Percussion caps-where are they?

[Hdonly]

Got a new B/P revolver and am running into a brick wall trying to find #10 percussion caps.

[Hawg]

My LGS carries them.

[Hdonly]

Lucky you. I haven't found any stores that carry them in my area. Spent the morning calling all the towns close to me. May end up having to drive 50 or 60 miles to find some. Nothing on line that I've found. I finally found one tin of 100 in my ratholed stuff. Need more for sure.

[Wag]

Haven't been able to find 'em either!

--Wag--

[Hellgate]

All #10 caps are not the same. RWS and CCI 10s are too small for anything I own. #10 Remington caps fit everything (all 12) I own and CCI #11s fit about half the guns I own.

The Remington #10s are the most forgiving caps in regard to fitting various revolver nipples. The RWS and CCI #11s are closer in size to the Rem #10 as to fit.

[Hawg]

RWS 1075 are a #11 cap. 1055 are a #10 cap. I don't use anything but CCI #10's on my revolvers.

[armoredman]

You could try making your own.

[wheelyfun]

https://www.buffaloarms.com/1000-rws...aps-rws11.html

The above link is for Buffalo Arms, where they sell #11 caps.
They sell 4 tins of 250 each, with a limit of 1,000 caps per purchase (due to limited supplies, I guess?)

I have no association with that company, but am posting because I was in search of cap availability myself.

I've not posted on this forum since 2015, ha! I am back now, as this black powder sub-forum is the best and I am looking to pick up a couple of black powder revolvers.

I currently have an 1858 that is factory converted to 45 Colt but have a Colt Pocket Police revolver on backorder...

[armoredman]

Oddly enough I found a small supply down in Tombstone at Smoke Signals, but pricey, $29.99 per 100.

[Old No7]

I found a small supply down in Tombstone at Smoke Signals, but pricey, $29.99 per 100.

Pricey???

More like HIGHWAY ROBBERY!

I'd be making my own if I had to pay that much...

Old No7

[Ricklin]

Two hundred thirty per thousand is mighty pricey as well.
Is it the same basic material in modern percussion caps and primers? I would think so.
In my experience the size number is variable between manufacturer's, when available I choose caps based on how well they fit the nipples, the size number is secondary.

[armoredman]

Pricey???

More like HIGHWAY ROBBERY!

I'd be making my own if I had to pay that much...

Old No7

I was on vacation with money to spend. I also bought a nice Italian pipe and a bag of nice tobacco in the same store. I have experimented with home made - I haven't got the knack down quite yet, but a buddy does.

[Deltadart]

You can make your own using a kit from .22LR Reloader, either no 10 or no 11 caps, they have a die for each. Their primer compound is a four-part powder that you mix in small quantities. Use the supplied dipper to fill the primer cup and spritz with some cheap hair spray to keep it in place. It is a corrosive mix, so cleaning is required asap. But we are talking about black powder firearms, so cleaning is mandatory anyway. One thought, you can substitute the beer can aluminum strips for .004 brass strips from Amazon, much more durable primer. Not required in revolvers or long guns, but if you are shooting a Uberti Remington New Model Army carbine, these may be much better than commercial caps as your face is closer to the nipple during ignition. Also, you can go to the social media MEWE and look up the group Primer Reloading. There are a lot of folks that are reloading their own primers, percussion, and center fire, using noncorrosive priming mixes with excellent results. I think it is Aardvark reloading on Rumble. Gives the procedures and chemicals required to reuse center fire primers. Plus, there are some innovative tools available from different members.

[Titanvk56]

Buffalo got some CCI #11's in about two weeks ago for $230 per 1000 shipped. They were gone in two days.

My Local Scheels just added "coming Soon" to CCI #11 and #11 mags last week.
https://www.scheels.com/search?q=per...aps&lang=en_US

Maybe CCI is doing a run and they will be out nationwide soon? Hopefully for less than $20 per 100.

[Hawg]

Geez!! I thought my LGS was pricey at 80.00 per 1000.

[Titanvk56]

Must be nice! I grew up in Mississippi and some of those out of the way "country" stores can have all kind of treasures!

[Hawg]

If you can call a town of about 23,000 out of the way.

