Putting a little powder under your nipple?

[bigcountry]

Does anyone on here put a little powder (maybe small amounts of FFFFg or even ffg) under the nipple to ensure fire? Did it affect accuracy?

 

[Slamfire]

I have done this after a misfire, when I wiped the bore too far, and got some of the crud in the flame channel on my sidelock. It doesn't have a patent breech, and the rod will go all the way to the bottom.

 

[JackAubrey]

Don't know,mate.Sounds a bit dodgey. :crackup:

 

[Pittsburghunter]

Like Slamfire said in the event of a misfire but not as a general shooting practice, it is not needed.

 

[bigcountry]

Pitts, if you ML hunt long enough, sooner or later you might have a misfire. Its just the way it is. Hey nothing wrong with discussing. Pitts, have you ever did any experiements with accuacy or anything or tried it?

 

[jim gray]

IMO you are more likely to have a hangfire from the powder in the flame channel than you are to have a misfire without it. Too much powder will create a fuse that will burn down to the main charge rather than directly igniting it when the cap pops.

 

[Zonie]

If you snap a few caps before loading and if you ram the load with the nipple uncovered and if there isn't excess oil on the flash channel holes walls, you should not have a problem with a mis-fire. The powder should find its own way thru the flash channel and end up under the nipple when you ram the ball down the bore.
It should be noted there are more than a few "ifs" there.

If I were hunting and the first shot had to count, I can see where putting a small amount of loose powder under the nipple before loading would be good insurance. I would not put in enough to create a compacted powder plug though.

I don't think I would use super fine powder like 4Fg though because as the Flinters can tell you, that super fine powder seems to gather moisture from the air when it is humid. If that happened, it would be worse than not putting powder under the nipple.

As for the fuse effect, I have never seen this happen with a Caplock. I have seen it happen with a Flinter but with a Flintlock, there is no concentrated flame like a precussion cap delivers. I might point out that in a Flintlock, the flash channel is open so when excess powder in the channel burns, it generates no pressure. That is why it burns thru to the main charge so slowly.
In a precussion gun, the pressure created by the powder under the nipple is in a confined space and it creates a great deal of pressure immediately. This pressure helps ignite the main charge almost instantly.
:imo:

 

[hobbles]

Mornin bigcountry

Just a thought,,
Do you have the hammer cocked when you ram the ball and powder home? I had a friend that didn't and it would darn near always misfire, The powder couldn't get where is was supposta be,,

 

[MikeChapin]

Gotta go with Zonie and Hobbles on this one. Zonie for the step by step advice and Hobbles for the a condition that can cause problems. I have done it a time or two myself. The only time I have used 4F under the nipple was to clear a dryball.

 

[Tumblernotch]

:agree: In a BIG way! It may help dry out some wet crud that's built up in the breech if the gun doesn't want to fire, and may even burn through to the charge, but it will definitely form a fuse and cause a hangfire. I would snap a cap before loading or run a wire through to clear it. It's best if you have a clean-out in your bolster or drum.
:front:

 

[Deadeye]

Big Country, I ALWAYS DO THAT, but for hunting only. I crush up some powder til it's like flour and after loading I remove the nipple and fill the channel with it, right up to the nipple threads. It doesn't effect accuracy and doesn't create a fuse, or a hangfire. I've done it for many years and have never had a misfire or hangfire. I have many hunters come in my shop every hunting season with tales of big bucks and guns that didn't go off. That is what I recommend they do and after they never have any problems. If you do everything else right you probably don't
need it but it's just insurance.

 

[bigcountry]

Thanks Deadeye. finally, someone who has been there and done it.


But, but, I am surprised no problem on accuracy. Reason I say this, is now you have changed the ignition some.

 

[Runner]

I don't crush the powder. I use the powder I am shooting and only a couple of grains of it. I just want a hot flash to set off the main. I do that every time I go out hunting where the first shot counts. It isn't as important with black, but I shot pyrodex for years and just got in the habit. Another 30 seconds loading and I never have a missfire. I don't do it at the range or a shoot, but I always do it when hunting.

 

[Stumpkiller]

A caution. If you put too much powder in there you can make it worse. When you crush it returning the nipple it is like a block of wood. Back pressure of the compressed air trapped in the nipple can actually plug the nipple so the flash dies without igniting the powder. When ignited it has to burn like a fuse to reach the main charge, giving sure, but slower, ignition.

I prefer to wipe all the oil out with alcohol, snap a couple caps before loading, and add no "priming powder" to my percussions.

 

[rudy parnell]

It ain't enough powder to effect your accuracy. The post about the wire is a good one. Use a bread tie...just peel the plastic back a little. When you take your nipple out...clean it good with the wire. Then shake the gun and prick the powder that you can see in behind where the nipple sits. It needs to be free running. Shake alittle out till you can see it. Shake it back the other way till it disappears back into the chamber. Now you are ready to add some fresh powder ...careful not to pack it. You put some powder in there where the nipple sits and make sure everything is dry and moveable. Then replace the nipple and if you have a nipple charger, sprinkle in a few grains. If you ain't got no nipple charger don't worry about it. Shake your gun over from side to side and then go in there and remove the nipple again...if there ain't no powder setting there for the spark to reach under the nipple... then you better take the whole thing down and start over...as others have suggested...I will guarentee you that this proceedure will work... and if you're really neurotic about this ...then you can simply remove your nipple and check it out when you reach your tree ...or blind. You do your gun right and it will not fail you!...Truth is ...this is a great self test to find out ,if you are still a Green Horn! adios!

 

[wwfeatherston]

I have been having problems with the first shot and powder not finding it's way under the nipple.

Even popping a couple of caps hasn't worked. I have been unscrewing the nipple and trickling in just a few grains of FFFG, which works every time.

I need to find a better way of getting that area oil-free- time to find some pipe-cleaners!

Still a Green Horn!

 

[marwat06]

Yeah I would do it for hunting and I am planning on putting a few grains under the nipple. So far everytime at the range I loaded and fired the rifle has gone off the first time. However as you stated in hunting the first shot counts.

 

[Old40Rod]

I would say this is a stopgap measure at best. You are better off in the long run figuring out why you are having ignition problems. :m2c: I would try just leaning the barrel toward the lock and tapping the barrel lightly a few times.

 

[Zonie]

Somewhere in one of my books, there is a picture of a nipple primer that was patented back in the mid 1800s. It looked a lot more complicated than the one that Dixie sells, but it worked on the same principle.

Most nipples have a relatively large inside diameter where the cap rests. This diameter tapers down to the .027 (approximately) dia thru hole.
The idea behind these was to fill the small area under the cap and above the .027 dia hole with fine powder which would add to the flame from the cap. This would not require removing the nipple from the gun, but the hammer would have to be retracted so it doesn't interfere with the priming tool.

I haven't tried the Dixie version and I have never seen one of the old patented versions so I can't say if it would work but the idea makes sense to me.
On the other hand, I don't know if it would be worth the $10+ plus postage that Dixie is asking for it.
Their catalog also says it works with 4F powder and as I mentioned before, 4F has a bad habit of drawing moisture from the air.

 

[Runner]

I can not say this enough. Run a dry paper towel patch in them and store them upside down sitting on the ramrod so that gravity brings the oil to the dry paper and then most of it wicks into the paper towel.