Since I got this Mississippi rifle I can see that I'll be needing some more musket caps. I see that Grafs carries them but Midway discontinued them and those are my two usual sources for mail order stuff. Anyone here have a favorite source they can recommend?
Musket cap sources...?
- Thread starter PaulN/KS
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Poor Private
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YOu might try any of the civil war sutlers onliine such as Fall Creek out of Indiana, Blockade Runner out of Tenn. Both these guys carry musket caps at their sutler tents at civ war events. I get mine from a West Michigan Distributer bought a sleeve of 1k for 35 bucks. Or check out a local gun shop if they don't have em i bet they can order some for you.
Little Wattsy
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I looked untill I found two differant sproting goods sotres that will order what I want....They pay the shipping and fees which can be HUGE. and I get my stuff soon enough....Just a thought.
Rollover Jack
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Here I go again, shooting my mouth off :yakyak: , albeit with good intent. In my area, there are available musket caps from CCI (Speer?). I think the item number is 300. They come in a 2.5 inch tin which is handy for other uses afterward -- patches, spare screws, small nipple wrench and nipples, tinder or even tobacco. I have had no trouble obtaining them locally, and have ordered a musket cap nipple from T/C for my "Hawken-want-to-be" to replace the one that uses #11 caps. Thus I will be able to (if my nipple wrench does not break or disappear) expand the sources of ignition for my caplock should circumstances dictate. Also, I will be interested in seeing if this musket nipple will fit in my CVA pistol with its' contorted bolster fire channel arrangement. The threads are the same, more ignition must be better than less. I would be amazed if your dealer refused to order from CCI. If this works out, all my caplocks will be fitted with musket caps, nipple wrenches close-by, and the #11 nipples w/caps on stand-by.
"When you see the smoke on the wind, look for me."
"When you see the smoke on the wind, look for me."
Thanks for the tips Gents. I'll check the Cabela's in KCK and call some shops in Topeka to see what they might have.I think there's a Gander Mountain over in Johnson county but that's a long drive. Maybe someone will have some at the High Plains Regional rondy next month...
Poor Private
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Also regarding musket caps. We (civil war reenactors) cannot use the CCI caps at most events. Thier caps are hotter and have 6 flanges which have a tendancy to splay off like shrapnel and hit others. There has been several in our unit that have cap flanges stuck in thier lips, neck and cheeks. We are only allowed to use 4 flangers, such as Navy arms or the red label german ones. so if your firing next to someone that may be why they are giving you dirty looks out of the corner of thier eye. I keep a few CCI in my cartride boxes tool pouch to clear a possible fouled, or damp weapon.
Good people at Back Creek Gun Shop, http://www.blackpowderva.com/
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Yep, they look like they would be good to do business with. Too bad they are so far away and it doesn't look like they ship caps. The Gander Mountain is in Wichita :shocked2: but will check to see what they have since the wife goes there on business pretty regular...
Joel/Calgary
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I anticipated occasional shortages of musket caps when I got my P.58 (Parker-Hale 2-band Navy rifle). As a partial solution, when I got spare nipples & cleaning stuff, I included a #11 nipple for it, but I haven't tried it yet.
I've read that CCI magnums or the new(er) Remington #11s generally substitute well for musket caps over normal ranges, but I'll still fire test groups at my longest realistic range to verify POI & grouping. Since I haven't finished load development yet, I have not even checked the differences among brands of musket caps in reliability, grouping, and POI.
I have found that there are slight differences in size among different makes of caps and nipples (I got a 1-of-each assortment from TotW), and I've made a note of which caps fit which nipples best, but I'm at work and can't recall the pairings, except that some old Navy Arms flangeless ones I was given are loose on all of them.
Joel
I've read that CCI magnums or the new(er) Remington #11s generally substitute well for musket caps over normal ranges, but I'll still fire test groups at my longest realistic range to verify POI & grouping. Since I haven't finished load development yet, I have not even checked the differences among brands of musket caps in reliability, grouping, and POI.
I have found that there are slight differences in size among different makes of caps and nipples (I got a 1-of-each assortment from TotW), and I've made a note of which caps fit which nipples best, but I'm at work and can't recall the pairings, except that some old Navy Arms flangeless ones I was given are loose on all of them.
Joel
paulvallandigham
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All you have to do is use a chronograph to check the velocity of the same load using both musket Caps, and #11 magnum and #11 standard caps. Shoot several rounds and then check the SDV, too. Expect to get different velocites, by several 100 fps, from the different caps. The more important data is the SDV, as when your SDV is low, you can always increase or decrease velocity by adding or subtracting powder from the powder charge. :v :thumbsup:
Joel/Calgary
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Obviously, IF one had access to a chronograph. When even gas to get to the range has become a constraint, one uses what one can.paulvallandigham said:
Joel
paulvallandigham
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A Chrony Chronograph still costs about $80.00. Mine has served me well now for many years. At the current cost of gas, some trucks can't be filled with gas for that price. Its a bargain. And its available to anyone who can afford to be shooting. Check Sportsman's Guide catalogue for pricing on the Chrony. Competition Electronics, out of Rockford, Illinois, has the next level of Chronographs, at a range of 120-200 dollars. When you want to spend more than that, you go up the Ohaus lab grade Chronograph.
If you still can't have a chronograph available( a group of shooters, or any gun club should consider buying a chronograph for all to use, BTW.) by all means, spend $15.00 to buy Dutch Schoultz' Black Powder Rifle Accuracy System. He developed this system before Chronographs were widely available, using the reading of both POI and spent patches to tell what is going on with a particular load. The material is a fascinating read, well written, and will be a reference source you will refer to time after time, because you seem to learn more every time you read it.
http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/
is Dutch's website, with contact info.
HINT: With this information, AND a chronograph, you can work up an accurate load for any rifle in record time. You can change powders, grades, brands, etc. and use the chronograph to find the " Sweet Spot" in velocity to make that new load shoot as well as the first.
If you still can't have a chronograph available( a group of shooters, or any gun club should consider buying a chronograph for all to use, BTW.) by all means, spend $15.00 to buy Dutch Schoultz' Black Powder Rifle Accuracy System. He developed this system before Chronographs were widely available, using the reading of both POI and spent patches to tell what is going on with a particular load. The material is a fascinating read, well written, and will be a reference source you will refer to time after time, because you seem to learn more every time you read it.
http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/
is Dutch's website, with contact info.
HINT: With this information, AND a chronograph, you can work up an accurate load for any rifle in record time. You can change powders, grades, brands, etc. and use the chronograph to find the " Sweet Spot" in velocity to make that new load shoot as well as the first.
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JackAubrey
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I used to get mine from Cabelas of all places.Of course they only sold them in lots of 1000 however w/ the UPS "hazmat tax" you might aswell buy bulk,the tax is the same were you to buy a thousand or a tin of 100.Best regards,J.A.