[Deltadart]

I just made my first batch of No11 caps using the EPH 20 non corrosive formula. I used two different loadings for the caps. One is level the cup with the powder then compress with a 1/8 inch punch. The second is using the small end of the powder dipper furnished by .22 Reloader, which produces a lesser charged cap. That is compressed with the 1/8 inch punch as before. The beauty of this is the compound is not explosive at this stage. You then add one drop of 50/50 water, 70% isopropyl alcohol to activate. Allow this to dry for a couple of days or use a dryer for a couple of hours. The cups were made using the Tap-0-Cap tool from Forester Products, this tool is not made any more but a similar one is available from .22 Reloader. The first loading were very loud, the second ones were noticeably quieter but still fairly strong.
So now to find a charge somewhere in between. And perhaps adjust the mix a little.

[JimCunn]

" using a kit from .22LR Reloader, either no 10 or no 11 caps, they have a die for each."

I ordered both dies and primeall from them weeks ago. Hasn't arrived yet.
I did get 750 #1075s from Graf day before yesterday. They work with my Slixshot nipples, but not my Tresos.

[Deltadart]

Hi Jim
The Prime All kit is functional however there are a couple of issues you will run into. The compound is corrosive to the barrel. The compound is explosive when mixed, so follow the instructions and make small batches. Also the cost is very high compared to what you can purchase them for once you know what those chemicals are. Once the caps are made, you must come up with a way to keep the powder in them or it falls out. Try a cheap hair spray and spritz the cups with it. Also thin paper disc like cigarette paper may work as well. Punch it out with a leather punch, one of those with the wheel on it that has several sizes. I have been down that road and had some successes, and failures. You may want to go to this site. It is about reloading primers, .22LR cases, and percussion caps. There are a lot of people there to help, very good folks. Just taking reloading up a notch or two. The EPH 20 is for .22LRs but works for caps, and small pistol primers. Also BPCR. It is easy to do, I put it off way too long thinking it would be hard to do, that was stupid, it is not, requires a couple of things not expensive. Lots of instruction videos, also go to the MEWE social page and join the group Primer Reloading. No cost.
https://rumble.com/vtjboi-reloading-...p-start-3.html
tons of information here by some very knowledgeable people.
https://www.aardvarkreloading.com/

[Wag]

Found these:

https://www.buffaloarms.com/1000-rws...aps-rws11.html

--Wag--

[Road_Clam]

My local shooting supply finally had RWS 200ct tins of winged caps for $23 / ea. Have not seen rws caps in over 4 years.

[Deltadart]

If you make your own primers out of aluminum from pop cans or beer cans and use the EHP 20 formula (non corrosive) according to the spreadsheets from Aardvarkreloading.com you can load about 1000 primers at a cost of between 4 and 5 dollars.

[JimCunn]

Been a month since I ordered, and the dies and primall haven't arrived yet. I think they stiffed me.

However, I did find 750 #1075 caps at Graf, so I'm good to go for a while.

[Deltadart]

That seems like a very long time to wait on an order.
Here are some photos of no 11 caps I made from beer can aluminum. The first one is the cup after it comes out of the die. My die is an old one from Forester Products called a Tap O Cap, I have had for about 30 years. They no longer make it. The second one is 5 caps that were fired on my Remington new model Army .36 cal. using a large rifle primer cup as dipper. I just soldered a cup on to a piece of copper wire. Dumped the charge in the cup and packed with a 1/8 inch skewer stick. The third one is 5 cups fired on the same revolver, however this time I filled the cups level with the compound and then packed it with that skewer stick. It helps to hold the cup in a pair of archery nock pliers, or you can take an old pair of needle nose pliers and drill a corresponding size hole just deep enough to let the cup set in. The EPH20 mix I am using is safe to pack like this. After packing you add one drop of 50/50 water 70 isopropyl alcohol mix to the cup to activate the mixture. This has to dry for a while or be dried. The 4 part mix from .22 LR Reloader is called H48 and is explosive when mixed so I do not recommend packing it at all, they tell you to add a drop of acetone and let that dry.
Dixie sells them too.
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/...Text=tap+o+cap


https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/...Text=tap+o+cap