Poor quality #11 caps

[64Springer]

But most misfires are the result of neglect and improper cleaning/preparation for firing.

Why do you badmouth and cauterwaul every time the subject of CCI caps come up. Most muzzleloader folks are aware your claims are false.

Simply don't buy the things.

I do not believe for one second that all of these failure reports are due neglect and improper cleaning/preparation for firing.

Why do folks defend CCI every time the subject of CCI caps come up?

CCI themselves has admitted to there being a problem with their caps. Maybe CCI isn't cleaning their guns or testing machines properly prior to testing.

Not only do I not buy the things, the things I had I threw in the garbage. Then replaced all of my #11 nipples with TOTW musket nipples. Schutzen musket caps fire off every single time.

 

[Barth]

I saw Ethan’s video and checked a tin of CCI caps I purchased from Bass Pro in 2022.
Sure enough, the caps in the tin I opened are tarnished. See photo.

 

[ernbar]

No issues so far with them.

 

[Barth]

Out of curiosity, I just opened this case of CCI Magnum caps….
All tarnished.
Because I used an overhead light, they appear in the photo to be less tarnished than they really are. Very disappointing. Purchased from Bass Pro.

To be clear, I have not used any of these caps and have no idea if there is, or isn’t, a performance issue.
I do know that the percussion caps I just opened for this thread are noticeably “less shiny“ (duller) than any CCI caps I have from earlier batches.
I will fire several caps from several tins and report back if there is an issue with performance (misfires).

 

[Rebel bull]

New video from Ethan on the issue...

just because its on you tube it must be a absolute fact . the absolute fact of the matter is that more then likely there is operator error in cleaning the fire channel because every one thinks that a petroleum product to coat the barrel after cleaning and then set it in the safe, corner , closet whatever muzzle up, is what is needed to store your muzzleloader. my barrels have never had a petroleum product in them and never will ! I jumped on the wonder lube bandwagon the day it was brought on the market as 1000 plus, and have never looked back. it just works, their instructions were to flush the barrel with enough hot water to make it hot to handle flushing it through the fire channel and nipple. dry the bore and when dry the run a couple of wonder lubed patches up and down the bore. at shoots i can shoot all day without cleaning. The gun shop that lets us hold our shoots has a event the weekend before labor day weekend ( Ahlmans Guns Shooters roundup ) our group provides muzzle loader shooting for the public this year we fired over 1000 rounds over 2 days the 1 gun that has been cleaned as described went all day without wiping the bore once. 1 new gun and shooter had to clean every 50 -100 rounds he is now convinced to never use anything but hot water to clean with. Now let the hate mail begin but I'll stand next to anybody and prove it next August at shooters roundup !!! Morristown Minnesota

 

[Barry Strickland]

I go through about 500 to 700 nr 11 percussion caps a year. These are mostly CCI and some other brands. I have not found any
problem with CCI or others. I do store my caps in a climate controlled storage.

CCI musket caps are a different story. They reduced their compound strength in the musket caps due to legal reasons and the
musket tins are now printed with "for reenactor use". NSSA Skirmishers do not use them because of the unreliable powder
ignition.

 

[smo]

Problem solved……

 

[Whiteoak15]

Just a thought. If CCI only makes a run of caps seasonally and the copper foil they use isn't properly stored off season and it dulls, are they going to make the caps anyway or dispose of some very expensive copper foil? Business is business. Now, if they don't go bang, there's got to be some moisture involved some where. Any way you look at it, it seems the manufacturing process protocol has been violated. I will say that I have never had a problem with CCI caps and a good nipple, but I bought a large supply 10 years ago and have stored them properly and yes, they are still shiny when I open a new tin and all go bang!

 

[SmokepoleSam]

I prefer remington #10&11 and RWS 1075 but I also use cci's of various ages. They all work in my guns. What difference does it make if the brass is tarnished? The brass just holds the priming compound.

 

[gunpa]

Track of the Wolf has musket nipples. The next problem is finding Shutzen caps, but I have found them. I also went with 3f T7 for better ignition. Good luck!

