Would you be confident...

[adirondack46r]

I just replaced the nipple on my Lyman with a brass Treso. The gun is sighted in and has been shooting fine but I have not shot it since replacing the nipple. I have an OH hunt planned in a couple of weeks and I don't think I will have an opportunity to get to the range before my hunt. The problem is that the range near me is closed for the season and I will have to plan a half day to get to the next closest range in order to shoot.

The question is this - would you have any concerns at all taking a gun in the field with a new treso nipple that you haven't shot at the range yet? Seems low risk to me, but you all may feel differently.

46r

 

[walruskid1]

changing nipples on my underhammer makes a VERY slight change in point of impact. i think you will still be "minute of venison".

 

[necchi]

You should be fine.
Be sure to clean it well with an oil cutting agent. Break cleaner or Denatured alchohol, something to get any and all oil off it from manufacturing. Clean an Dry man.
When I'm loading for big game, I always trickle a bit of powder under the nipple into flash channel as an extra ga-run-tee she'll go bang.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Both of the previous posters hit the nail on the head!

A very slight change in POI, but nothing to worry about. More important is to try to use the same cap, so that the main charge gets the same amount/quality of spark.

You'll be fine! :thumbsup:

 

[adirondack46r]

When I'm loading for big game, I always trickle a bit of powder under the nipple into flash channel as an extra ga-run-tee she'll go bang.

So you remove the nipple and put the powder in the flash channel? Good idea. I'll give that a shot. I am kind of paranoid after my misfires with the original equipment nipple from Lyman.

Thanks.

 

[necchi]

loaded properly, with a slap on the side to settle powder some of the main should/usually end up in the channel. After loading the main and your PRB, pull the nipple and look, it doesn't hurt to put a few granuals in there for the cap charge to ignite.

But, those OEM nipples are junk.

 

[paulvallandigham]

With an UNLOADED gun, put some lipstick, or marking dye (I Use inletting black I bought years ago when I didn't know how easy it is to make the stuff) to paint the top of the new nipple. Then I lower the hammer down onto the nipple to transfer the dye to the face of the hammer. When you cock the hammer back and peak under the "skirt", you are hoping to see a complete CIRCLE of dye on the face of the hammer. If you don't see such a circle, buy a grinding bit( Long thin,) for a Dremel tool- whether you own such a tool or not. You can chuck that grinder in a ordinary hand drill if you don't have a Dremel. Grind away all the existing dye, and lower the hammer again to remark the face. Check to see if the circle is becoming more complete. Grind away the high spots, represented by where the dye is transferred to from the nipple, until the hammer is making full contact with the NEW NIPPLE. You will see a complete ring, then. You also want the ring to be the same thickness of dye around the circumference.

When you have a ring of equal thickness, the hammer is Now Striking the top of the nipple equally on all points of the circle, which means you have maximized the strike to fire the percussion cap.

When the hammer is Not hitting Squarely on the nipple, eventually, the hammer peens down the high side, so that only part of the percussion cap is actually smacked between the top of the nipple and the hammer. That is one of the leading causes of misfires with percussion locks. It also is why some guys wear out nipples so quickly. Locks with uneven mating of the hammer and the nipple will usually begin requiring 2 or more hits before the cap fires. :hmm: :hatsoff:

 

[F.G. Ford]

Hey Paul,
Very sound advice!
Been shooting a long time, and never gave the mateing surface of the hammer any thought ( other than alignment)
Keep up the good work!
Old Ford

 

[adirondack46r]

Excellent advice. I am going to give that a try today. I have the dremel tool required. I also took the new nipples I bought and stroked them squarely on a piece of autobody sandpaper (1200 grit) mounted on a piece of marble (to ensure flatness). I thought that might "square them up" as well, but I will definitely try your approach.

Thanks.

 

[necchi]

THAT single adjustment to the inside hammer cup of all my cap locks has done more to gaurantee reliable ignition than all other things combined! !
I've been waiting quite some time now for paul to explain that again so I can share it with others.
Thank You PaulV :thumbsup:

 

[jaw69]

I second that.That is a GREAT adjustment. I also did that fitting with my and my sons caplocks that is the one thing all shooters should do to insure reliable fireing and it also should tighten your groups in theory. Thanks Paul for sharing that piece of advice again. :hatsoff:

 

[F_Thomas]

AS a newbie I have had the problem of wearing out nipples on two Lyman Great Plains - rifle and pistol. Now I know the fix. So, I am going to get a dremmel, need one anyway, and go through the prescribed process. I now know how to fix the problem I have been experiencing.

