Small Gripe

[mukluk]

Guess I have to vent a bit...

I managed to luck into a rather good deal on a Colt 2nd gen Dragoon recently that needed a new set of nipples. I found while tinkering that the nipples that came on my Uberti Walker fit perfectly so I was off on a quest to find a supplier offering the same... and promptly found conflicting info on most sites as to what size nipples fit each revolver (including one site that listed two different sizes for the same pistol on the same page). I finally settled on ordering a set of nipples that were specifically labeled to be for Uberti Walkers/Dragoons. Four days later they show up in the mail. The length and threads were the same, but they were sized for #10 caps whereas my Uberti Walker uses #11 caps :banghead:

Why does it seem so difficult for suppliers to list such seemingly insignificant pieces of information?

 

[Tommygunn]

Use #11s and squeeze them a bit so they grab the nipple tightly.

 

[mukluk]

No offense intended, but squeezing #11 caps is not an option for me; I don't like bandaid fixes. I'm an aircraft mechanic by trade so I don't do things just to "make it work", fixing it correctly is what counts. The new nipples are going to be returned and the proper ones are on order.

 

[Steve499]

I used to buy #11 caps, now I buy #10 Remingtons. Same nipples. Evidently, there's no constant in size between manufacturers.

Steve

 

[pohill]

From an old Colt Industries pamphlet:
"Percussion caps are now made in sizes from nine to thirteen. Ten and eleven are the best numbers for the small and medium-sized arms, and twelve for the larger sizes, although, as different-sized nipples are sometimes met in specimens of the same model, no hard and fast rule can be given. It is better to have caps slightly too large than too small, as large caps can be pinched together at the bottom enough so they will stay on the nipples, but small ones must be driven down on the nipple by the blow of the hammer, and this process frequently cushions the blow to the extent of producing a misfire."