Now at a crisis with Musketoon

[DavidB2]

I have now reached a crisis point with this nipple situation on my Musketoon. I have tried every way possible to remove the percussion nipple from this new Musketoon. It's just not happening with the tools I have at the house. If I can't find a specific wrench which is made for two-sided percussion nipple, I will have to take it to a gunsmith. I have attached a picture so you can see the specific shape of this nipple.Thanks for any help you can provide. I have found a four sided nipples which should work with this carbine; from either track of the wolf or S&S firearms. Before I can get a new nipple; this old one will have to be removed. Thanks for any help you can provide with this issue.

[Hawg]

You can cut a notch to fit the nipple in a 1/4" drive socket.

[kwhi43]

I took mine out with a open end wrench, then put a two sided Ampco nipple in to
take No. 11 caps. Shot it that way for 45 years. No problem.

[bedbugbilly]

I did the same thing Kwhi did on an original Barnett Enfield that I had many years ago. It also worked fine. I eventually changed it out to a standard Enfield musket nipple so I could use musket caps which were a whole lot easier to handle with cold fingers.

On your repro musket - if you can get the present nipple out, you might want to consider putting in a good 4 sided military style nipple in as a replacement and buying a good reproduction nipple wrench intended for the 4 sided nipple. Too often, folks grab what they have in their tool box and attempt to use it to remove a nipple - usually with the results of buggering up the flats. It's like anything else - get the right tools for the right job and it will save a whole lot of frustration and swearing.

Probably 50 years ago, I had an original 1861 pattern Watertown rifled musket that had the original nipple in it - and it was a bear to get out. It had eroded enough from many repeated firings, etc. that there was no way to get a good grip on the four sided base with an original "box style" nipple wrench. After soaking for many days in liquid wrench, etc. - it still would not budge. I finally had to very carefully drill it out and then use a very small "take me out" on what remained of the base/threads. I got it done but it was not an easy job.

Hopefully you can find a smith who can get it out. A percussion rifle is only as good as its nipple - so replace it with a good one that will provide you with many years of good shooting. Good luck to you!

[foolzrushn]

Picture??

How long have you soaked around the nipple, and with what?
Did you try some heat to break it loose?

[DavidB2]

Picture would not load. Basically, the nipple has two flat sides as opposed to four. I am hoping that the ratchet nipple wrench from Dixie might work

[drobs]

Put the gun in a bench vice. I'd probably remove the barrel from the stock.


Use rags between the jaws of the vice and the gun's barrel so as to not mar the finish.


Find an appropriate small open ended wrench:


and a 2 ft to 3ft length of pipe:


Hook the pipe over the end of the wrench. Use the pipe as a breaker bar.

There are more steps to this as you really should bolt the vice down to a work bench or old wooden desk.

Best of luck.

[4V50 Gary]

If you're going to mount the barrel in a vise, line the jaws with wood or lead so as to protect the barrel. If you have a drill press and a band saw, measure the diameter of the barrel and a block of wood to that diameter. Then saw the block of wood in half such that you have a channel running down each half of the block. Put them on the barrel and then clamp it on vise. Mind you, they should be clamped near the nipple so you don't somehow bend the barrel.

I'd modify a socket to fit the nipple. Soak the threads with Kroil. You may even want to use a propane torch on it too. If you must use a cheater bar, go ahead.

[Hawg]

If you use a cheater bar on a nipple odds are you're going to twist it off.

[4V50 Gary]

OK, don't use one.

As I said in THR, buy a socket and modify it to fit the nipple. While you're sawing and filing away, hit the socket with Kroil or what Prairie Dawg (at THR) suggested. Let it soak over night.

You may have to hit it with heat from a propane torch too.

It will come out.

[BerdanSS]

Ummm.....

Well here is one of the dozen or so places that sell them..
http://possibleshop.com/s-s-nipple-wrench.html the 15th one down is nice.

I personally have one of these items use with my euroarms 3 band
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categ...x/160/1/NW-100

[gyvel]

So far the best suggestion has been to carefully drill the nipple out and use an Easy-Out to remove the rest.

Obviously, this destroys the nipple, but you really need to replace it with a four sided one anyway.

Another suggestion (and I REALLY hate to propose this), is to put a pair of Vise Grips (if you can get to it) on the nipple as tightly as you can and see if that will remove it.

I have three Parker Hale Enfields, 1853, 1856 2 band, and 1861 Musketoon with the four sided nipples and have never had trouble with the original removal tool. A 1/4" drive square socket will sometimes work, too.

Craftsman makes (or used to make) a set of "ignition wrenches" that were very small sizes. Perhaps one of those would be the right size for your two-sided nipple.

Whatever you do, go to your local tree hugger health food store and get a bottle of "100% pure natural wintergreen oil" (not the Walgreens stuff), and use that to soak the threads. A little bit of heat, judiciously applied, will cause the oil to literally get sucked into the threads.

[DavidB2]

Got nipple out of Musketoon. Came out easily with this wrench.

[4V50 Gary]

Victory!

[gyvel]

YES! The good old Chapman wrench.

Now go get a four sided nipple.

[eastbank]

and it does not hurt to take the cone-nipple out from time to time. after cleaning i loosen my cones to wiggle loose . remember to tighten before firing. eastbank.

[Hawg]

Just put some anti size on it and don't worry about it.