Thanks for the great information!!

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I would offer a word of caution to those who haven't much experience with Dremel tools, they are about the most dangerous tool you can own in terms of their ability to do great damage in a microsecond. They spin at very high RPMs and if it gets out of control the damage is done far more quickly than any human can react. The hammer modification suggested is the very place where the Dremel is most difficult to control, cutting a recess deeper with the end of the tool. It will try to skitter all around. I would much rather mount the Dremel stone in a drill press. Don't ever even think of using a Dremel for stock inletting, one slip will ruin a fine piece of wood and hours of careful work. Shatterproof goggles or full face shield should be donned before picking up a Dremel tool, not only do they throw fine particles in your face but sometimes the stones disintegrate and fly off with great force.
Dremels seem to be about the first power tool people think of acquiring but actually they should be about the last.

 

[zukeeper1]

once I started using musket nipple/caps for hunting i have never looked back.

 

[ohio ramrod]

If you "stroked them to ensure flatness" Make sure you did not flaten the edge. Nipples work best with a sharp edge, It may be that your problems with the old nipple is that it had flattened out over time. :hmm:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Oh, COME-ON Guys. According to the real "EXPERTS" on this forum, I am just an Armchair lawyer, who is not suppose to know anything about locks- or how to fix them. You are ruining my reputation. :rotf: :blah: :haha: :wink:

Seriously, this is the Easiest method I have found to "TUNE" a percussion lock to save nipples, and insure reliable ignition with any percussion gun. I don't mind sharing it with you.

My first MLing rifle was an abortion made in Spain, by a company that is still sending guns over here. :shocked2: :nono: The drum was loose, on my gun, and even when we got that working right, the gun would only fire about once every three or four hammer falls. I wore myself out trying to shoot at targets with that gun the first day.

I spent much of the next month fixing this and fixing that- all from the school of "trial and error", or " hard knocks" as some want to say. The one thing I could not do was BREAK a part, as there were NO replacement parts from anyone. So, I measured 3 times, and cut once, and did a lot of thinking about what I was about to do before I did that! This was Before Al GORE invented the Internet, so I didn't have anyone really to ask. Certainly, there was no forum like this where people from all over the world visit us and answer questions posed by members.

There are people here whom I respect, but who do not return the favor. I call them my fan club, because it irritates them that I am nice to them. Some of the members here met me last summer at Dixon's Gunmaker's fair. I enjoyed meeting each of them, getting to know them, and talking face to face.

The people who find my suggestions helpful are welcome to them- there are certainly enough " mistakes " left for them to find, that I am not going to spoil their enjoyment of this sport by helping them deal with some of My OWN mistakes. :shocked2: :grin: :bow:

I hope all of you have a Happy New Year- my fans, and my critics. :hatsoff: :hatsoff:

 

[jaw69]

Get a adjustable speed Dremel tool run it slow and a small 1/2 inch long grinding stone. Problem solved :hatsoff:

 

[Dave K]

I get by using a Dremel for MANY things. The key is getting you work well clamped and stable and the same with the hand that is controlling the tool. You don't need to "hog" the metal out, just kind of finesse it out. If still in doubt of your ability,I hope you have a drill press, use that with the correct Dremel bit and vise. Paul's words are correct on getting the hammer to hit square on the nipple. Also very important is to fit the nipple to your cap. Chuck the nipple in a drill and turn the outside of the nipple where the cap fits. You want a real nice snug fit and also you want the cap to be all the way down on the top of the nipple. If you have a good fit of hammer to nipple and cap to nipple (not a loose or exceeding tight fit!), your troubles if you ever had any are over. Unless you don't get the drum area free of oil and cruds. I honestly cannot remember anymore, having a cap that didn't fire and a gun that didn't go off, all because of these elementary getting everything to properly fit.

 

[kelvinator]

:hmm: This is great info. There's no icon for a light bulb over my head or I'd use that!!! :bow:

 

[walruskid1]

a dremel is my favorite WECSOG tool. i have done a bit of damage in my day with one. also a pretty useful tool if used carefully. for those that don't know, WECSOG stands for Wyle E. Coyote School Of Gunsmithing, of which i am a graduate.

:blah: