Need Expert Advice

[Cleburne]

Howdy,

I'm having a bit of trouble with a .50 cal TC Hawken bought used online awhile back. I have been frustrated with the frequency of misfires. The nipple is clean and clear, and a pipe cleaner indicates there aren't any obstructions blocking the fire's path to the powder charge. I'm thinking of getting a replacement nipple that would allow me to use musket caps. I've used CCI #11 caps thus far. I really like the rifle and would like to use it more often with confidence. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Cleburne

 

[patriot59]

Be you shooting Black powder or some modern replacement, pyrodex, triple seven?

I would switch to the musket nipple, put one on my Lyman GPR, never better ignition.

 

[silverfox]

Get a hot-shot nipple and use real Blackpowder. I see you are from Lousiana so shouldn't be to big a problem.
Fox :hatsoff:

 

[longcruise]

It should go off just fine with #11 caps. Not all #11 nipples are equall though. the one that works best for me is the type that has a hole drilled in the side of the nipple.

TC's can be a bit touchy as far as ignition goes.

There are several items of information you need to add to your question. First off, what are you using for powder? Pyrodex and the other subs have a higher ignition temperature and will make iffy ignition even iffier! The other thing that is commonly a problem is your procedure for wiping between shots. If you wiping patch is too wet it will leave moisture in the breech area which will retard ignition. Your wiping patch should be just damp. When you squeeze it no solvent or water or whatever you use should drip off the patch. Any wetter is too wet.

 

[chapmans]

What kind of powder are you using? Are you snapping several caps before you load? Are you cleaning between shots with a patch that's too wet? The breech has to be completely dry for the powder to ignite, if you are using a BP substitute they are a lot harder to ignite than real black powder. You may want to try CCI magnum caps or RWS caps.
Longball 58

 

[Ol Thing]

I'd try repalcing the hammer spring. Perhaps sombody left it cocked, for several months or longer, and the spring took on a memory i.e the spring has become weak, so the hammer dosen't hit the cap hard enough. If that is the case, musket caps won't fire either. Seems musket caps take a harder whollop to set off than #11s too. At least, that's the way it was with my rifle.

 

[longfowler]

I have two T/C's that had this issue. one I put a hot shot nipple on, the other a musket nipple. both seem to work equaly well, but I have heard of weak mainsprings also being a problem.
but I also found out that a worn nipple from too much dryfire practice will drive you crazy!

 

[spud]

replace the nipple I'll bet the caps are not seating--Spud

 

[Zonie]

When your loading, make sure the hammer is at half cock so it's not resting on the nipple.
Then, before ramming the ball, hit the side of the stock next to the breech a few times with your hand.

This tends to knock some of the powder down into the flame channel and with the hammer off of the nipple, the blast of air being forced out of it will tend to blow some of the loose powder granuals down thru the flame channel to the bottom of the nipple.

That often "fixes" the problem of mis-fires in all cap-lock guns.

 

[nw_hunter]

I agree with Zonie! I got into the habit of doing this years ago, and it works for me.I use both goex and Pyrodex, and the Pyro. goes off just fine when I do my part.

 

[WV MZL HUNTER]

I have several T/C and no trouble with miss fires. I use 3f goex powder. I clean between shots with rubbing alcohol. I use a hot shot nipple. I use the German caps, they seem to be hotter. The only time I have had a miss fire is with my 56 smooth bore and I think it is because I shove residue down to the nipple area because of no rifling to take up the residue. I have to clean the nipple and the bore more oftem. :thumbsup:

 

[Little Wattsy]

go musket cap :thumbsup:

 

[rabbit03]

Hello Cleburne

I would get a TC scraper specially designed to fit into the narrow powder chamber present in the TC Hawken. I would use that scraper in conjunction with some powder solvent in the powder chamber and make sure I got out any and all left over hardened powder residue that the OTHER guy left in there. That is what your problem sounds like to me, that there is a blockage going on inside and unless you remove it then your always going to have the same problem with poor ignition.

