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mykeal · July 22, 2008, 06:59 AM

If it works, don't fix it.

Yeah, I know, tired old cliche. But in this case it applies. If you are getting reliable ignition and the caps fit well then there is no reason to go to the expense of replacing the stock nipples. New nipples will not improve your accuracy nor solve global warming.

On the other hand, if you have several revolvers with different size cap requirements there is something to be said for standardizing the cone size, and changing to all Treso's will accomplish that.

Also, it makes sense to lay in spare parts if you shoot regularly, and going to the good aftermarket nipples (like Treso) for your spares is a good idea. If you're going to buy some anyway, buy the good ones.

Black vs stainless vs Ampco bronze:
Black nipples are really just blued carbon steel; some builders don't even bother to blue them. I put the blued and raw steel nipples in the same category.
Stainless has a slight advantage over black in cleaning. Cap residue is different than bp fouling. Soap and water is not as effective in cleaning it out, especially inside the nipple; a good bp solvent is usually necessary to soften the residue. Stainless resists the corrosion longer and is easier to clean. I have not seen any advantage for stainless over black nipples in terms of longevity; they will mushroom just as quickly if dry fired.
Ampco bronze has all the benefits of stainless (in fact, I think it's even easier to clean and resists corrosion better than stainless) plus it's harder and will last longer. That's not to say they can be dry fired repeatedly, but a few mistakes won't ruin a nipple like with a black or stainless nipple. The other advantage to the bronze is that they tout the smaller hole thing; there are stainless nipples with smaller holes too, and if you're having ignition problems they're both worth considering.

Finally, there are nipples with small holes in the side of the cone near the tip. The claimed advantage is 'hotter' shots and less tendency to blow the spent cap off the nipple. I've not seen either effect demonstrated yet.

July 22, 2008, 06:59 AM	#5
mykeal Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 2,772	If it works, don't fix it. Yeah, I know, tired old cliche. But in this case it applies. If you are getting reliable ignition and the caps fit well then there is no reason to go to the expense of replacing the stock nipples. New nipples will not improve your accuracy nor solve global warming. On the other hand, if you have several revolvers with different size cap requirements there is something to be said for standardizing the cone size, and changing to all Treso's will accomplish that. Also, it makes sense to lay in spare parts if you shoot regularly, and going to the good aftermarket nipples (like Treso) for your spares is a good idea. If you're going to buy some anyway, buy the good ones. Black vs stainless vs Ampco bronze: Black nipples are really just blued carbon steel; some builders don't even bother to blue them. I put the blued and raw steel nipples in the same category. Stainless has a slight advantage over black in cleaning. Cap residue is different than bp fouling. Soap and water is not as effective in cleaning it out, especially inside the nipple; a good bp solvent is usually necessary to soften the residue. Stainless resists the corrosion longer and is easier to clean. I have not seen any advantage for stainless over black nipples in terms of longevity; they will mushroom just as quickly if dry fired. Ampco bronze has all the benefits of stainless (in fact, I think it's even easier to clean and resists corrosion better than stainless) plus it's harder and will last longer. That's not to say they can be dry fired repeatedly, but a few mistakes won't ruin a nipple like with a black or stainless nipple. The other advantage to the bronze is that they tout the smaller hole thing; there are stainless nipples with smaller holes too, and if you're having ignition problems they're both worth considering. Finally, there are nipples with small holes in the side of the cone near the tip. The claimed advantage is 'hotter' shots and less tendency to blow the spent cap off the nipple. I've not seen either effect demonstrated yet.