 

[randyt]

It's different word now. When I was young I would buy a tin of caps and use them up. Go buy another tin. Now better buy a bunch because in a few months no where to be found

 

[Okie Hog]

just because its on you tube it must be a absolute fact . the absolute fact of the matter is that more then likely there is operator error in cleaning the fire channel

Yes!!!!

My New Englander .58 caliber began misfiring after i installed a Hot Shot nipple. The flash hole in that nipple was <25 thousandths of an inch. Threw the Hot Shot nipple away and installed a TC nipple, no more problems.

Clean the flash channel with a bristled pipe cleaner.

 

[ILoveMuzzleloading]

Ethans caps are not recent CCI manufacture. They are 5-10 years old.: They are stamped 100-310. New manufacture #11 CCI caps have 100-311.

IMO: Ethans caps have been wet.

Several years ago i gave some CCI #11 caps to a local shooter and hunter. A year or two later the guy claimed those caps were no good. No good was right; the guy stored his caps, bullets and powder in a bucket in the garage beside an open window: Everything was ruined.

Interesting! The distributors I spoke too about this issue were told the caps they got were new caps from up the chain. Thank you!
I agree they look like moisture came in from somewhere, I wonder if someone in the chain stored them wrong and passed em off.

I bought several tins of the 311s.

Not only were they as brown as the ones in the video, several in a row failed to detonate.

Mr. Ethan was being generous with his 10% failure rate. It's actually much greater.

I don't know why you guys insist on going to bat for a product that is very clearly sub-par.

Good to know, at the Nationals, shooters stopped at 10%but I’ve heard similar to your 30% since publishing.

My older stock caps and caps from my last buy in ’21 have worked fine. I use the brand a ton, just wanted to get the word out in case folks didn’t check. Thinking you have a few hundred stored is one thing but finding them like this is a kick to the rear.

 

[le125verne]

I go through about 500 to 700 nr 11 percussion caps a year. These are mostly CCI and some other brands. I have not found any
problem with CCI or others. I do store my caps in a climate controlled storage.

CCI musket caps are a different story. They reduced their compound strength in the musket caps due to legal reasons and the
musket tins are now printed with "for reenactor use". NSSA Skirmishers do not use them because of the unreliable powder
ignition.

Question; You go through 5C to 7C per year? Do you live at the gun range?

 

[Muzzle57]

Question; You go through 5C to 7C per year? Do you live at the gun range?

I've went thru 4/500 so far this year and i missed July August and most of September. Mostly all homemade caps except for maybe 50 at the most cci's. I'll hit the range tomorrow with new sights and probably do 50/60 shots. Don't take long to burn thru supplies.

 

[Barth]

Earlier in this thread, I showed a tin of tarnished CCI Magnum caps that I pulled from an unopened case I purchased in 2022.

I have now tested that tin of caps using two different rifles.
I fired a total of eighteen caps….or tried to.
Sixteen of the eighteen failed to fire, even with multiple strikes.
The primer material collected in the nipples, clogging them.

The attached photos will show the caps and the clogged nipples.

I also tried another tin of older CCI Magnum caps. They worked flawlessly in both guns.

From my experience, there is definitely an issue with these caps.

 

[yellowhammer]

... the absolute fact of the matter is that more then likely there is operator error ...

I didn't read all of the posts in this thread, but I have had issues.

Ref these threads:

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/11-caps.152552/page-2#post-2174352https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/11-firing-cap-problem.153802/#post-2174367
I couldn't get some of them to fire when smashed by a hammer on an anvil, so you can't tell me that operator error was the culprit.

I have since bought only Remingtons and have 100% success with them; knock on wood.

 

[okawbow]

Bought 4 tins of CCI caps at Walmart a couple months ago. First two tins have been perfect so far.

 

[maillemaker]

Question; You go through 5C to 7C per year? Do you live at the gun range?

Barry is a competition shooter, as am I.

You'll go through 250 revolver caps just from competition alone in a year. If you practice at all you can double that easily.

With both my kids now shooting on my team also I'm burning through 300 musket caps a competition easily. So 3000+ musket caps a year easy.

 

[AlexB]

I go through a couple hundred a month just clowning around.