What exactly are cb caps?

nsf003 · March 19, 2002, 10:57 PM

I've heard of cb caps a few times on this forum and I wondered what they are. I cant search for "cb caps" because "cb" is under the minimum word length. Thanks

nsf003

Navy joe · March 19, 2002, 11:04 PM

Well CB was a brand trademark of I think Remington, There were CB's which are regular subsonic LR and the CB caps which are usually a light (20gr?) bullet powered by primer only. Aguila also makes the same as Colibri and Super Colibri. Colibri is 375 fps and super is 575, can't remember if bullet weight is 15 or 20. Very quiet, very fun. Limited practical uses some small game, removing streetlights for tactical advantage if appropriate to the situation(illegal as heck in normal times)

444 · March 20, 2002, 12:51 AM

CB is not a brand trademark (no slam intended, just clarification), it stands for "Conical Bullet". At one time there used to be several very low powered .22 Rimfire loads. Two of these were BB Caps, and CB Caps. The BB cap obviously was a round bullet with the BB standing for Bulleted Breech Cap and is one of the oldest successful self contained cartridge. The CB caps are a conical bullet which is similar in shape to a regular .22 LR bullet.
CB caps are still alive and well, in fact they have been improved. CCI manufactures a CB Long which obviously provides sufficent cartridge over all length to allow these to feed through autoloaders and other firearms that will not feed shorts (they feed but usually don't provide enough oomp to cycle the action, you have to manually cycle the action).
According to Cartridges of the World, 9th Edition CB caps were avialable in 16, 18, and 20 grain balls with muzzle velocities of 750, 780, and 780 fps. CB caps are available in 29 and 30 grain bullets with a muzzle velocity of 725 and 727 fps.
The big selling point of CB caps is that when fired out of a .22 Rifle, they are almost silent. You can actually hear the bullet striking the target allowing backyard and basement fun.

TERRY8mm · March 23, 2002, 03:40 AM

YOU KNOW HOW SOMETIMES YOU FINALLY GIVE IN TO WIFEY, AND HELP HER REDO THE LANDSCAPING AND PLANT NEW FLOWERS ETC.?
THEN THE NEXT MORNING YOU LOOK OUT AND EVERY CAT IN THE ZIP CODE SHOWED UP OVERNIGHT TO CHECK OUT THE NEW LITTERBOX?

CB CAPS FROM CCI, THAT'S HOW I SPELL RELIEF!!!!!
LONG BARREL RIFLE, STAND BACK FROM THE WINDOW, AND LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!
YOU CAN'T HERE THEM FROM 50'.

LIKE COL. COOPER SAID, A .22 IN THE TEAR DUCT WILL DO THE JOB.

Southla1 · March 23, 2002, 09:07 AM

I wonder if BB Caps are still avaliable? When I was a kid they were sold in little round tins like Copenhagen dip comes in today.

I still stock up and keep stocked up on CB Caps (CCI Brand). The CB Caps that are made today will cycle the action of my Rem. 550-1with a well over 90% reliability rate. As TERRY8mm mentioned their uses are many

.

Snowdog · March 23, 2002, 10:18 AM

Southla1,

I could have sworn I saw BB Caps of RWS manufacture being sold in a recent mail-order catalog, although it was also listed as being a "limited run" item.

I also remember that the price was far from agreeable.

JB in SC · March 23, 2002, 05:33 PM

RWS still loads both BB and CB caps, but they're hard to load due to the very short OAL.

Still come in the round container, Southla1.

Originally derrived from a percussion cap loaded with a round ball . Flobert was the designer, RWS still uses the term Flobert on their tins. Sometime along the way US manufacturers adopted the CB terminology to a 29 grain bullet in a short case @ 750 fps.

Actually the Super Colibri ammo comes pretty close (550) to the original CB, 20 grain bullet with no powder. And it's in a standard Long case (same as LR).

The Remington "CBee" was a nice round, a bit more quiet than the CCI version.

Even more interesting is the Eley "Zimmer" a 40 grain load in a LR case @ 800 fps.

