Will Homemade percussion caps work in cap and ball revolver?

[Wolfmanjack]

I have the components to make primer compound and it works quite well in my center fire rifles. I have mastered homemade black powder. I can cast lead balls no problem. The Achilles heel of my black powder endeavor is percussion cap availability. I’ve been wanting a cap and ball revolver for some time now and I need your advice. I was going to get a cap maker to supply the revolver and that way I could shoot as much as I want without having to deal with the current supply shortage. The question that remains is will the homemade percussion caps work on the revolver? Seems I have heard mention that there could be a clearance issue on some that would inhibit the cylinder from turning? Also the cap maker is of the #11 size. Is this going to be a fit issue for the #10 nipples that most revolvers seem to take?

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

There are plenty of folks successfully using their own homemade caps in C&B revolvers.

If you're worried about #11vrs #10 then make them #10 size if that's the right size.
Or get nipples that fit #11s
either should be easy enough to do.

 

[Wolfmanjack]

Ok I have no problem changing nipples. What about clearance issues? Let’s say the homemade caps bind up the cylinder from rotating, can the nipples be filed down a little to improve clearance? For those that have tried the cap maker does one style or manufacturer of firearm have more clearance than another? I was looking at the 1851 navy, pietta bs uberti.

 

[Lyle]

I started making my own caps a few months ago. I shoot a Pietta 1851 .36 navy. I make my caps from aluminum pop cans. The caps fit the stock nipples just fine. The caps are a little too small for the Slix Shot nipples. I use the prime all mixture.

 

[.38 Special]

I am fairly convinced that the majority of chain fires result from poorly fitting caps. And yes, I know it is far from a settled debate, and I really do not mean to reignite the old arguments here, but I am in the camp which reserves the use of homemade caps to single shot guns.

Having said that, I am aware of several knowledgeable and experienced men on this site who use homemade caps on their revolvers with fine results.

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

...Let’s say the homemade caps bind up the cylinder from rotating, can the nipples be filed down a little to improve clearance?...

Filing down the nipple increases the OD because the nipple aka cone is cone shaped.
So if the cap fits just right filing down the cone could result in the cap no longer fitting.
However, you could always turn down the cone with emery cloth the get it to fit again.

 

[Black Jack Shellac]

The capmaker caps have folded sides.This allows for some expansion when putting them on. If they sit too tall on the nipple in some revolvers,use less of a charge. Little is needed for the revolvers. I use them on my two revolvers.
Black Jack Shellac

 

[Brokenbear]

I have just started with the home spun cap building and I am using 3 cap gun "spots" (punched with hole punch) with the thin paper facing the nipple ..
I am also folding the pop can double when i build the cup and shooting heavy for caliber .31 Colt 1849 18gr 777 ...
I do not think the home brewed cap is necessarily better but I do have this observation ..the double wall pop can cup DOES NOT disintegrate like the factory caps but rather stay tightly sealed on the nipple ..one would think a fully intact fired cup still firmly seated on the nipple would possibly be better at decreasing the chain fire than a factory cap ..
Plus I never have a jam with a disintegrated cap falling into the hammer valley or half hanging on to the nipple and impeding cocking ..so where I was looking at the expensive prospect of installing a "stake" behind the nipple under the hammer ... is now not needed ..
Now would I use a home spun cap in a serious need situation (hunting, competition, defense)... not quite yet ..but once I get (IF) to 500 or so home spun caps that are "bang proven" ...and durability proven ...and weather tolerant (I seal with 10% DUCO cement 90% Acetone)..I will change to home spun caps in a heartbeat just to have the full cylinder/no jam/ for sure follow up shots capability
Last ..it must be stated that some if not all of my problems may very well be solvable by reduced powder loads (not) ...by also trying all the brands and sizes of primers being made today could also fix some problems but right now ..a selection of all brands/sizes is non existent ..and.. last I can start dropping in nipples in all my guns at $40 to $50 a pop but that just seems wrong to have to do ???

So for the short term at least I'm thinking home spun will be in my future
Have a great week everyone!
Bear

 

[Wolfmanjack]

To update the thread:

I received my pietta 1851 navy 36 cal from Dixie gun works. I acquired a .375 Lee round ball mould from titan reloading. Finally my percussion cap maker got here from 22reloading.

