Click.....Boom....

[Ferret]

I am using Pyrodex P, and CCI number 11 caps, all on a Pietta 1860.

There is a noticable hesitation between the percussion cap going off and the powder catching. Not near as bad as POF 303 (wibble) ammo, but, a definate delay.

I am usually loading cigarette paper cartridges but have also had the same problem(?) with standard powder/wad/ball

Is this usual? Any ideas?

Thanks

Ferret

 

[Low Key]

Does this hesitation happen with every cylinder you fire or just with the first 6 shots? I'm wondering if you are getting all the oil cleaned out of the chambers before firing. Make sure that there is no oil residue left in the chambers by firing a cap on each empty chamber and then load up, run a nipple pick through each nipple, then cap up and see if you still get the hesitation when you fire.

 

[bs32]

click..........boom

Ferret:

Using paper cartridges, like "LowKey" suggested use a nipple pick (small piece of wire) to break back end of the paper after you are loaded up and before you cap the nipples. I suspect the paper is causing the delay.

b

 

[dwave]

I am usually loading cigarette paper cartridges but have also had the same problem(?) with standard powder/wad/ball

He is having the problem without the paper too. My question is how much pyrodex are you using as a load? I had a problem with pyrodex in my .36 navy if I didn't have enough for good compression, same thing you are describing. If I loaded 15 gr. then I got the delay. If this is the case, throw in a little more for more compression.

Have you tried different powders to see if you got the same effect?

 

[Across The Pond]

+1 for more powder..

I agree with dwave: Pyrodex (unlike H777 ) likes to be compressed some. 15Gn - 'double boom', 20Gn - 'Boom'!

Drove me mad till I worked it out. If you are keen to stay with a light charge, I guess you could use an inert filler to get the volume and therefore the compression, but I haven't tried it.

Off topic, but related: UK shooters (who are limited to muzzle loaders for handguns) are converting their cap and ball revos to fire nitro powder, thereby avoiding these hassles. Always scares the U-know what out of me, the idea of measuring 3Gns of Bullseye into each chamber!

 

[Ferret]

aha.... i think we have an answer here.

I have two loads currently set out in the paper carts, and these are the ones that I copy with standard powder/wad/ball loads...
15gr and 20gr
Yup it happens with both loads but is more noticable with the 15gr loads.
I am gonna up to 25gr and see what happens.

I have never had a problem with the paper cartridges going off even without pricking the base through the nipple... whoops.. cone... tube.. whatever.

I try and keep my nipples free of grease and oil by snapping two caps through each one before charging the chambers properly.

 

[dwave]

Hope that solves your problem, tell us how it goes!

 

[sundance44s]

sundance44s

You can buy a cylinder loading stand that will allow you to seat the balls on the lighter loads with out the use of fillers ... not all of the stands will do this but the more expencive models will ... another way to seat on light loads is to use a steel ball ..one that is undersized to your lead ball .. set it on top after you seat the ball and then seat again with the steel ball on top ... it takes a little time but works . unpropper seated balls produce very uneven shots some puffy , puney shots ..

 

[Sistema1927]

I am going to suggest something different (even though all the suggestions thus far have been good). Have you tried a different size of cap? Possibly #10?

I find that #11 normally doesn't work well on my C&B revolvers, but #10 does the trick.

 

[sundance44s]

sundance44s

Those remington #10 caps are so hard to find where i live .. and they are all i will use .. i`ve had to order them from cabelas and pay the hazmat fee .. but i did order a case lot when i did .. so that eased the pain for a while . and when ya find a cap that works so well and never have a miss / hang fire or a cap fall off .. it means a lot ! i`d much rather watch someone else deal with the impropper cap problems .

 

[Beartracker]

All great info above but I would like to make a suggestion on the caps to dry and clear the nipples.If you shoot two rounds of caps to clear and dry the nipples and then load another six when you are loaded and ready to fire then it takes 18 caps to fire one cylinder full !!! This would break me in a hurry when you consider there are only 100 caps in that little container Lol.
Try this , after cleaning and oiling use pipe cleaners to clean out and dry the nipples. Works great! I even place a drop of mineral oil on pipe cleaner to oil the inside of each nipple and then use dry ones to dry them out . Then I use a nipple pick to make sure the holes are open and clear.
After cleaning and oiling your chambers use a dry patch and a dowel rod to dry the chambers and then use a Q-tip to dry the bottom even better. Now hold the cylinder up to the light with the chambers facing you so that you can see daylight through each nipple hole.
Sounds like a long process but it takes less than 5 minutes to have dry and clean nipples and chambers.
I do agree 100% with the need for more powder and don't be afraid to compress it. Hotter caps like the new Remington #10 will make a big difference also. I use #11 CCI or the German #1075 caps and they fit well also but they are not quite as reliable or as hot as the new #10 Remington's. Hope this helps, Mike

 

[Low Key]

I agree with Beartracker and use the same process for my guns. I don't use caps to dry any oil out of the nipples, they are too expensive for me to go that route so I manually dry everything out and save the caps for firing the gun.

 

[dwave]

I agree with Beartracker and Low Key, I never snap caps on empty chambers to dry them out. I am too poor to do that!

 

[Ferret]

Thanks for all the great info.
I usually have a stack of pipe cleaners in my range box for my Hawkens and 'da Bess', but, I havent used them on the C&B revs yet..
As to snapping caps, my wifey is great and just bought me 4000 CCI 11's. So, I am wasting them with gay abandon. I dont think that i am gonna try num 10's until i get through this stack.

Now.. off to the store to pick up my Gaucho's... grin

 

[mec]

Ive been ordering remington #10s through Dixie Gun works with good luck so far. I'm not sure how many you can order without becomeing a Hazardous Materialist but was surprised when I found out you could order them at all.

 

[sundance44s]

sundance44s

I`m too cheap to waste my caps drying the cylinders too .. what i do is dip a Q tip in some alcohol and swab every hole to get the oil out before i leave the house to shoot ..with in mins. the cylinders are dry and dusty ...ready to smoke .

 

[Beartracker]

Sundance, Good tip on the alcohol, that would do the trick for sure, Thanks, Mike