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Old January 29, 2015, 11:42 PM   #1
Gaz_in_NZ
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Found in the CAS site Archives...

I found this in the CAS site archives when looking for info on why none of my cappers seem to work with my Remies or my Walker... so I went back to loading caps by hand.... then I read this and saw the photo of the thumb.....

Well worth a read even though it is 10years+ old.
http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/ind...7&topic=1620.0

Think I'll be opening up the cylinders like in the photo so my inline capper will work.

Cheers
Gaz
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Old January 30, 2015, 08:59 AM   #2
maillemaker
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Made a believer out of me. I will use my capper from now on!

Steve
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Old January 30, 2015, 09:38 PM   #3
Hawg
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There's no way a cap did that, Methinks he's just covering up for doing something dumb. A cap cannot be set off by pressure, it takes a sharp rap to set one off.
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Old January 30, 2015, 11:25 PM   #4
Hellgate
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Cuts Crooked is still around and posting. I believe ground glass or some other abrasive is added to the priming mix for the compound to be crushed against to assist in setting it off. You could have a sudden "give" of the grit that sets off the cap without necessarily having an actual blow of the hammer. I'm pretty sure Cuts would have remembered if he had used a push stick or not. I used to use my thumb til I saw his. I often would get a linear dent formed on the back of the cap from my thumbnail. I get the creeps seeing guys using deer horn to seat the caps. At least they won't get their digits blown apart if there an AD. I use a wooden dowel cut at a slant as a push stick and keep my fingers clear of the cylinder gap too. I've cut open sandbags with gap flash shooting C&Bs from a bench. I'm convinced his thumbnail set off the cap and I'm not going to tempt being the second victim of the same mishap.
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Old January 31, 2015, 10:26 AM   #5
Hawg
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I've tried everything I can think of to get one to go off by pressure alone and couldn't do it. I've even crushed them in a vice and they won't go off. Even if it did it wouldn't do that kind of damage. I've had chain fires before and been peppered by cap shards but they don't bring blood or even sting. If that kind of energy was blowing out the nipple the hammer would be blown back to full cock every time a round was fired. It looks to me like he had his thumb in front of the cylinder when it was fired. This is the only story remotely like this that I have ever seen. I've been thumb loading caps since 1969. You'd think in all that time if something was going to happen it would have by now.
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Old January 31, 2015, 10:30 AM   #6
Driftwood Johnson
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Cuts Crooked is the moderator of the Darksider's Den at CAS City. Has been for quite a while.

If he says it happened, then it happened. Just because you have not been able to duplicate what happened to him does not mean it did not happen.

P.S. I have been pushing caps onto nipples with my thumb since 1968. That does not mean it can't happen.
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Old January 31, 2015, 10:39 AM   #7
Hawg
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okie dokie, so being a mod makes you better than mere mortals? I've been and am a mod on several forums, and admin on some more and have my own forum but I don't think it makes me any better than anybody else. OK I'm not sying it cant possibly happen, just very highly unlikely but if it did it couldn't do that kind of damage. I still say he's not telling the whole story or even the right one.
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Old January 31, 2015, 11:05 AM   #8
g.willikers
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What's the danger of an entire capper full of primers detonating?
How about putting them on loosely, one at a time, and pushing them home with a dowel?
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Old January 31, 2015, 11:10 AM   #9
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Some people do that and I have done it, its just easier with my thumb.
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Old January 31, 2015, 11:53 AM   #10
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Quote:
I've been thumb loading caps since 1969. You'd think in all that time if something was going to happen it would have by now.
Have you ever been struck by lightning?
If not , do you think all that have lied about it?
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Old January 31, 2015, 02:06 PM   #11
bedbugbilly
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I suppose anything is possible and yes, lightening does sometimes strike people . . .

Cappers were originally designed as a way to easily carry caps and quickly install a cap on the nipple . . . mechanical cappers have been available since just about the creation of the cap system. During the Civil War, cappers were available for the rifled musket but were not an "issued" item.

Cappers were available as part of cased Colt sets . . . but for the majority of users, caps were and have been installed by the good old method of using your fingers. It's documented that someone who was well versed on loading a '51 Navy could quickly lay three caps in the cap groove on the frame and rotate the cylinder and install in a matter of seconds.

I'll be the first in line to promote safety . . and if you want to use a capper, that's great. Personally, I hate 'em. I've never found one yet that works well for any of my revolvers and the only time I have used them is with a single shot rifle - and only as a "convenience" of capping during hunting when fingers are cold or on the line when shooting competition. For that, I use one of Ted Cash's.

If he guy says he had a cap go off . . then I'll take him at his word. But I'd also like to see his pistol and how he was installing it . . were the nipples in good shape or did he have a burr on one? Was he trying to force an undersized cap on an over sized nipple? What brand of caps? What's the complete story?

I have used and installed literally thousands of caps on nipples over the past 50 years . . . rifled musket, rifles, shotguns and revolvers and have never had an issue. But, I have also always made sure that the caps fit the nipples and the nipples were in the condition hey should be. Installing a cap on a nipple probably requires far less pressure on the cap than a primer requires when being seated in a casing.

In the long run . . . yes, it could happen . . . chain fires can happen as well so it's probably prudent to only load and shoot once chamber at a time. I'm not making "light" of this but if you use commo sense when loading - there shouldn't be a problem. In my experience with a wide variety of mechanical cappers, I'd be more worried about a cap going off with one of them trying to get it worked on to a nipple because there wasn't enough clearance in the cylinder cut out for it to fit properly.

But hey . . . what do I know? I'm old and crotchety . . .
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Old January 31, 2015, 03:14 PM   #12
DD4lifeusmc
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capper

I have a ted cash capper from 35+ years ago,\Back then they were all brass including the "fingers" They fit quite well onto the nipples of my Remmies and rifle.

The new ones today have a couple different designs on the ends, but are riveted on spring steel and many times too big to fit in the nipple area.

You can either dress out the nipple opening a bit or dress the end of the capper or both so it fits better.

One new capper has a tab over the back side of the fingers,so you can press down on it with your thumb. The other one doesn't.

Best thing if you're looking at a capper, try to find a store that has a couple different ones in stock take your cylinder in and see which fits best.

I prefer a capper myself. Carry two or three, don't have to fumble with caps when out shooting!
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Old January 31, 2015, 03:27 PM   #13
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Even when I use a capper, I still press it on with my thumb to make sure it's fully seated.

I guess I'll have to make a pusher of some sort, although I've never left the house and forgot to bring my thumb
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Old January 31, 2015, 04:27 PM   #14
Driftwood Johnson
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I still say he's not telling the whole story or even the right one.
My point in mentioning that Cuts is the Dark Side moderator on CAS City is that I have known him and we have talked about all things Black Powder for over ten years. I can vouch for his character. If he said something happened, it happened. Yet you persist in doubting his honesty.
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Old January 31, 2015, 06:30 PM   #15
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Yet you persist in doubting his honesty.
Very much so.
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