Removing nipples

[steve bliss]

I have a 1851 Navy revolver that I got and have been working on to get in working order. I posted a couple other threads asking advice. I got everything working, but when i tried to put caps on the nipples, I found that they have been mushroomed and can't get the caps on. I have ordered all new nipples. BUT when I've tried to remove the old nipples, one is really messed up. The squared off part of the nipple has been rounded off and my nipple wrench can't get enough purchase to turn the nipple. I've tried all the tips i can find on the past threads I can find on this site. Nothing works because the old nipple is so messed up. I'm thinking of drilling it out and using an extraction bit to try to get it out. Help! any other ideas? Like I've said, I've tried everything that I've found on this site but nothing has worked. Steve

 

[Old Hawkeye]

Take it to someone who has the proper tooling & expertise to remove it, like a GUNSMITH!

 

[Sorry Dude]

I'm thinking of drilling it out and using an extraction bit to try to get it out.

That's what I had to do. I soaked it in everything for days and days, froze and thawed it, nothing worked. That's why after shooting I take them out every time, clean them, and put on ant-seize.
Left handed drill bit might work.

 

[D Yager]

Have you tried the drill press trick yet? You put a nipple wrench in a drill press chuck, cylinder in a padded vice and use the drill press handle to keep pressure on the nipple flats. Of course you don't turn the drill press on!

 

[steve bliss]

Have you tried the drill press trick yet? You put a nipple wrench in a drill press chuck, cylinder in a padded vice and use the drill press handle to keep pressure on the nipple flats. Of course you don't turn the drill press on!

no I haven't tried that but I will

 

[namsag]

Get a good quality set of left-handed drill bits.

In the meantime soak the heck out of the nipple with Kroil.

Might even try a few freezer/oven cycles in the meantime.

Secure the cylinder in a padded vise. Find the drill bit that is a slip fit in the nipple hole. Go up one size and start drilling. Go up 1/16 at a time. "Work slowly and carefully" as they used to say in the old plastic model kits. Keep the drill centered and straight.

I have never had one fail to spin out by the 4th or 5th bit. I also have had great success this way removing rusty bolts busted off in the frames of my old Land Cruisers.

 

[Smokerr]

I know you will but an add to the D Yager idea, least intrusive is the best. If it works you are home free. Granted you have to sort out how that got damaged.

You don't need left hand drills though they can work nicely. Good drill bits cost a lot and you don't want to use cheap ones. Sometimes left handed bits will turn it out and sometimes not.

Easy way is to drill out with a regular bit to your nearest extractor size and try it.

The other way using regular bits is to slowly increase the size of bit used keeping it below the thread size at the bottom of the groves. You can peel out the remnants. Start small and work up as it may just come loose ones the tension is off with some drilling.

I removed a lot of fasteners that way. A lot of times the extractor size was too small or too big, if you are any off center take that into account of how large a drill you use.

If threads get dinged you will want to chase them and I believe those are all metric sans maybe the ROA

Take it to someone who has the proper tooling & expertise to remove it, like a GUNSMITH!

Depends on how handy you are, sometimes that is the way to go. I would be inclined to ship the cylinder to D Yager if I went that patch. He will have the tools. He and Mike do that kind of work, but Mike is pretty backlogged though a quick job might be slipped in. I would send it to D Yager and not bother Mike (last we talked I think he had a 3 month backlog!)

 

[steve bliss]

I got the nipple out. I soaked it with the Kroil overnight. Did the oven and freezer. didn't seem to help. The one result is that now my house smells like Kroil!!! Before I caught up on these posts I remembered using a punch and tapping it on a stuck nut and got it to turn. So I tried it and within 5 minutes it was turning.
In the meantime, I filed down the 'good' nipples' so the cap would go on and using anti-seize i put 4 back in the cylinder. I loaded those 4 cylinders with a light load (20 gr), wad, cornmeal and ball. Went out to my target backstop and fired all 4 with no problems. I've taken those 4 nipples back out and waiting on the new set before I play anymore. But I've got 2 black powder rifles I can play with. Thank you all for your input and help. Greatly Appreciated! Steve

 

[sheriff john]

Kroil's saved the day for me many times around the farm. Yes, it does have a distinct fragrance - like "Aha! It's Loose!" smell. What shooter can't sniff Hoppe's Number Nine from 50 yards and ..perhaps just for a moment flash back to an old moment cleaning a gun after a great day afield with family/friends perhaps a wet dog lying nearby.

