sidelock and musket caps

[ja]

gents:

I have a TC hawken 54 that I want to shoot musket caps in. The musket cap nipples do not allow the hammer to squarly contact the cap. Only solution I see is to bend the hammer.

 

[harryo]

gents:

I have a TC hawken 54 that I want to shoot musket caps in.

May I ask why? Your T/C should shoot fine with #11 caps.

 

I dont think you will like musket caps on youre T/C. When using musket caps the shallow cutout in the hammer face allows lots of cap fragments to hit you in the face and possibly eyes. Not Good!!!!

 

[marwat06]

Just wondering, do you plan to go back to using number 11 caps? If you bend the hammer to accommodate musket caps will it offset the strike for 11 caps? I have a T/C Hawkins 50 cal (believe everything is pretty much the same beside the barrel) and I used musket caps without the striking issue. Wondering if you are using T/C brand Musket Nipple?

I stopped using musket caps because it didn’t give me any better results (had issue with the caps not setting off the main charge) than #11 caps. Also quite often the force of the musket cap would throw my hammer back into the half-cock position. I made of adjustments to my loading and cleaning (infor I got from this great forum) and now I have no problems with #11 caps setting off the main charge.

 

[Idaho Elk Hunter]

I have shot probably over 600 rounds with musket caps and still shoot #11 size caps as I have for 30 years. I have never experienced any difficulty whatsoever with hammer coming back from striking musket caps on my T/C's and GPR as well. I really like them as compared to the smaller #11 caps as ignition has to be better and that is due to more fire being delivered by cap. I have had #11's not go off on me in damp weather and have never had a musket size cap do that and I hunt in late November and early December weather in Idaho that is usually wet and damp at best and that is number one reason I went to musket sized caps.
Now, I have thought about the possibility of a fragment striking you in face or eye and that is probably the downside to using musket size caps as opposed to #11's. I never notice any fragments being blown off with the #11 cap to any degree to be dangerous, and I do see that happen from time with musket size caps. When I cap the sidelock to go hunting it always has a musket cap and nipple in breech and I use the #11 for target shooting. The musket has such a louder bang to it when you compare it to #11 that I have to believe it is putting out a lot more spark and fire.....for hunting that is what I want!
Jim in Idaho

 

[Charles/NM]

I too have been shooting a .50 cal T/C Hawken with #11 caps for 30 years and have NEVER had a failure to fire. Not ever. And I have used all sorts of caps including a brick of very old Italian CVA that were given to me because they were so old. For hunting and showing off in front of friends I use Remington caps. I originally shot Gerhart-Owen BP but switched to Pyrodex about 25 years ago because of it's cleaner burn and lack of the need to swab my barrel between shots.
BTW, the hammer on my rifle has never been centered very well. I've left it alone fearing I might break it if I tried to straighten it.

 

[marwat06]

Another thought, Have you called T/C customer service? I have never had the need; but, I hear they are great!

 

[ja]

hotter spark for hunting and I am using T7 powder.

 

[ja]

I plan to purchase another hammer of this is the only solution.

 

[ja]

I have TC nipple. This gun is almost 20 yrs old and I think the hammer design has changed.