The British musket nipple dimensions -

[TFoley]

Taken from the 'The Rifle-Musket', a treatise written by Captain Jervis-White Jervis, Royal Artillery - treatise for the public domain.

This ought to allay any misconceptions concerning the dimensions of this vital part of ANY British-made Service arm between at least 1853 and the adoption of its successor, the Snider-Enfield rifle.

With apologies for the slight distortion of the page due to my inadequacy as a scanner operative.

 

[Grenadier1758]

The diameter of the hole through the nipple is quite large. I had a cone of similar dimensions on my Italian Zouave. I would consistently have the cone blown back to half or full cock on firing a charge. The above is good information, but not one that I find conducive to best practices in regards to design of a musket nipple. A taper from 0.090" at the top of the cone to a diameter of 0.062" or slightly less at the base of the nipple would be better.

 

[TFoley]

I did not actually write that it was either good or bad, it is just a page out of a book showing the principle dimensions of the BRITISH military arm nipple as made and issued to untold thousands of British and troops under their command.

Until the arrival of the Snider, if you had an Enfield musket/rifled musket/rifle then this form was what it came with.

 

[Grenadier1758]

@TFoley, I understand that you are documenting the original dimensions of the nipple for the Enfield Rifled Musket. I thank you for providing this documentation of the original configuration of the nipple. My comment was meant to imply that this is a case where perhaps the original design may have been improved over 150 years.

 

[ResearchPress]

This ought to allay any misconceptions concerning the dimensions of this vital part of ANY British-made Service arm between at least 1853 and the adoption of its successor, the Snider-Enfield rifle.

The diameter of the hole through the nipple is quite large.

Jervis' book was first published in 1854 and the nipple illustrated and dimensions are for the first pattern. The final pattern interior narrowed from the top of the cone towards midway, then flared out again. (See Road's - 'The British Soldier's Firearm')

David

 

[TFoley]

o.

 

[eggwelder]

That nipple fits my original Pattern 1839 musket- 1853 nipples screwed right in, so it goes back at least that far.

 

[52Bore]

Very nice. Although I don’t see the thread pitch indicated - I’ll assume 18tpi.
The hole dimension at the bottom of the screw is blurred, but I’ve handled some original shotguns for #11’s (1/4-28) with large holes. These had about 0.040” at the top/cone with a slight recess.
Thanks for sharing.