No caps?

[Rex in OTZ]

https://sharpshooter-22lr-reloader.myshopify.com/products/11-percussion-cap-maker



It seems you can still buy paper caps.

 

[TheOutlawKid]

Yep..thats the cap maker i have..although i dont use the prime-all mix they use as it is highly over priced. You can get a full pound of each ingredient to make H-48 or the 42 formula for a little more than the price of the small batch of prime-all mix. I also dont use aluminum can for cap material...best stuff is .005 (36 gauge) copper sheet that comes in a roll available at Hobby Lobby and its the best material i have ever uses for making caps. You can also use the brass sheets but its quite a bit stiffer. The copper is way better. You can also use the 40% off coupon online or in store for the roll of copper sheeting. I did a write up a long time ago about making caps from roll caps..if interested ill post the link below.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/how-i-make-hot-percussion-caps.849353/

 

[TheOutlawKid]

Oh..and id steer clear of the chinese roll caps, the German caps are the best and a whole lot more dependable, not to mention they are hotter. Its also good to use a nipple primer with these homemade caps. I can actually get reliable ignition with just one roll cap dot in the cap hull if i use the nipple primer to trickle in some 3f black powder inside the nipple. Nipple charger is made by Treso. Highly recommenddd

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Hoarding mode...drives me nuts.

It is both entertaining and sad when people hoard overpriced anything.
I hoarded percussion caps, primers, bullets, powder....................................etc. when they were cheap, right after the last panic subsided.
I also found a few places this morning that I could order caps from.

 

[Navy Six 2]

Outlaw Kid, would you mind explaining what the H-48 or 42 formula is? I would like to start making some up as I am tired of worrying about a cap supply. Thanks

 

[TheOutlawKid]

Sure thing... Potassium chlorate, sulfur, and antimony trisulfide (chinese needle) is needed. You can get this stuff online at just about any fireworks supply store. Although i had problems with the grain size of antimony ..i had to mix two different batches from two different online stores (one was "chinese needle" 200 mesh size from an online fireworks supply vendor and the other was a larger unspecified grain size i got from United Nuclear...mixed 1:1 ratio)due to the grain sizes. I know other people who didnt have to do this by just using antimony trisulfide "chinese needle" mesh size...and it worked fine. I was unlucky i guess. It has to be a specific ratio of grain sizes..some people have issues others dont but this is the only issue i have seen when it comes to it. Its also best to use rubber makers sulfur for less acidity and better shelf life but regular sulfur works too. You will need make sure ur potassium chlorate is ground really fine...do this seperately everyime you make a batch. The ratios are 8.5 grains of potassium chlorate, 4.5 grains of antimony and 1.5 grains of sulfur. To help shelf life add .2 grains of baking soda for every 3.0 grains of sulfur mixed seperately. I have a batch of pre mixed sulfur and baking soda just for making priming compound. Mix the antinmony and sulfur together first by pouring it back and forth between two folded sheets of paper (i use index cards folded in half length wise) . then mix in the potassium chlorate...same way..be gentle but just pour it back and forth and get it mixed well...then scoop it in a percussion cap hull. Place a small 1/8 or 5/32 inch sized rice paper disc over the powder and put in a drop of duco cement that has been thinned heavily with acetone (i put about 1:8- 1:10 ratio of duco cement to acetone in an eye droper, old Visene bottle) once its kind of dry you can compress it a bit with a small 1/8 or 5/32 thick dowel . i would recommend downloading the free primer making course from ardvark reloading. Fo a search on google for "homemade primer course" and it will pull up ardvark reloading primer course in pdf format. I dont use any crushed glass or anything like that as i have never had an issue not using it. My primers always go off. Make small batches only!! Wear safety glasses and i also wear a mask to filter our any particles that get in the air...the antimony and sulfur will give you black boogers like you do when using airfloat charcoal. Be safe!!

 

[Navy Six 2]

Thanks, Outlaw Kid for taking the time to write all that out!!

 

[TheOutlawKid]

Mr.navy six 2...of course! Anything to help out a fellow pard and black powder enthusiast.

 

[Black Jack Shellac]

The Kid speaks truth. If you should already have the 22 reloader primer kit,you can use that. It will help if you use a binder that actually works. Like the Duco cement& acetone, Shellac flakes & denatured alcohol,( Last resort )hair spray. I personally mix the powders with water to make a thick paste and then put into the cups. Press down
firmly ( don't worry it's wet) and let dry. I put a drop of binder after that. When done the prime will be about as thick as a piece of cardboard in the cup. Any more is wasting your prime.
There is a lot more to cover about this. I'm out of time for now.
Black Jack Shellac