I made up my percussion caps using the ww1 formula of potassium perchlorate/antimony trisulfide/sulfur. I use a dilute solution of shellac and acetone to “glue” the powder in the cap. I cast some round balls and now I’m ready to go! Oh almost forgot, I had my homemade black powder already made as well.
I loaded up the cylinder with 20 gr of homemade black and diy percussion caps. The hammer fell 6 times and 6 balls went down range. Loaded up again and all 6 fired again. 12 for 12 today and I’m confident now that I am self sufficient with the black powder percussion pistol.
This was my first time shooting a percussion pistol and it seems to be loads of fun. I wish I had more time to shoot today but that’s usually how it goes. Tropical storm coming in for the weekend so no shooting till next week. I broke the pistol completely down for the clean up which went well with no major hiccups. Reinstalling the trigger was the hardest part for me. I packed the entire action with Mobil 1 synthetic grease as advised by some so that I won’t have to do complete breakdown after every shooting session.
I have enough chemicals for years of black powder shooting. Feels good!!!!!

 

[J-Bar]

In a moment of (madness, whimsy, ignorance, something else take your pick), I bought one of those percussion cap makers from Dixie Gun Works, and a couple of packages of Prime All. I have enough Remington #10s to last me for a while, but I figured what the heck someday they will be gone so perhaps I should have a back up system.

I tried the system out today.

You gotta be really motivated to make your own caps this way. It is tedious and time consuming whacking the cups out of a Dr. Pepper can one at a time. Even after acquiring a "feel" for the process, I still got about a 20% failure rate on cup production. OK, pop cans are essentially free if you drank the soda, but one cannot be in a hurry punching out these little aluminum cups. Two cans gave me about 100 cups, and required about an hour and a half in a hot garage.

I used a #209 shotgun primer tray to hold the cups while I charged them with the priming compound. Perhaps the best Idea I have ever had. But I am going to change the way I put the priming compound in the cups. I mixed the priming compound in a plastic cup as the instructions called for, but added the alcohol to the mix before putting some in the cup. Too much waste this way. Next time I will find a way to put the dry primer mixture into the cup and then add the alcohol onto the compound in the cup to set it in place.

I tested one and it went pop. Next will be to confirm that my home brewed cap will ignite a powder charge, and after that, find out if I can shoot a competitive cowboy match with them.

Making your own percussion caps takes a lot of time and attention, and I am not yet convinced it is for me. But, as an experiment, it is something for an old retired fart to do.

 

[Lyle]

In a moment of (madness, whimsy, ignorance, something else take your pick), I bought one of those percussion cap makers from Dixie Gun Works, and a couple of packages of Prime All. I have enough Remington #10s to last me for a while, but I figured what the heck someday they will be gone so perhaps I should have a back up system.

I tried the system out today.

You gotta be really motivated to make your own caps this way. It is tedious and time consuming whacking the cups out of a Dr. Pepper can one at a time. Even after acquiring a "feel" for the process, I still got about a 20% failure rate on cup production. OK, pop cans are essentially free if you drank the soda, but one cannot be in a hurry punching out these little aluminum cups. Two cans gave me about 100 cups, and required about an hour and a half in a hot garage.

I used a #209 shotgun primer tray to hold the cups while I charged them with the priming compound. Perhaps the best Idea I have ever had. But I am going to change the way I put the priming compound in the cups. I mixed the priming compound in a plastic cup as the instructions called for, but added the alcohol to the mix before putting some in the cup. Too much waste this way. Next time I will find a way to put the dry primer mixture into the cup and then add the alcohol onto the compound in the cup to set it in place.

I tested one and it went pop. Next will be to confirm that my home brewed cap will ignite a powder charge, and after that, find out if I can shoot a competitive cowboy match with them.

Making your own percussion caps takes a lot of time and attention, and I am not yet convinced it is for me. But, as an experiment, it is something for an old retired fart to do.

Being retired the amount of time is not important. It gives me something to do. I don’t load the caps to be prepared for the fall of society. I do it because caps are hard to find. Hopefully this fall things will get better. I don’t know what I am doing different than you, but my failure rate is about 1% on punching out the caps. I use pop cans for the material. I double the can before I punch them out. I find that the caps are less likely to deform when I put them on the nipple. Double layer caps have a failure of about 1 in 42. Single layer caps have a failure of about 1 in 18.

 

[Jim Watson]

Next time I will find a way to put the dry primer mixture into the cup and then add the alcohol onto the compound in the cup to set it in place.

Related to Eleyprime for .22s. Drop in powdered priming compound, press it into the rim, add a drop of water to "activate".