If I were young again, walked past a girl that smelled like Hoppe's or Kroil .......I'd have to follow her outside to see what kinda truck she drove and what was in her window gun rack .

 

[steve bliss]

Kroil's saved the day for me many times around the farm. Yes, it does have a distinct fragrance - like "Aha! It's Loose!" smell. What shooter can't sniff Hoppe's Number Nine from 50 yards and ..perhaps just for a moment flash back to an old moment cleaning a gun after a great day afield with family/friends perhaps a wet dog lying nearby.

If I were young again, walked past a girl that smelled like Hoppe's or Kroil .......I'd have to follow her outside to see what kinda truck she drove and what was in her window gun rack .

Oh yes, memories! And I do like the smell of Hoppe's #9. And I think the smell in the house is a combination of the Kroil and the cleaning agent in the Sonic cleaner where I was cleaning a Carburetor.

 

[Sam squanch]

Take it to someone who has the proper tooling & expertise to remove it, like a GUNSMITH!

The so called gunsmiths here tell you to get lost if you bring them a black powder gun, they HATE working on them. Sometimes you have to do it yourself.

 

[Blackpowderart]

The so called gunsmiths here tell you to get lost if you bring them a black powder gun, they HATE working on them. Sometimes you have to do it yourself.

Exactly

 

[Jappo]

I got the nipple out. I soaked it with the Kroil overnight. Did the oven and freezer. didn't seem to help. The one result is that now my house smells like Kroil!!! Before I caught up on these posts I remembered using a punch and tapping it on a stuck nut and got it to turn. So I tried it and within 5 minutes it was turning.
In the meantime, I filed down the 'good' nipples' so the cap would go on and using anti-seize i put 4 back in the cylinder. I loaded those 4 cylinders with a light load (20 gr), wad, cornmeal and ball. Went out to my target backstop and fired all 4 with no problems. I've taken those 4 nipples back out and waiting on the new set before I play anymore. But I've got 2 black powder rifles I can play with. Thank you all for your input and help. Greatly Appreciated! Steve

I see you got it out. I was going to mention tapping on the nipple. I use an old nipple wrench to do that. Learned that restoring old engines and antiques. Sometimes you have to give them a good whack or two. It will work 99% of the time.

 

[Dexterado]

You’ve probably tried this, but make a wrench from a 5mm socket. Stick the cylinder in a vice and see if you can break it lose. It works for me.

 

[RMFnLA]

The so called gunsmiths here tell you to get lost if you bring them a black powder gun, they HATE working on them. Sometimes you have to do it yourself.

You need a real gunsmith.
I love working on the old ones, but I stopped ‘smithing professionally right before Glocks came out, so most of my experience is with real guns.

 

[RMFnLA]

And what’s with this “left-handed drill bit” thing?

Drill bits remove metal, regardless of which way they run, so you are just going to end up with a bigger hole in a nipple that is still stuck.

A good screw extractor is what you need for the really tough ones, as well as a way to secure the cylinder.

 

[D Yager]

And what’s with this “left-handed drill bit” thing?

Drill bits remove metal, regardless of which way they run, so you are just going to end up with a bigger hole in a nipple that is still stuck.

A good screw extractor is what you need for the really tough ones, as well as a way to secure the cylinder.

The cool thing about left twist bits is since they turn counterclockwise if the bit hangs up it will bring the fastener out with it. I think the heat from drilling also helps loosen things.

 

[kyron4]

Hoppe's 9 and Kroil are what I use for cologne; the 9 for every day and the Kroil for those special occasions.

 

[kyron4]

Take it to someone who has the proper tooling & expertise to remove it, like a GUNSMITH!

A stuck nipple isn't that difficult of a job, worse case being drilling it out with a drill press and removing the thin sleave of threads with and extractor. I may be wrong but I would think most people over 40 have a drill press and basic mech. skills to drill out a nipple.

To each his own, but I believe you will never learn anything by paying others to solve problems. If I'm paying someone to fix something for me, I have exhausted all means within my capabilities. I drive a car with over 300,000 miles and it's never been to a repair shop once. Were there times it would have been easier to pay someone to fix it ? Yes, most definitely. Was it more rewarding to do it myself despite the frustration and difficulty? Absolutely.

 

[Sorry Dude]

Hoppe's 9 and Kroil are what I use for cologne; the 9 for every day and the Kroil for those special occasions.

I thought Ballistol was for special occasions.