Curing a cap-sucking C&B with new nipples

[duelist1954]

I have a pair of 1851 Navy revolvers that were notorious for cap jams. One is an old Armi San Marcos made gun and the other is made by Pietta. I recently equipped them with aftermarket nipples made by Slix Shot. These nipples have a re-designed combustion chamber and two lateral vent holes in the cone. That relieves the back-pressure from the exploding charge of powder in the revolver's chamber. It cured the cap jams in these two guns.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hns_tEWBFD0

[Rifleman1776]

Congratulations, you have discovered the 'hot shot' style nipples.
Yes, they are the preferred nipple for most ml uses.

[10851Man]

Great information. Got a link to these????

[duelist1954]

These folks sell them

http://www.cowboybullets.com/Products.html

go to the bottom of the page.

I think Long Hunter shooting supplies sells them too...maybe some others as well.

[10851Man]

Thanks!!!!!

[Hawg]

I just raise the muzzle and tilt it to the right a bit while cocking and the spent caps fall clear of the action.

[10851Man]

So, the 'Slix Shot' nipples have a vent hole drilled crossways????? That's it?????:confused:

[Hellgate]

10851man,
They've also got the top of the nipple with a smaller surface area so lighter hammer blows will still fire the cap, a redisigned flash channel to focus the flame and moderately smaller flash holes (not quite as small as the Treso nipples). The few original Colts I have examined had nipples with fairly thin edges at the top of the nipple. I suspect in order to capture as much flash to channel it down into the powder. I also notoced that the originals had pretty large flash holes either by design or they could have been shot out.

An alternative to the new nipples is to just fill in the safety notch in the hammer face. It grabs caps and pulls them off the nipple afeter firing and then they get tipped off by the frame and fall off the hammer into the "works". Filling in the notch with JB weld eliminates the notch for the cap to lodge in. Thoroughly clean (wire brush, degreaser) the notch, make a masking tape dam, tip the gun up in a stand or padded vise and fill with JB. Set overnight, carefully file away the excess (Dremel with a brass wire brush works well) leaving a very slight dimple in the surface of the filling so the fill doesn't take a direct hit on the nipple. It occasionally falls out but is a cinch to replace. Brazing or welding would work the best to permanently fill it in.

[Willie Sutton]

The best fix is to install a "cape rake" on the pistol. Basically you add a pin into the frame right behind the cap, and file it to a thin kinfe-blade that prevents the cap from coming off the nipple. Then the hammer is slotted with a cutoff wheel to clear the rake. I can show pics if that's not clear.


Willie


.

[10851Man]

Thanks, Hellgate...

I would like to try the Slix Shots, since I prefer the SS nipples from a corrosion standpoint...

[Hawg]

I'd say the best fix would be a Kittredge spring plate like used on some of the Manhattan revolvers. http://patimg1.uspto.gov/.piw?docid=00041848&SectionNum=2&IDKey=6E608FF33C8C&HomeUrl=http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1%2526Sect2=HITOFF%2526d=PALL%2526p=1%2526u=%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsrchnum.htm%2526r=1%2526f=G%2526l=50%2526s1=0041,848.PN.%2526OS=PN/0041,848%2526RS=PN/0041,848

[10851Man]

Interesting!

[Hellgate]

Hawg,
Your link to the Manhattan revolvers didn't work!! AAARrrgghh!