 

[Black Jack Shellac]

J-Bar I have been doing this for a long while.I have mounted my cap maker in a drill press and later in a reloading press.Both worked well and is much more productive. . I have heard of placing the cap maker body in a thick hunk of wood .Drill a 1' hole all the way through. Wedge the body in tight with shims or anything that can work to hold it. Maybe a 2x6 board could work. Clamped to a table of some kind . This would free up your hands to move the metal and hold the hammer.
Mounted in my drill press, I could punch out around five to seven hundred a hour this way.. Many make a little scoop for the powder. A cut down red ring cap glued to a matchstick works or a fired small pistol primer glued to a wire . Ideal is to fill the cups halfway or less. When done,press the powders down firmly. Do this dry. A binder is needed.Many use Duco cement thinned with acetone.I like to use shellac thinned with denatured alcohol . I have also used Elmers white glue mixed with water( two drops in a teaspoon of tap water) shaken hard to mix. Some use hairspray. Use something or your charge will crumble and fall out.Biggest reason for failure.
Black Jack Shellac

 

[whughett]

Filing down the nipple increases the OD because the nipple aka cone is cone shaped.
So if the cap fits just right filing down the cone could result in the cap no longer fitting.
However, you could always turn down the cone with emery cloth the get it to fit again.

As a note to the OP. Any nipple can be made to fit a smaller cap by removing it from the cylinder and chucking the nipple into a drill. A file or stone is then used to reconfigure the cone to fit the cap.
I adjusted the nipples of two Remington carbine cylinders to accept RWS 1075 of which I have seven thousand in stock. They will now accept CCI 11’s also.

 

[Cetme Free]

Good Idea. I like the RWS 1075 and 1075 plus ! They are totally reliable and I even found some available on line a few times recently !

 

[BEEMAX]

The Prime All packs are OK. The formula for those is online.
Powders available from hobby supply places. You have to
keep quantity low for safety. I think it is best to just get the
caps manufactured by a name brand if available. I was told
(how that goes?) that Remington's were back in production.
After buying a supply you would do well to keep your cap maker
for back up. I think those chemicals,like powder, would be
best kept in a safe place- best in an outbuilding shop etc.

 

[Wolfmanjack]

My chemicals are stored separately in their own containers. It would be wise to only work in very small batches unless you are up for the Darwin Award. The quantities I have been working with make about 30 caps. I don’t plan to store thes but just make what I plan to shoot a few days ahead of time.

 

[Lyle]

The Prime-All from Sharpshooter 22 is what I use. I follow the instructions as printed, except I don’t add the ground glass. This makes enough priming compound to load about 10 caps. When I first started making my caps I fired one on an empty cylinder and without ear plugs just to get a feeling about the power of my caps. I can tell you that 10 times the power of one cap is all that I will work with. I like my fingers the way they are.

 

[J-Bar]

The Prime-All from Sharpshooter 22 is what I use. I follow the instructions as printed, except I don’t add the ground glass.

I have not identified the Prime All ingredients. Ground glass? Apparently it is not necessary?

 

[Lyle]

H-48 is what Prime-All appears to be. FH-42 replaced H-48. The link below will take you to a page that lists various priming compounds. The percentage is a little different but the ground glass is the main difference between H-48 and FH-42. My caps have been working fine without the glass. I use the scoop included and measure according to the instructions.

https://www.northwestfirearms.com/threads/priming-mixtures.58110/

 

[Black Jack Shellac]

The little bag of off white powder in the prime-all is not glass. A little experiment . Take some of the powder and mix with water. Let it dry. If it is glass it will still be glass. If it looks like a dried up glob of elmers glue ,it must be something else.
Black Jack Shellac

 

[Lyle]

The little bag of off white powder in the prime-all is not glass. A little experiment . Take some of the powder and mix with water. Let it dry. If it is glass it will still be glass. If it looks like a dried up glob of elmers glue ,it must be something else.
Black Jack Shellac

I just mixed 2 large scoops of the off white powder in a small glass. It should evaporate soon. I will report the results. I am always interested in learning something new.

 

[Lyle]

The little bag of off white powder in the prime-all is not glass. A little experiment . Take some of the powder and mix with water. Let it dry. If it is glass it will still be glass. If it looks like a dried up glob of elmers glue ,it must be something else.
Black Jack Shellac

Very interesting! I was sure that the Prime-All was H-48. Now I don’t think so. The off white powder is not glass. I don’t know what it is. The caps work fine without it. The next batch of caps that I made I will include it.

 

[Wolfmanjack]

Maybe it’s baking soda? I’ve read where some people add it to the f-42 formula to “increase the shelf life”.

 

[Black Jack Shellac]

Someone has reported it to be Gelatin .I had thought it to be Dextrin. Both are used as a binder. I don't think either will work with anything but water. So using it can only degrade the power of the charge.
Black Jack Shellac