Snail capper Ted Cash vs T/C

[AbitNutz]

So I have a Ted Cash snail capper and it works really well.

However, you can't tell how many are caps are left in it and I just noticed that its finish has just gone to heck. Not just tarnished but really just very degraded. I can't recall abusing it in any way.

Anyway, the T/C looks from pictures to be about the same but it's made of plastic, which solves the issue of seeing how many caps are left...anyone have one of these that they care to render an opinion?

Like most of us I think of plastic as an inferior material...but since they don't make see through stainless steel, I may be stuck.

 

[Foto Joe]

Well, let me ask you are you using the Brass capper or the the German Silver capper? My guess would be the latter.

The componenets of German Silver typically are: A white nickel alloy (65% copper, 17% zinc, & 18% nickel). Silver is a color description and doesn't imply content of the metal (in other words - there is no silver in German silver). Normally a darker surface look than sterling silver.

When German Silver meets expended Black Powder from your hands etc. it corrodes leaving a yellowish patina on the metal. Easily fixed but impossible to prevent.

I have a German Silver Pedersoli flask that is starting to turn on me, it looks good with the patina on it. Both of my Cash Snail Cappers look like they've been around for a loong time because of the patina caused by corrosion.

If somebody asks you where you got that capper, tell 'em yer great-great grand-pappy left it to ya after he fought in the Civil War!!

 

[madcratebuilder]

My snail capper had some kind of clear coat on it and as this wore off it started looking pretty shabby. I stripped it and then polished it, now it is getting an even patina on it. I don't know how I have ended up with over a dozen cappers of assorted styles. I use the straight line cappers the most.

This true straight line capper works well for the 58 Remingtons.


The 90* capper does the Colts.

 

[Foto Joe]

Something that I just thought about but haven't tried. If you want your snail capper to look like new, I'm wondering if dropping it into a brass tumbler/vibrator, after taking out the spring lever of course, might work.

MCB, have you used that straight line capper on a '62 Police?? That's the only one that I've got that I can't cap without pulling the cylinder and doing it with my fat fingers.

 

[AbitNutz]

I'm sold on the snail capper just for shear ease of loading it. The straight line cappers work well but once I got my hands on a snail capper it and how easy they're to load I find it impossible to go back to the straight line.

I hadn't thought about refinishing it and letting it age. I guess if I didn't like it, I could always re-do it and maybe have it plated. I live in an an area where the only thing that exceeds unemployment is machine shops, metal finishing and plating shops.

Maybe I'll have it hard chromed.....

 

[moose owner]

I use the plastic T/C U-View cappers and love them. The clear plastic is a real advantage. You can not only see how many caps you have left, you can also see if any of the caps have flipped over.

The only real draw back to the plastic T/C cappers is that they are a fairly fragile. I like to press the caps firmly in place on the nipples prior to firing. If you try to do this with the end of the T/C capper, you are going to break it.

 

[AbitNutz]

Ah! That's good to know. I had not thought of that. I absolutely do use a fair amount of pressure to seat the caps.

I'm going to buy a T/C. They're less than $20.00. and see if I can clean up my Ted Cash..

What did Scotty invent on one of the Star Trek movies? Transparent aluminum??

 

[Packman]

Madcratebuilder,

How the heck do you use that second capper you have? I got one with my 1858, but when I try to put caps on with it, they just stay in the capper and pop right off the nipple...

 

[Sagetown]

Like Moose Owner, I too have the T/C view snail capper, and a straight line capper. I use Remington #10 caps which fit snug on my 1860, so it takes a little pressure to seat. Haven't had it to break on me yet . The straight line capper only holds about 10 caps, and on a cold day at the range, loading that little bugger can be a bugger in itself. Thus came the snail capper which saves a whole lota down time.

 

[Fingers McGee]

My 5+ year old nickel/german silver TDC snail capper looks as good as it did when new. Now, my brass 15+ year old one is another matter. It's called patina and looks better'n shiney brass any day, IMNSHO. As for knowing how many caps are in it. I just fill it up before a shooting session and know I'll need to do it again after 100 shots.

FM

 

[madcratebuilder]

Madcratebuilder,

How the heck do you use that second capper you have? I got one with my 1858, but when I try to put caps on with it, they just stay in the capper and pop right off the nipple...

I have to file the ends of the those little 'fingers' down so the 90* capper fits the Remingtons. I normally use the true straight cappers on Remingtons.