Percussion cap substitute

[jimeckersley]

Hey CoyoteJoe, (a slight segue) Your post made me think of a way to convert flints to percussion! What do you think of this:

You could do away with that pesky piece of rock by substituting a piece of metal that strikes a cap gun cap which sets off the powder in the pan! :winking:

Since this is a percussion category, talk of converting flints to percussion is ok, right?

 

[SCATTERSHOT]

JperryE, it's been done. I have seen pictures of old flinters converted this way. The cock was made to hold a cylinder with a depression in it (like a hammer nose) and the touchhole was drilled out to take a drum and nipple. Most of the pictures I have seen had the cylinder brazed or welded in place, but I don't see why you couldn't just tighten it down real well and then be able to convert back and forth. :hmm:

 

[Zonie]

If you make a little hollow tube about .080 in diameter and bend one end of it over and then fill the remainder with one of many powders which explode when they are crushed your half way there.

Now, fill up the pan with some metal so the tube would lay on it when it's open end is pushed into the vent hole.

Now put a little metal pin in the jaws of the cock so the end of the pin smashes the tube when the cock is down.

You will have a reproduction of one of the earliest styles of precussion guns made and it's PC for about 1815-1820.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Sounds pretty evil for anyone on the lock side, I think that is why the "tube lock" never cought on!
My favorite flint/percussion conversion employs a homemade mule ear, replace the vent liner with a nipple and swap locks, can be done in about the time it takes to describe it. :grin:
'Corse, took me a month ta make tha lock!

 

[Slake]

I find it much easier to get caps than I do black powder

 

[Old Ironsights]

Tap-O-Cap plus a little Chemistry know-how works too...

link deleted by Zonie

Make your own Fulminates. Corrosive? Hell yeah. But consistant Ignition.

 

[madbrad]

Just FYI you can get Remington No 11 Caps From Dicks sporting goods for .97 cents per tim of 100.

 

[guncobbler]

"Make your own Fulminates. Corrosive? Hell yeah. But consistant Ignition."

Oh my! You could get into alot of trouble with the missus on that page. "Honey...I think we need a new sink. Don't you think skylights would look great over the new sink?"

Be careful, GC

 

[Old Ironsights]

"Make your own Fulminates. Corrosive? Hell yeah. But consistant Ignition."

Oh my! You could get into alot of trouble with the missus on that page. "Honey...I think we need a new sink. Don't you think skylights would look great over the new sink?"

Be careful, GC

:grin: Yeah, I suppose, but then I've been making explosives since I was in my teens. :blah:

Actually, I wouldn't advise anybody to do it unless beyond desperate (that NO2 is a real killer...) but it's still a good thing to know.

I got into BP guns because of a mild "survivalist" bent - I like the idea of being able to not have to rely on anybody for my consumables.

Having a large stock of caps, powder and balls is good, being able to make all three is better.

That said, a good grade of flash-powder/ultrafine BP (maybe that new Swiss Nul-B?) wetted into a paste in Alcohol then dropped into a Tap-O-Cap, then covered with a fine shellac should make a fairly weather-resistant and functional home-made cap. That's what I'm trying next anyway.

 

[RedFeather]

Make fulminates????? My friend's dad was commander of the Navy's gun testing facility in Dahlgren, Virginia in the late 1930's. He told us they stored the fulminate of mercury in little locked sheds that resembled out houses, so many hundred feet apart. One night there was a very loud boom which shook him awake. :shocked2: Next morning they found a hole surrounded by felled trees where one of the little sheds spontaneously detonated. Make fulminates? Let's not and say we did. :grin:

 

[colt100]

Can't your gun stores order them for you?? You say they don;t stock them so that suggests they can get them but don;t because of demand or some other reason.

Never hurts to ask.

Hell, move. Even california sounds better then the place your at.

Just kidding.

 

[Slamfire]

I've never tried to do anything useful with this bit of chemistry, but you can make an exploding mixture by... [Edited by Claude]. Proceed at your own discression, I haven't played with this stuff since 1957, when I was younger and dumber.

 

Please note MLF rules:

Participants shall not post any material regarding illegal activities, illegal firearms, or the manufacture of any material or hardware that is illegal in the United States. This includes, but is not limited to; the making of black powder or other explosives, instructions on where to find materials for making explosives, altering of weapons to make them illegal, etc.

While I have nothing against PowderBoom, he states that he resides in a country where much of what is being suggested may be both illegal or used for acts of terrorism. You place both yourself, the MLF and possibly others at risk by posting recipes for percussion caps.

 

[manyirons]

Not ta disagree with FORUM rules, but theres somethin about Freedom O' Speech' universal right recognized in such documents as Bill o' Rights, think that Tommy the Jeff guy who grew his own opium poppies worked on that one.

Ooops! Tommy and tha boys were terrorists! Eeeks! Its Jackboot thug time fer us all!

 

[Slamfire]

You have a right to speak, you don't have a right to be heard. If Claude don't want you to hear it here, that's ok with me. Sorry I slipped up there Claude. :redface:

 

[manyirons]

SIGH! Jus a sorry state in tha world where ya gotta worry about what ya say or write! Didnt argue that private forum jus like any private club can make any rules it wants!

 

Seems I need to quote another section of the MLF rules:
The Muzzleloading Forum was created to discuss the use and enjoyment of Muzzleloading firearms only. As a guest here, we request that you refrain from discussing Politics and Religion. This includes, but is not limited to, the Second Amendment. People who wish to be involved with defending or promoting the Second Amendment should contact the NRA or their local representatives.

Yes, we live in a great country. Where anyone can open their yap and say what they want and get sued for it.

By the way, percussion caps can do more than provide an ignition source for muzzleloaders, so think about what you are saying. It may some US soldier's life.

Claude has created this bastion of muzzleloading for our enjoyment. Private clubs aside, this is an extention of his home, and if you can't respect the man's house rules, then don't let the door hit ya where the Eternal split ya!

And that comes from a man who's family tree's roots run deep and include "Old Rough and Ready" and "Monkey Man" Darrow, as well as the Adams and Roosevelt Boys.

Not ta disagree with FORUM rules, but theres somethin about Freedom O' Speech' universal right recognized in such documents as Bill o' Rights, think that Tommy the Jeff guy who grew his own opium poppies worked on that one.

Ooops! Tommy and tha boys were terrorists! Eeeks! Its Jackboot thug time fer us all!

 

[manyirons]

And i DO respect that. Not arguin it! Get used too much i suppose ta tha bosses liberty hall ya can spit on tha cat and call tha mat a bastard or somethin like that.

And i never mentioned the Second Amendment! Oh ya, an MY folk were here afore Jefferson got high on opium and had his way with tha slave girls! And thats Plymouth Rock!

 

[Zonie]

Well, what Jefferson did or did not do really doesn't have anything to do with what is allowed and what is not allowed on this forum site.

Manyirons, I know you just wanted to help with the Percussion cap problem, but I'm sure you understand why we can't get into the fine points of how to make things which are not only dangerous but could be used for terrorist activities.

I'm sure you would not want anyone to use your knowledge to harm others or themselves, so,with this in mind I think we can get back to discussing things which contribute to the great sport of Muzzleloading.

Zonie

 

[manyirons]

I agree! Thanks Zonie!