Nipple Cleaning

[IrishBob]

Went to the range the other day and fired 10 shots of PRB with no problem. Using 60 grains of FFFg in my .50 cal. The 11th shot went off with the second cap. For the 12th shot I had to put a few grains of powder under the nipple for it to go off. This is the second time this has happened to me on the 11th and 12th shot. Would it be advisable for me to remove and clean the nipple and the touch hole after 10 shots to prevent this from happening again. I currently use a wet patch followed by a dry patch after each shot. Has this happened to anyone else. Thanks.

 

[Dave K]

Yes, it can happen to anyone when you swab. You are running the scrudge down into the breech and since it is damp and also more of it as you shot more, it becomes a growing kuck-ah mess in there. Many folks like a tight fitting jag. That can work fine but it is ideal to have a jag that goes down easy and then the patch material will kind of wad up on the way out and lift the dirt out with it.

 

Im with Dave K when you swab that happens, but it is advisable to take out and clean the nipple, have you noticed when you un-cap it after a shot that the cap has a hole in it, that could also be a problem. :m2c: :front:

 

[Marc Adamchek]

Arkansas, not only does my cap have a hole in it, I'd say 95% of the time the cap is completely ripped open, just a crumpled strip of metal. What does this indicate? I've had some trouble at times necessitating a trail of powder to be put under the nipple. Is the evidence of a blown cap somehow linked to the problem of mis-firing?

 

[Zonie]

It isn't unusual for a cap to be blown apart when it's fired.
One of the more frustrutating things to have happen is for the cap NOT to be blown apart so it is sitting tightly seated on the nipple.
I have found that the only way to get these stuck caps off is to use a small set of plyers or take my knife and pry it off.

The "hot shot" nipple has two little holes in the side of it which help to blow the cap apart so the stuck cap issue doesn't cause problems.

By the way, if your gun is like several of mine, you may find the cap has been pasted inside of the hammer nose cavity instead of being just "blown away".
When this happens, the next cap is actually being pounded by the remains of the old cap and because it is softer than the steel of the hammer, the next shots may not fire the cap instantly (like we would like). In fact, if several caps have deposited themselves in this cavity, the gun may misfire.

As for the plugging of the touch hole, it sounds to me like your using either too much fluid, or your wiping down too far.

When your wiping the bore keep this idea in mind: You want the damp (not dripping wet) patch to moisten the fouling on the way down, and to wipe it out on the way up.

You do not want to "wash" the inside of the barrel.
Of course, you do not want to use a patch which is too dry either. That is a sure fire way to get the patch and jag stuck in the bore.

You do not want to wipe clear to the face of the breech plug. You need to only wipe down to the hardened "ring" of fouling which forms about where the ball will be seated on the powder charge, then just about 1/8 inch farther.

This will minimize the amount of fouling you break off of the barrel wall and deposit in the drum or in the "patent breech" or "snail" hole but still assure a clear bore for the ball down to the powder.

 

[IrishBob]

I just slightly dampen the patch when I swab, it is not very wet at all. But I do go down as far as I can with the patch and also spin the patch when it is at the bottom. From now on I will only go down until I feel that ring and then just go below it. The cap is usually split down the side so it is easy to remove and there are no pieces of the cap stuck to the hammer.
I think that from now on I will also remove the nipple after 10 shots and clean both the nipple and the touch hole area. Thanks for all your replies, they were helpful.