Percussion caps and powders out of stock

[10acres]

You have to find humor in stuff and here it is , 2021 , and we're talking about stocking up on components and shooting sparingly with our percussion and flint firearms.....because the exact reason most of our ancestors didn't fire their weapons a lot , was because they didn't have easy access to supplies

It's just crazy times right now. I was telling everybody at work to stock up while they can over the summer and didn't even think about my BP supplies. I read a post on another site a few weeks back that I frequent about BP supplies dwindling and I couldn't believe it. I am stocked fairly well on everything I reload for and now I need to turn my attention to BP supplies. Unfortunately, the store I used to purchase black powder from has changed owners and they are waiting on the ATF to approve their license for black powder. I bought a couple pounds of 777 just in case I run out of Goex. I prefer to buy locally, but may have to break down and order some powder online.

Funny how history tends to repeat itself.

 

[solitare1340]

I have a few near me, I'll have to stop in. The panickers don't tend to clean out the local Sporting Goods/Sub Shop that also sells gear for muzzleloading hunting season (I have one near me )

I was able to pick up a few tins of # 11’s at my local gas station last week and they have a dozen more left. I’m sure everyone has a little place like that in their town that sells a few fishing and hunting items.

 

[Stantheman86]

I had to chuckle because I just bought a bunch of Flints for my Pedersoli 1795 all like, well , this is my recreational shooter for the foreseeable future .

I also have a cool work buddy who's into old guns and I'm like, get a Uberti 1849 Pocket and just shoot 10gr charges. Find a local shop and get a sack of 0 buck,a bunch of caps and a couple pounds of 3f and you're set for plinking for a couple years as long as you just pop off 50 rounds or so per outing .

 

[Stantheman86]

I love the Gas Station/gun shop/bait stores .

There was one , back when I lived in NJ that was a Diner , a hardware store and also like an inactive gun shop that the ATF just Grandfathered in or forgot about. Like the guy would move a foam cooler full of canned soda to get to a crate full of dusty ammo and hand you a box of .32 Short KleenBor with 5 missing. Probably long closed now.

 

[Zonie]

I have read online about guys who have used plastic cap gun caps without any issues (except a tight fit). I am going to order some to try myself... I am anxious to see of they work considering they are like $3 per hundred, AND they come strung together which may even work as a capper of sorts. Anyone here actually try this?

Don't believe everything you read on line. Also, don't get your hopes up. They are usually to feeble to ignite real guns reliably.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Zonie, why not try things if they work ok if not ok, it is time to start thinking out side the box that we have been in for so long. And looks like the box is opening to things we do not care for. Just a thought.

 

[Sam squanch]

Get ready for congressional committees who will be astounded that people are able to purchase “explosives “ - black powder- at all.

 

[SDSmlf]

I have read online about guys who have used plastic cap gun caps without any issues (except a tight fit). I am going to order some to try myself... I am anxious to see of they work considering they are like $3 per hundred, AND they come strung together which may even work as a capper of sorts. Anyone here actually try this?

Go for it. WallyWorld has them. You will have to try for yourself. The ones today seem a lot weaker than what was available years ago, although they seem to have the same corrosive properties. Stronger ones didn’t work very well when tried back in the day. Plastic would plug nipples. Needed to remove nipple to add a kicker charge under it (also good time to check for stuck plastic in the nipple) to get to maybe one out of three attempts lighting up the charge. By my math that’s $9 per hundred successful ignitions based on your $3 per hundred toy caps.

If worried about cap availability in the near future, order some caps today. Recently got 5K RWS #11 caps from Midway. With what I already had, should be good for a while, and am not worried about having to use Chinese made toy caps or having to negotiate with the guy pushing the shopping cart full of aluminum cans down the road for raw material for a Tap-a-Matic. And realistically, I find that I shoot my flintlocks more than caplocks. But I am ready. Just my opinion.

 

[William Sublette]

Midway still lists RWS 11 plus available; LG outdoors lists CCI 11 available

Stay away from lg outdoors, the net is full of horror stories about them.

 

[SDSmlf]

Stay away from lg outdoors, the net is full of horror stories about them.

Looked at LG. Over $50 more for CCI caps than I paid Midway for better, at least in my opinion, RWS caps. And then there is the rumored problems with LG. Let’s recap. More expensive for a less desirable product, and the added benefit of customer service issues. Not going to jump on it.

 

[Stantheman86]

If I have to use red plastic caps to fire my revolvers then I'm just gonna mothball them .

At the rate that I actually find time to shoot , the 5000 some odd caps I have should last me a few years .

 

[Stantheman86]

Just test popped 6 of the RWS caps, they fit ok on factory Pietta nipples but each one sounded different, like they were seated to different depths. Lots of spark blowing upward so they look to be hot. I'll have to live fire them.

Hopefully my ToTW nipples get here soon .

 

[dennyntx]

I just recently purchased an Uberti 1873 Cattleman Black Powder pistol. I have one tin of #10 caps and am wanting to know if I can use #11 Winchester Magnum caps instead with out any issues.

I use #10s or #11s on mine I just pinch the #11 a little bit to tighten them up

 

[fireman1]

The big LGS near me has lots of caps..CCI #10 and BP subs.

 

[Hawken]

Somehow I ended up in my stash with a (plastic) tin of Dynamit-Nobel 1081 percussion caps. Are they usable somehow in a rifle with possibly a different nipple? I'm OK on Rem 10s and CCI 11s, but just wondering.

My first Pietta .36 Revolver, bought at the Cabelas in Prarie Du Chein, WI many years ago they sold a tin of CCI 10s, which do not fit even close. I still have them, not much good. I think maybe they work on the T/C .50 Cal, can't remember.

 

[Musketeer]

Somehow I ended up in my stash with a (plastic) tin of Dynamit-Nobel 1081 percussion caps. Are they usable somehow in a rifle with possibly a different nipple? I'm OK on Rem 10s and CCI 11s, but just wondering.

Yes. You just need a musket nipple in the same thread as your rifle nipple. Unscrew your standard size nipple, screw in the musket version, and you should be ready to go, unless the hammer in your rifle has a really small cup in the nose that won't fit down over the musket cap or the hammer hits the cap off center, then further tinkering may be required.

 

[Hawken]

Thanks @Musketeer that's just what I wanted to know. Thanks! Well, now I want to know what threads my T/C Hawken .50 Cal has..

 

[Musketeer]

TC Hawken should be 1/4-28 threads.

Btw, I put a musket nipple on the TC Hawken I had many years ago and it worked fine, so you should be good, though there's bound to be some variation even from gun to gun by the same maker (hammer alignment, etc.).

 

[painter]

Thanks @Musketeer that's just what I wanted to know. Thanks! Well, now I want to know what threads my T/C Hawken .50 Cal has..

Your TC has 1/4-28 threads.

If anyone knows where I can get a tin of RWS, or Scheutzen, musket caps I'd appreciate a heads up.

 

[gds260]

Powder Valley has someBlack powder and substitute Black in stock as of a couple mins ago.

https://www.powdervalleyinc.com/product-category/reloading-supplies/powder/black-powder-substitutes/