Nipple cleaning

[doc623]

How do you clean your C&B nipples?
I am talking about just a temporary cleaning while the nipples are in/on the cylinder between clyinder loads and not a full blown complete cleaning by taking the nipples off and using soap and water or what evey when you clean the revolver/pistol.
Any thing/way that works particularly good?

 

[Bob Riegl]

How's about a nipple pick??? Or a small piece of steel wire.I think that's about as simple as it gets. :hatsoff:

 

[doc623]

Ok, should have been more specific.
Nipple pick yes is necessary and do use one.
I was referring to the outside of the nipple.
This is to insure that the caps fit properly.
Don't know about anyone else but I have been having some problems with Remington #11 caps. They do fit properly but have been getting approx 10-30% squib fire from them.
Other caps , i.e., CCI mag, work but only fit if the nipple has no or little residue on it.
How do you clean the outside of the nipple not the flash hole?

 

[gordy]

Q-Tips and solvent.You'll still need to put a wire through each to make certain no trash stayed in the channel.At least thats been My finding. :front:

 

[doc623]

Oh thanks.
Anyone else?
As this also could apply to side lock rifles, Yes?

 

[big D]

spit on my shirt tail. or spit on a rag, and a nipple pick.

 

[jdixon]

As for caps not fitting, try RWS 1075's. They seem to be the happy medium between the #10 and #11 sizes.
As for cleaning while on the bench shooting, I usually don't have any problems at the rear of the cylinder. An exception here is my Walker which is not very good at expelling spent cap fragments. Hunks of caps will sometimes lock up the gun which is a real pain. If the nipple area does need cleaning, I am not a big fan of using any type of liquid here if I plan to continue shooting. A drop of solvent, water etc., in the nipple bore could be enough to prevent ignition. Mis-fires are a real pain too! A dry old tooth brush scrubbing the back of the cylinder and nipple exteriors is all that I have used. good idea to pick out the nipples after doing this to ensure you didn't lodge a hunk of fouling in there.

 

[amccall]

One thing I have used that works well is pipe cleaners and a nipple pick. Pipe cleaners work well also for cleaning out the flash hole in a flintlock. :thumbsup:

 

[Zonie]

I guess I'm lucky or something.
I have never cleaned the nipples on my C&B revolvers when I'm getting ready to reload after firing my guns.
I have never had a problem that I could blame on a plugged nipple.
IMO, there is a blast of powder gas expelled thru the nipple during firing that blows away any debris in the area, as well as the cap.

 

[Deadeye]

If your nipples are fouled or you just feel like thy have to be cleaned take an aerosol can of solvent, carburetor
cleaner works well, with the little tube plugged into the spray nozzle stick the tube into the back of each nipple and give it a blast. you'll see it come out the other end and it evaporates quickly. It will blast anything in there out.

 

[montanadan]

I pretty much agree with Zonie.I shoot CAS,so sometimes you are going to shoot a lot stages.Cap build up on the outside of the nipple can become a problem for seating the caps.I just use 91% rubbing alcohol on the outside of the nipples(cones).Just put a little on small cleaning patch,and wipe the outside of the nipples.Most of the time when I shoot CB's I shoot a lot,I do the same thing at the range,depends on who's caps I am using at the time.Sometimes use the rubbing alcohol,to wipe the face of the cylinder.The reason I use 91% is because contains far less water and dries faster.Hope this helps...Respectfully Montanadan

 

I am totally with montanadan, but I use 50% Isopropyl-Alcohol (same as rubbing alcohol).

As I cut my cleaning patches from 100% cotton flannel ($3.47/yard at Wal-Mart) there are some "waste" stripes after the cutting. A stripe 2"x1/4", soaked in that Alk, cleans the outside of the nipple perfectly (remember, you need water to solve the salts - therefore 50/50 Iso). A pipe cleaner soaked in the same mysterious solvent cleans the top inside the nipple, and a wire keeps the vent of the nipple clean.

In my part of the country, the Iso/Water dries up in 30 seconds.

Isn't that "traditional" black powder stuff addictive?

 

[Nightwind]

Don't know about anyone else but I have been having some problems with Remington #11 caps. They do fit properly but have been getting approx 10-30% squib fire from them.
Other caps , i.e., CCI mag, work but only fit if the nipple has no or little residue on it.
How do you clean the outside of the nipple not the flash hole?

Hey Doc? If the Remmy #11 fits properly and still getting squibs (misfires?), might you possibly have a weak hammer spring? Are the nipples worn? I may shoot one of my C&B's all day during the nationals without any misfires. I have seven of them.

 

[doc623]

The nipples were just recently replaced to eliminate that possiblility.
The hammer spring seems fine.
I will get ignition on the second hit and therefore figure that the caps are not seating fully.
I have found and use a 3/16 socket as a nipple wrench and it works fine.
Has anyone tried or considered using 3/16 or other socket with a piece of scotch bright pad or similar type stuff for cleaning the outside of the nipple while in place on an empty cylinder?

 

[graybeard]

Doc623: I was having similar problems with my CVA replica Army 1860 Colt .44. About half the time the caps wouldn't go off. Made me think the caps were ill-fitting. Or that the nipples were deformed. The pistol had worked fine for many years. One gunsmith checked the hammer spring and said it was okay. A second gunsmith replaced it and now the pistol fires first pull every time again. Hope this helps. :m2c: graybeard

 

[doc623]

tks, will have to check this out.