Stuck nipples.

[jeager106]

I bought a not so traditional cap'n ball .44 s.s. revolver for $80 bucks a while back.
Evidently the previous owner never removed the nipples for cleaning & they were/are pretty much welded in the threads.
The revolver has no name brand, says only "made in Italy" a Rem. 1858 clone.
I've managed to get 4 nipples out by drilling with a 7/64 bit, then an easy out.
Still 2 won't budge.
I've never fired this revolver due to the nipple issue.
Any suggestions on how to get the remaining 2 nipples out of the
cylinder? I've tried soaking in Blaster & other penetrating oils to no avail.
Heating? Freezing? Nuclear explosion?
I also have a Navy Arms 1858 in .36 cal with the same issues but the nipples are still in good shape & I shoot that one.
Navy imported some nice black powder replicas back in the day.

[North East Redneck]

Have you tried soaking the cylinder in a mixture of ATF (automatic transmission fluid)and acetone? Might just free the nipples up. Let it sit submerged for couple days.

[James K]

Drilling is OK. Go up in bit size until it is just at the minor thread diameter (you can get that from the old nipples). The bit will clean out the nipple, leaving only threads in the cylinder and they can be picked out.

Jim

[mykeal]

NE Redneck makes a good suggestion; a 50/50 mixture of acetone and ATF is very good stuff. Be careful with the pure acetone, however.

Here's my 'final solution' method:

Insert two short dowels in two non-adjacent chambers and chuck the dowels in a vise on a drill press table so that the offending nipple is under the drill. If you have a nipple wrench that fits the nipple shoulders well, chuck it in the drill and unplug the motor (if not, manufacture one with a file using a 1/4" drive socket and chuck the socket in the drill). Lower the drill and turn the chuck by hand to fit the wrench onto the nipple. Lock the drill in place when it is fully lowered. Now turn the chuck by hand to loosen the nipple.

This method removes any misalignment of the wrench and uses pure torque to turn the nipple, something we humans cannot do with our hands.

[44 Dave]

Heat, I have a small butane hobby torch that I have used in situations like this. If they are drilled out to very thin heat will draw the penetrating oil in to the threads. Or you could put it in the oven on "self clean" and take the battery out of your smoke detector.

[colbad]

bummer....I thought this was going to be interesting as to what you got your nipples stuck in

[B.L.E.]

I have sucessfully removed a frozen nipple by heating the nipple with a small acetylene flame. It expands, then contracts as it cools off and breaks the rust bond. I was even able to use the nipple again.

[dalegribble]

what no nipple jokes?

[g.willikers]

Nipple jokes got all used up decades ago,
Maybe centuries.
The ones in the cylinder on my Remington are in there for the duration.
Since they work good with no. 11 primers, I just treat them like permanent parts of the cylinder.
Might get a second cylinder and be able to do fast reloads.

[wogpotter]

Heat with a hot soldering iron on the cone then suddenly cool. I've gotten stuck bearings & such off with sudden changes in temperature.

[jeager106]

A bit dissappointed in the lack of good "nipple" jokes.
Methinks the heat/cool ideas have merit.
I've done the soaking thing in about everything imaginable for up to a week.
Ipaid only $80 bucks for this s.s. revolver & compared to prices
today I got a deal.
I guess I could use it as a 4 shot 6 gun.
Question about a spare cylinder.
I like the notion.
Problem is I can't find a maker name, i.e. "Pietta" on the revolver anywhere.
I would love to get a spare cylinder but how would one go about doing that?
I'm guessing most of these Italian replicas are Pietta made, even ones branded by various names (TRADITIONS) are probably Pietta built, Uberti being a noted excpetion.
Umberti seems to be a step up in quality.
Comments on that observation?

[Hellgate]

The soaking in whatever oil/solvent is a prerequisite as is a padded vise. I have gotten stuck nipples out by simultaneously torquing on the nipple wrench (a ratcheting one is the best) and tapping on the wrench. I also will TIGHTEN the nipple first (it doesn't move but may serve to loosen the rust) then TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP as I turn the wrench out.

[Mike Weber]

Jaeger106:
Try soaking the cylinder in Marvels Mystery Oil overnight, then after drilling the nipples use a good easyout on a ratchet using the technique that Hellgate suggested to break them loose. I use Marvels oil for a lot of applications such as this.A while back a friend of mine got an abused brass framed Remington that was completely seized up back into working order and part of the process was soaking the gun in Marvels.

[James K]

I have used mykeal's system when all the soaking in the world won't work. But of course it needs some of the nipple left for the wrench to work on, and the nipple has to be removable, not totally rusted into a solid mass with the cylinder. The latter condition is rare with repro revolvers, but fairly common with originals. In that case, drilling is the only method that will work.

Jim

[jimbob86]

Or you could put it in the oven on "self clean" and take the battery out of your smoke detector.

I think jaeger106 might be a bit leery of putting gun related things in ovens for a while yet .....

[jeager106]

Nothing goes in the oven but a cake!

[44 Dave]

Was kidding bout the oven.
If you have access or know some one with a small gas welding torch and heat the nipples or what is left of them, good and hot. then pour or the oil till it quits smoking, you may have to do it more than once. You will get them out.
Trust me, don't brake an easy out trying to get them out!

[Model12Win]

Usually when my wife has real hard nipples I use some natural lubricant on them. Softens them right up so they can be twisted easier, she loves it!

Yep, her Colt 1860 Army get alot of use around the farm, and those nipples can get difficult to remove for cleaning!

[jeager106]

Finally got 'em all out w/o damage to thread.
Had spare s.s. nipples, installed them.
Later I'll shoot the thing out back & see how she'll perform.
Pro'ly start with 20 grains 3fg, work up to 30 maybe.
I've shot 30 grains of 3fg several times in the .44 bore but accuracy degrades with that much powder.
20/25 is better.
That last stuck nipple was a real bear. For some reason that metal was extremely hard & I broke several drills tying to make a hole for the easyout.
Finally I used a punch to tap on one side of the wrench flat & it jarred loose & came out easily then.
I took squirrel & a raccoon with a .44 Pietta & it's an accomplishment to take game with the cap'n ball 6 shooter but fun.
I know of a place infested with groundhogs to the point farmers that need the
hay won't even cut it anymore due to the hogs eating so much & digging holes.
It's a place that is close range only, perfect for a .22 or maybe a .44 cap'n ball as distances are under 30 yards.

[Mike Weber]

Glad you got it fixed Jeager106.
After shooting any of my percussion guns I always remove the nipples as part of the cleaning process. Each one of them gets a drop of gun oil in the threads as I replace them.

[wogpotter]

Put a small dab of antiseize, or even wonderlube on the threads, that should be enough to prevent the SS ones getting stuck.

[Mike Irwin]

Sorry I missed this thread...

In such situations, your deep freeze, or dry ice, is your very best friend in the world.

I've removed screws and bolts and nuts that I NEVER though I'd be able to get out by soaking them well with penetrating oil, wrapping them up, and then sticking them in the deep freeze for several days, after which I would hit them with the oil again.

Over the years I've had far more success with freeing seized thing with cold than by using heat.

[maillemaker]

Glad you got it sorted!

The dry ice idea sounds...cool!

Steve