Percussion Caps & Primers

[SmeeAgain]

A few years back I purchased a tool to form #10 & 11 caps from aluminum cans. It works amazingly well.
With the current primer shortage, I wondered what we could improvise with.
What I tried was to carefully remove the anvils from spend primers, then using a pin punch I was able to reform the primer cups. After a good cleaning, it was a simple matter of adding new primer compound & replacing the anvils.
While it was a slow, methodical process it did work... and worked well.
Obviously under normal circumstances, this isn't worth the time & effort but... when the time comes when things aren't normal... it could be a real game changer.
Now is the perfect time to experiment & educate ourselves... before it becomes necessity.

 

[Blackpowderwarrior]

My sentiments exactly.

Cap maker tool works well with stock nipples but man oh man is it painstakingly tedious.

 

[SmeeAgain]

Agreed... but when there is no other option it's a gift from the gun gods.

 

[TTv2]

I'd rather punch out caps from cans and fill them with primer to use in percussion guns than deal with primers for cartridge guns.

Really, there is no excuse as to why companies haven't increased primer production. I can understand why they can't make more fixed ammunition, but expanding primer output isn't nearly as expensive and it's not like they wouldn't be able to sell the primers. Been 2 years now, clearly demand is not going down and supply is not going up. Easy way for a shortage to occur and continue forever.

 

[Miguel Loco]

The problem isn't with the companies....it's with the hoarders. Just like toilet paper 2 years ago, with people filling their garages. All you need to do is go to a gun show to find out where the primers are going. Lots for sale there at $1 each.

 

[The old gunsmith]

I'd rather punch out caps from cans and fill them with primer to use in percussion guns than deal with primers for cartridge guns.

Really, there is no excuse as to why companies haven't increased primer production. I can understand why they can't make more fixed ammunition, but expanding primer output isn't nearly as expensive and it's not like they wouldn't be able to sell the primers. Been 2 years now, clearly demand is not going down and supply is not going up. Easy way for a shortage to occur and continue forever.

The primer shortage has been one of those perfect storm deals. Only 4 companies manufacture primers in the US. One of those (Remington) was down due to bankruptcy. Combine that with the pandemic crippling the remaining production. Then combine that with panic buying and limited importation from European manufacturers. This is the end result. Should slowly improve over the next year. Unfortunately, I think the days of buying primers for $35 a brick is over.

 

[Stormson]

Long time ago I stocked up on toy caps. The round kind made for toy 6 shooters. This is only for the BP revolvers of course, so doesnt help much with the primer situation, but when cut loose from the little round form factor they come in, they do work amazingly well for BP charges. Not so well that I'd wanna face a full on apocalypse with them.. but good enough to get through a cap shortage. Look for the German made ones if ya can find em.

 

[webrx]

Maybe it is just me but, if you can make a .10 per primer profit or a .50 per round of ammo profit along with not allowing your competition, as small a percentage as that may be (reloaders) to build ammo and you were a business person which path would you take?

when the shelves don’t empty faster than ammo companies can fill them, then maybe we will see primers and caps routinely back in stock.

I have also put together all the equipment to make my own caps, and have reduced my shooting of my BP guns. hopefully I have enough to wait it out.

d

 

[Lyle]

I started making my own caps about a year ago. I use the Prime All compound. Yes it is a slow process, but it allows me to use my cap guns. Would I prefer to use commercial caps? Absolutely! I use pop cans for my caps. I have not done a start to finish. I punch out one can which is about 70 caps. Then later I load about 30 caps. This is about an hour for each step. My normal procedure is load one week and shoot the next.

 

[Blackpowderwarrior]

I started making my own caps about a year ago. I use the Prime All compound. Yes it is a slow process, but it allows me to use my cap guns. Would I prefer to use commercial caps? Absolutely! I use pop cans for my caps. I have not done a start to finish. I punch out one can which is about 70 caps. Then later I load about 30 caps. This is about an hour for each step. My normal procedure is load one week and shoot the next.

Hey brother are you still going to do your longevity test on caps that have been made and sat for a few months.

 

[Lyle]

Hey brother are you still going to do your longevity test on caps that have been made and sat for a few months.

Yes. It is five months now. I plan to shoot 6 next week. Then 6 every time I go shooting. That should take 2 to 3 months to complete. I looked at them last week and they looked like they had just been made. No extra loose priming compound in the container.

 

[The old gunsmith]

Yes. It is five months now. I plan to shoot 6 next week. Then 6 every time I go shooting. That should take 2 to 3 months to complete. I looked at them last week and they looked like they had just been made. No extra loose priming compound in the container.

The prime all mixture is the old chlorate mix from around ww1. As long as it is stored in a reasonably dry area, the caps will be fine on 100 years.

 

[TTv2]

About the Prime All compound, I believe it is corrosive, so with black powder (or subs) since we have to clean the guns after shooting is being corrosive a problem or something that should be avoided?

 

[eastbank]

i have been giving my flintlocks a work out durning the reloading supply shortages.

 

[brewer12345]

About the Prime All compound, I believe it is corrosive, so with black powder (or subs) since we have to clean the guns after shooting is being corrosive a problem or something that should be avoided?

Bp and subs are already corrosive, so it doesn't make any difference in cleaning if you are using corrosive caps.

 

[Captain*kirk]

The problem isn't with the companies....it's with the hoarders. Just like toilet paper 2 years ago, with people filling their garages. All you need to do is go to a gun show to find out where the primers are going. Lots for sale there at $1 each.

^^^^^This. 100%.
When guys stumble across any cache of caps or primers, they throw caution to the wind and buy as many as they are allowed. It's up to the vendors to limit purchase volume per customer and keep the hoarders from buying 10s of thousands. Primers do not take up a lot of space, relatively speaking, and if you can fork out the money, there is little to stop anyone from buying as many as they can.

 

[Lyle]

About the Prime All compound, I believe it is corrosive, so with black powder (or subs) since we have to clean the guns after shooting is being corrosive a problem or something that should be avoided?

The Prime All leaves red residue on the nipples and the cylinder. It is the same red color as what the Korean surplus M2 ball made by KA left on our M1’s 20 years ago. My cleaning process has changed from then but it not a problem to clean.