More and bigger nipples, with an extra bang

[44 Dave]

I had posted about trying to fit my 45 year old Ubirti made 1860 with improved nipples that address the “cap sucking” ,( You know if I could still buy those brass caps that did not split all to shreds this wouldn’t even come up!) . This gun uses the 6 x.75 mm. thread where current Ubirti’s use 12-28.
I ordered Slix-Shot nipples, (Pietta thread) but they are too long. After taking about .010 off, caps just cleared the frame. Though it would be OK.
SURPRISE! Multiple discharge, tried again with grease over balls, same results Must not have gotten them all quite perfect because on two of the nipples the recoil set off the chamber when the cap hit the frame. Believe it or not one time I hit 2 targets side by side!
Back to the work bench and trimmed off another 5 with careful measuring got them all the same. Test fired it yesterday, every thing works the way it should now, but with temps at -8, I didn’t reload.

 

[Fingers McGee]

The older Ubertis use a 6x .75 nipple with an OAL of .500. The currently manufactured Pietta nipples are 6 x.75 with an AOL of .520. Caps will drag the recoil shield using the Pietta nipples. Slix Shot, unfortunately, doesnt make any short Pietta nipples. I've got an older Uberti L&R I'd love to put Slix Shot nipples on; but I'm just gonna have to be satisfied with Tresos

 

[SleazyRider]

When the head machinist at work was out with the flu last week, I took advantage of the situation and stole into the shop and I made my own "Slix Shot" style nipples by drilling small vent holes through the stock nipples of my Pietta Navy. I also enlarged the hole in the cone just a tad to decrease the rim thickness, but didn't go deep enough to change the diameter of the hole next to the chamber. I eyeballed the dimensions from close up photos of the Slix Shot nipples, guessing at the vent hole and cone diameters. It's great to have a lathe and mill available, even if it's only for a short while.

Tried it for the first time yesterday, and it worked like a charm, converting my constantly jamming, cap-swallowing Navy into a reliable, fire-breathing fighting machine. The #10 caps split but hung on to the nipples.