JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD CRACKED IT!

[Duncaninfrance]

I was out yesterday morning, the first dry day I could get to the range for 2 weeks, to try my new stainless steel nipples out. on my 58.
I was loading paper cartridges with 2 grams / 30.4 grains, felt wad, .457 Speer ball and Remington #10 caps.
I load using my new bench loader which works great.
Cartridges - compressed, wad, ball - compress then turn over and mount the caps. Cylinder into gun and fire.

2 missfires out of 6 which went the second time round.
4 Nipples blocked so I had to take them out, clean them and put them back.
Second cylinder loaded the same way. 1 missfire (not hangfire) which went the second time.
3 nipples blocked!

Change nipples to Pietta steel ones which have larger holes. Load the same way as the first 2 cylinders.
6 perfect ingnitions. The next 4 cylinders were the same, all perfect - 40 rounds out of 42 on the target at 25 mtrs ( not good enought to photograph yet though!).

I think if I can drill out the stainless nipples to the same dia as the Pietta ones which is 1mm and start to weigh out the charges instead of using a scoop measure I shall be in serious business.

Duncan

 

[sjohns]

Don't drill them out. Just use a welder's tip file.

 

[MCgunner]

What brand caps are you using? I've found the Fiocchi brand about the hottest followed by CCI. I can't always get Fiocchi so I shoot a lot of CCI. Drilling/filing the nipples does sound like the logical thing to do, though.

 

[gmatov]

Duncan,

Just measured a new Pietta 58's nipples. They go .036, .9 mm. Didnn't think they were that big, considering the replacement nipple makers brag about their .028, .7 mm flash holes.

How come you had 2 misfires and 4 nipples blocked? You'd think only 2 would be blocked, the 2 that misfired.

You said you pulled the nipples to clean them, so you took a nipple wrench with you. Does yours have a knurled top that might have a nipple pick in the wrench handle? I'd think, were I making and using cartridges I would pick the paper before I capped, open the powder to the flash, not depend on it to burn through the paper.

Do you particularly like the idea of cartridges, or is it just something that allows you to enjoy part of the BP experience when you are at home with nothing more exciting to do?

I confess, I have not had any desire to make 'em. Like to load loose components. With your bench loader, should be fairly quick to load a cylinder with loose components. One of them, I should make.

Cheers,

George

 

[Duncaninfrance]

And the answers are:-

What brand caps are you using? MC, they are Remington #10's. I have some CCI #11 as well but they are very loose, even when pinched a bit. I got the Remingtons in the UK cos they are not available here. They only have CCI and a German make (can't remember the name) so very restricted.

George, The other nipples were blocked with burnt paper and took a lot of clearing. I have 2 nipple picks ( generous donation ) but the blockages were very hard to remove. I did prick the second loading before I capped but after changing the nipples I had no problems.
The paper cartridges are just so simple to load and cut down the time between firing - more rounds = more fun!! I must say that using the bench loader is much easier than using the gun's rammer.

sjohns, Don't drill them out. Just use a welder's tip file. Whats one of theose when it is at home?

Duncan