March 19, 2002, 10:57 PM	#1
nsf003 Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2002 Location: South Central PA Posts: 574	What exactly are cb caps? I've heard of cb caps a few times on this forum and I wondered what they are. I cant search for "cb caps" because "cb" is under the minimum word length. Thanks nsf003

March 23, 2002, 05:33 PM	#7
JB in SC Senior Member Join Date: December 15, 2000 Location: Upstate Posts: 375	RWS still loads both BB and CB caps, but they're hard to load due to the very short OAL. Still come in the round container, Southla1. Originally derrived from a percussion cap loaded with a round ball . Flobert was the designer, RWS still uses the term Flobert on their tins. Sometime along the way US manufacturers adopted the CB terminology to a 29 grain bullet in a short case @ 750 fps. Actually the Super Colibri ammo comes pretty close (550) to the original CB, 20 grain bullet with no powder. And it's in a standard Long case (same as LR). The Remington "CBee" was a nice round, a bit more quiet than the CCI version. Even more interesting is the Eley "Zimmer" a 40 grain load in a LR case @ 800 fps. __________________ "We have seen the enemy and he is us", Pogo

March 19, 2002, 11:04 PM	#2
Navy joe Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2001 Location: VA, USA Posts: 1,804	Well CB was a brand trademark of I think Remington, There were CB's which are regular subsonic LR and the CB caps which are usually a light (20gr?) bullet powered by primer only. Aguila also makes the same as Colibri and Super Colibri. Colibri is 375 fps and super is 575, can't remember if bullet weight is 15 or 20. Very quiet, very fun. Limited practical uses some small game, removing streetlights for tactical advantage if appropriate to the situation(illegal as heck in normal times)

March 20, 2002, 12:51 AM	#3
444 Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2000 Location: Ohio Posts: 3,968	CB is not a brand trademark (no slam intended, just clarification), it stands for "Conical Bullet". At one time there used to be several very low powered .22 Rimfire loads. Two of these were BB Caps, and CB Caps. The BB cap obviously was a round bullet with the BB standing for Bulleted Breech Cap and is one of the oldest successful self contained cartridge. The CB caps are a conical bullet which is similar in shape to a regular .22 LR bullet. CB caps are still alive and well, in fact they have been improved. CCI manufactures a CB Long which obviously provides sufficent cartridge over all length to allow these to feed through autoloaders and other firearms that will not feed shorts (they feed but usually don't provide enough oomp to cycle the action, you have to manually cycle the action). According to Cartridges of the World, 9th Edition CB caps were avialable in 16, 18, and 20 grain balls with muzzle velocities of 750, 780, and 780 fps. CB caps are available in 29 and 30 grain bullets with a muzzle velocity of 725 and 727 fps. The big selling point of CB caps is that when fired out of a .22 Rifle, they are almost silent. You can actually hear the bullet striking the target allowing backyard and basement fun.

March 23, 2002, 03:40 AM	#4
TERRY8mm Member Join Date: March 23, 2002 Location: ky. Posts: 90	YOU KNOW HOW SOMETIMES YOU FINALLY GIVE IN TO WIFEY, AND HELP HER REDO THE LANDSCAPING AND PLANT NEW FLOWERS ETC.? THEN THE NEXT MORNING YOU LOOK OUT AND EVERY CAT IN THE ZIP CODE SHOWED UP OVERNIGHT TO CHECK OUT THE NEW LITTERBOX? CB CAPS FROM CCI, THAT'S HOW I SPELL RELIEF!!!!! LONG BARREL RIFLE, STAND BACK FROM THE WINDOW, AND LET THE GAMES BEGIN!! YOU CAN'T HERE THEM FROM 50'. LIKE COL. COOPER SAID, A .22 IN THE TEAR DUCT WILL DO THE JOB.

March 23, 2002, 09:07 AM	#5
Southla1 Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 19, 2000 Location: Jeanerette, La. Near the Posts: 1,999	I wonder if BB Caps are still avaliable? When I was a kid they were sold in little round tins like Copenhagen dip comes in today. I still stock up and keep stocked up on CB Caps (CCI Brand). The CB Caps that are made today will cycle the action of my Rem. 550-1with a well over 90% reliability rate. As TERRY8mm mentioned their uses are many .

March 23, 2002, 10:18 AM	#6
Snowdog Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2001 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 1,074	Southla1, I could have sworn I saw BB Caps of RWS manufacture being sold in a recent mail-order catalog, although it was also listed as being a "limited run" item. I also remember that the price was far from agreeable.