Tried to buy caps today for BP revolvers.....

here, this might help. Check Dixie Gunworks out, too.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=700291

I have owned a tap-o-cap for many years and it works great. You punch the caps out of aluminum can strips. Punch the center out of a roll cap and install. I use 3 roll cap centers to insure ignition with Pyrodex. They work great.

I've not had a problem getting caps, but I would NOT doubt that when the LGS I got mine from runs out, i'll be SOL on caps. I just bought a pound of pyordex the other day, too, had plenty on the shelf. I wanna gear up to make my own BP, but have too many things going on right now.

You could try the ring caps. They'll fit the nipples on a percussion revolver, but they're kinda iffy for me and leave plastic I have to dig out with a pic. They just don't seem very hot. My caps made with the tap-o-cap work MUCH better.

What exactly is the Tap O Cap? it sounds to me as though it's an aluminum can punch, which creates the cap, and you buy the ole red roll of caps for a toy cap gun and punch out the compound and insert it into this cap you punched out of a can. Is that right? And they are weak? Will it set off Triple 7 (3F)?

The toy caps can be a problem as they are more likely to ignite when capping a chamber. I had this happen when capping an 1851 Navy, fortunately the gun was aiming downrange and nobody got hurt but it scared me enough that I will never try it again.

I hadn't heard of tap-o-cap either, so I Googled it. Looks like they are no longer made. Interesting information in the reviews further down the page. Would indeed make an interesting survivalist tool.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/842064/forster-tap-o-cap-11-percusion-cap-maker

Skinny 1950 said:

The toy caps can be a problem as they are more likely to ignite when capping a chamber. I had this happen when capping an 1851 Navy, fortunately the gun was aiming downrange and nobody got hurt but it scared me enough that I will never try it again.

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This is not the first time I have heard of toy caps going off when they shouldn't. I would not not try it unless I was in a very desperate situation.

4v50 Gary said:

I'm thinking I can make and blue my own Tap O' Cap at school. I have to find mine to reverse engineer it.

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Here's a blueprint for you: http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?t=82768 .
I'll likely be making one myself next time the head machinist at work goes on vacation and I can sneak into the shop.

I've been using the tap-o-cap and the caps it makes for 15 years at least with no problems. Living a good ways from a gun shop that carries caps can be a hassle, why I bought it in the first place. NOW, I live a good ways from anyone that sells roll caps. , but I found a bunch at an HEB food store a while back and stocked up. Like anything else, use your head. Don't jam the thing on, PLACE it on the nipple and push it down easy.

I put usually 3 centers to a cap to get a plenty hot ignition. Also, the German made caps have good pop to 'em. Some are reportedly weaker. Avoid Chinese.

Perhaps a paranoid tap-o-cap owner that's sworn off it would sell his?

Gary,

If you make one that works you might consider supplamenting your income with contributions from some of the folks around here.......

-kBob

I tapped out nearly 80 caps from a can and a half of aluminum just now. The slow part is putting the cap centers in the bodies. I'm taking a break right now, gone crosseyed.

'sall good around here. I think i've stated in the past that i'm fortunate enough to have 2 LGS's that do not feed into this greedy stuff at times like this.
Can get all the caps i want from them at $3.95 a hunnert.

Hmmm ... just had a thought.

And it is very rare for me to have a thought, so I'd better get it out before it fades away:

Let us say that caps are unobtainable and the Tap-o-Cap cannot be had, has anybody considered reusable caps? What about taking standard nipples and machining them so they have no taper, and shortening them to fit a reusable cap. By reusable cap, I mean a machined brass cap with thicker walls and top than a standard expendable cap, that does not split apart when fired. Roll caps can be placed inside the reusable cap in stacks of two or three. If the machined brass doesn't have the tensile strength to keep from splitting, perhaps a soft grade of stainless could be used, or even a brass pad fitted under the hammer to protect it. The caps I envision could be used over and over again.

This is what happens when I lay around in bed all day, flu stricken. But if I had the energy---and a roll of caps---right now, I'd try it with one nipple just for giggles.

How 'bout takin the anvil out of a used primer and usin the primer cup.

Good idea, Jim, wonder how close they come in size?

There's no primer shortage? I mean, I don't know, I haven't tried to buy any since all this shortage stuff started. Got about 400 LP primers and over 1000 SP and a LOT of ammo loaded up.

This is what happens when I lay around in bed all day, flu stricken.

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Wow, I sympathize. I'm just getting over my THIRD bought with it this season. This one was the worse, lasted over a week and I had gut spasms with it. Sux, but all I have left is sniffles and an occasional phlegm cough, crap coming up out of my lungs. My sides are sore from coughing.

It was wet and cold here today, well, relatively cold, 50ish, that's probably warm compared to some of you folks. I didn't wanna work outside today, though I have a lot to do, so it was a tap-o-cap day. You guys got me in the mood. I'm done now, got about 200 made up. I'll shoot 'em up a lot faster than it took to make 'em, can tell ya that.

BTW, SR, if that thought gave ya a headache, Advil will knock it out.

Caps are available around here at the local gander mountain. About 6 bucks per 100. Not cheap but no hazmat charge. I don't shoot enough to buy them in bulk. 200 caps that bought will last me the rest of my shooting season until i get busy with work.

SO how about if MCGunner or one of the other tap-o-cap owners where to just crank out 1000 of the metal caps and ship them to someone else without adding the toy caps?

Would there be anything wrong with Just dropping the formed metal cups into say a pill bottle and drop it in a mailer? No boom, just aluminum cups.

Is the paper punch actually special or is it one that is available at stationary shops?

In the way back some of the Japanese made non guns used "blanks" that consisted of a solid dummy cartridge with a hollow point into which was placed cap centers. There was a full scale model of a Thompson 1928A1 that actually cycled as a select fire gun using these things. We would cut out the cap centers with cutical scissors and such then seat them with a match stick. This was 1972 or so. A buddy brought the Thompson model back from Japan after atteneding the world Scouting Jamboree abot that time.

Just thinking...or not....

-kBob

Is the paper punch actually special or is it one that is available at stationary shops?

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I've never seen an ordinary hole punch that punches quite as small as the one that comes with the tap-o-cap.