Nervous about the caps...

[Third_Rail]

So here I am, cylinder loaded with Pyrodex and ball, grease at the front... Now it's time to cap the cylinder, and I'm nervous about shoving the caps onto the nipples and possibly losing my hand in the process. Is this an unlikely occurance, or am I right to be concerned?

 

[mec]

people have reported getting a small round read blister from cap firing during seating. I belive these were the older clorate or fulminate caps as no body says anything about it happening with the current lead stipenate caps. The only concern is to have the gun pointed downrange incase a chamber discharges.

Some people "hammer seat" their caps by pressing the hammer down on the chamber under the hammer. This is often not allowed in formal settings but I have not heard of any inadvertent discharges with the current caps.

 

[Third_Rail]

So... gradual force isn't too likely to set the current caps off, but sudden will.

Does this make it a good idea to, in the future, put the caps on before charging each chamber?

 

[TexasRifleman]

Does this make it a good idea to, in the future, put the caps on before charging each chamber?

That goes against every safety principle I've ever heard in relation to black powder shooting. I wouldn't do that for any reason.

You are much more likely to drop the piece accidentally than you are to set off a cap with your finger. You drop the thing while loading it, and the hammer hits a cap you've pre-primed and already loaded, and you're in deep doo doo.

 

[ccyooper]

Hey 3rdrail...Capping the nipple is THE LAST step in the loading process.No sense in tempting fate now,is there...

 

[Third_Rail]

Hrm, so if a cap goes off when I'm capping it, and there's a charge in the chamber, BOOM. If I've not yet loaded the chambers, no problem.

I'll just cap them last anyway, though - usually the procedures are based on who has how many fingers and why.

 

[Chawbaccer]

Like they are saying, it's very unlikely that a cap will go off while seating it. After seating and greasing the ball keep the muzzle in a safe direction and never put your hand in front of the cylinder.

 

[Spiggy]

according to the info I compiled so far, it does take a fairly large amount of sudden force for a cap to blow, so I can drop my tin (though I try not to) without much worry of a total blow-out

now if you're loading your caps with a claw hammer...

 

[TexasRifleman]

Due to my own paranoia and the newness of this type of shooting, I took a tin with about 30 caps in it, taped it shut, and threw it against any number of hard things at the place I shoot, just to see if anything happened. Nothing did, and I shot all 30 of those caps later in the day.

I just can't imagine setting one off with my finger.

 

[Beartracker]

So here I am, cylinder loaded with Pyrodex and ball, grease at the front... Now it's time to cap the cylinder, and I'm nervous about shoving the caps onto the nipples and possibly losing my hand in the process. Is this an unlikely occurance, or am I right to be concerned?

In all the years I have shot muzzle loaders of one kind or another I have never had a cap go off with my fingers or shoving a cap on tight with a 6" 3/8" doll rod with a piece of leather on it. I have loaded my Remingtons and other revolvers and pistols with this method for years due to the fact that i like the caps seated all the way down on the nipple. Most of the time I actually put a slight dent in the back of each cap loading them this way. It takes a good hard bow to set them off most of the time.
You can set your hammer spring to light to set them off believe it or not. Mike

 

[Third_Rail]

Thanks, everyone - I shoved them on there with a piece of dowel. Worked like a charm, and none went off.

Range report within the week.

 

[Beartracker]

Thanks, everyone - I shoved them on there with a piece of dowel. Worked like a charm, and none went off.

Range report within the week.

It's a good idea to glue a piece of felt or leather on the end of that doll rod. I have leather on both ends of mine.
When loading the cylinders I like to set the cylinder down on my bench and load the powder in one chamber and then slide a wonder wad over the hole with my thimb so that it just started in the hole and even, then I shove the wad down on the powder very evenly and firmly with the same doll rod. Load each chamber that way and then place the cylinder in the gun and load the balls with the ram. Placing a little grease over the balls and also on the cylinder pin before placing the cylinder in the revolver will really help things run smoothly.
Now load each cap on with your fingers and then just "seat" it with the doll rod then move on to the next one. Have fun and shoot straight! Mike