I use 'Spitfire Nipples and #11 CCI Magnum caps and never have a problem shooting while shooting Goex in either 2 or 3ffg.. Might want to try those two items also.

my 2 cents on where I would start

rabbit03

 

[Blizzard of '93]

Zonie has the right advice for loading. after dumping powder turn the gun sideways with the drum down and whack the area opposite with palm of hand to jar grains into the flash channel. then load PRB and seat it.

 

[Cleburne]

Thanks to each of you for taking the time to reply. I have no doubt that I'll get to the bottom of the problem using the advice y'all have provided. Just to answer the question raised, I shoot only genuine black, no substitutes. The powder used thusfar has been Elephant FFg. It's the last of my older supply. I will also try Goex next time out, it's my newest supply. But to play it safe, I think I'll invest in both a Hot Shot and a musket nipple.

Thanks again,

Cleburne

 

[paulvallandigham]

Before you spend the money, put some lipstick or some other kind of grease that you can see on the top edge of the nipple, and then lower the hammer down onto the nipple. Now cock the hammer back to full cock and look inside the skirt to see how much of a " ring " of grease appears on the hammer face.
If you don't see a full wide ring, as wide as the top of the nipple, you have a high spot that is keeping the caps from being fired. Get a small grinding bit for a dremel type tool, and grind away the area where the grease marks the hammer face, Those are the " high " spots. Keep testing, and grinding until a full circle appears in the grease on the hammer.

Then, both to clean off the grease, and test your work, put a doubled layer of paper toweling on the nipple, and drop the hammer down onto the nipple by firing it. Yeah, pull the hammer to full cock, and then pull the trigger. YOu should see a hole in the paper that looks like you used a paper punch. It may not go all the way through, because of the fibers in the paper that are in paper towels, but that " donut hole " in the paper is your final test that the hammer is now striking the nipple fully every time you pull the trigger.

If you see obvious wear on the top of the nipple,such as one side bent down or part of the arc of the top of the nipple flattened more than the rest of the arc, or the nipple trunk right below the top edge seems to be bulged out all around the nipple, making it hard to put a cap on the nipple, then WAIT until you replace the nipple with a new one before you do this fitting. I can't possibly know what happened to make that nipple look out of round, and neither can you. So, begin from the beginning. If every percussion gun buyer would do this test, they would have far fewer ignition problems. :hatsoff:

 

[renovato]

You might be better off diagnosing the problem with your #11's, rather than going to musket caps. I've tried them in the past, and the extra pressure they generate seems to unseat the ball from the powder right before ignition, causing serious accuracy issues. I could never develop a load for them that shot as well as the #11's did.

I have had problems with CCI caps in the past. I try to use Remington any time I can find them. I have never had a problem with those.

 

[longcruise]

I took him to mean the caps were going off but not the powder.

 

[Jerry Reichert]

I have the same T/C in 40, 50 and 54 cal. and fixed the problem with RWS 1075 caps. keep your caps very dry in their box until the day of shooting.

 

[Otter]

Thanks to each of you for taking the time to reply. I have no doubt that I'll get to the bottom of the problem using the advice y'all have provided. Just to answer the question raised, I shoot only genuine black, no substitutes. The powder used thusfar has been Elephant FFg. It's the last of my older supply. I will also try Goex next time out, it's my newest supply. But to play it safe, I think I'll invest in both a Hot Shot and a musket nipple.

Thanks again,

Cleburne

Ah, the dreaded Elephant 2f . . . I have numerous shooting friends who tried Elephant 2f (it was a little cheaper) and were constantly having misfires with their TC's. They all switched back to Goex (some to 2f, some to 3f) and problem solved. I have always used Goex in my muzzle loaders and I don't have any TC's, so what I say here is personal observation, not experience. It would also be nice to know what you are using for lubricant. That might be problematic, too. Paulvallandigham has written a good routine to check things out also, try his recommendations and report back. I'd try changing powder and primers before I started spending money on things that don't NEED changing. Good luck!

BTW - I ain't no expert . . .