one toss the direction. I have a truck load of 209 primer trays laying around. Might see if they work for help in assembling the bang buttons. Might be able to scrounge up a large pistol primer tray if the 209 is too large.