Using a Ted-Cash/Snail Type Capper with an 1858 Remington

[Wwalstrom]

Here is a shot of the cylinder for my Remmie. I clamped it between two blocks of wood, and went at it with my Dremel-Tool. If I remember it took about 45 minutes to grind the profiles, and another 15 or 20 minutes to sand them.



This is just another shot edited to highlight the cut, as the difference may not be obvious, especially to individuals not familiar with Remingtons.



This is an isometric view of the 3D model I'm working on (in my spare time). Please note that the nipple pockets are not exact ... the pockets are at an angle, and the only tools at my desk are a caliper, tape measure and a protractor. I had to make "Educated guesses" on some of the measurements. It doesn't help matters when the nipple pockets (like the chambers) are, basically, tapered.



Here is a Top View of the Ted Cash Snail style Pistol capper. I should mention, that before I modified it, this capper worked with the 1860 Colt Army I used to have ... but not the 1851 Navy I used to have.



Bottom View of the Capper

 

[Wwalstrom]

All that work and no comments

a) Nobody cares
b) Everybody knows about this
c) Everyone thinks I'm a "dufus"
d) All of the above
e) Everyone is currently making the mods to their 1858's and snail cappers.

Sorry ... just semi-amused, and semi-downinthedumps due to daily driver transmission issues.

 

[Manyirons]

Hi!

Sometimes it jus takes a few reads ta have anyone reply, i appreciate tha information or different approach.

My boss THA MANN does this automatically in MILLING MACHINE for tha Remmies and Ruger Old Army, but ya dont needs ta moddies the capper.

And by tha way, WELCOME ABOARD tha SS Soothouse! Ya wouldnt know it but hellava great group a guys here!

 

[Wwalstrom]

Don't need to modify the capper

actually, In my case, I did need to modify the capper. Probably due to the fact that I "eyeballed" the cuts and used my Dremel tool by hand. If I could of sweet-talked someone with a mill to do it, I think I still would have had to take that 1/32" off the end of the spring (maybe the quality on these is better now-days, my snail capper is 14 years old!).

You didn't answer a, b, c, d or e .

 

[Manyirons]

Correction, on tha MANNS modification ya dont need ta modify tha capper.

Wasnt goin ta touch tha list!

 

[Yankee John]

I did the same thing to a Remington cylinder that came with a pistol I bought from a Gunbroker auction. I did mine for a different reason though; the nipple slots were beat all to heck- I did it mainly to clean up the cylinder and make it look better (as you can see, I also "antiqued" the cylinder & pistol).

I don't use a capper- I'll have to get me one now!

John

 

[Franco2shoot]

Capper review

After reviewing the pictures I am wondering if the pain is worth the gain?
I would like to use a capper, and it doesn't have to be a snail, but should hold at least 24 number 10 CCI caps and it needs to work on my Uberti 1858 Remington as well as my Pietta 1860 Open Top Colt. Is there an easier solution than mill works and dremel grinding?

I've seen cappers from 6 bucks to 80 bucks and sure don't want to spend a bunch of money on something only to find it won't work.
Thanks
KKKKFL

 

[Steve499]

My capper only holds 21 or 22 caps so it might not meet your requirements, Franco, but I modified the end of it a little and it works fine on my unmodified Pietta Remington's nipple recesses.

Steve

 

[Steve499]

Oh, Wwalstrom, like Manyirons, I'm not touching your list! Good job on your modification, good pictures, good post.

Steve

 

[Afy]

Ok Help a newbie out.... why do you want a capper? Of any kind?

Versus using fingers?

 

[Plink]

Afy, a capper is just easier and quicker than trying to fumble with those tiny caps. I don't use them often, but with my fat fingers, I should.

 

[Duncaninfrance]

Why?

I stopped using a capper when I started loading on a bench rest. In fact I stopped using one the second day I shot my 1858. Spent more time picking up caps than loading them!
I now use Remington #10's and they sit easily using my finger and thumb. I seat them with a dowel that has a leather patch in the end.
So, the question really is - "Why do you want to use a capper?"

 

[Steve499]

I guess it depends on how you primarily use your revolver. When I'm shooting targets from a bench, it's no problem to have the revolver and all the other required paraphernalia spread out on it. A cap box can be opened and the revolver capped by hand with little difficulty. I never use the capper then since it's more of a pain to refill than it is to cap from the cap tin.

On the other hand, when I'm wearing the revolver and am stomping through brush trying to shoot rabbits, I generally hold the revolver in my left hand to reload the fired chambers. Most (if not all) of the loading actions require that I use only my right hand. I use quick load tubes to charge all fired chambers, then I can take my capper from the accessory pouch on my gunbelt and cap all the empty nipples without fumbling around with a cap box. I cannot open a cap box with one hand, nor can I take one cap at a time from it unless it's sitting on some flat surface or is being held in my other hand. I managed to reload in the field, of course, before I knew cappers existed, but it's sure easier with one.

Steve

 

[hildo]

What Steve499 says makes sense.
Are cappers a relatively new invention or were they used in the field 150 years back as well?

 

[Franco2shoot]

cappers historically

The device has been around for a long long time, although I don't have a "first used date"

My biggest problem is poor eyesight, and fidgeting with the cap trying to get it positioned correctly. I've been experimenting with a dowel and if I can grind it out properly such that the cap can be pushed into the dowel end and stay put enough to make the transition from tin to cylinder, I'll be home free.

As for cappers, try wearing gloves and trying to get a cap out of the tin let alone pushed onto the back of the nipple.


KKKKFL

 

[sundance44s]

Sundance44s

Great pictures of the modifacion ..i`ll save them to show the next person that ask me how i did mine .. i did all 4 of my remmies ...it took an hour to do the first one and 20 mins each on the other 3 ...
I was thinking of sending my cylinders to Bigiron to have them done on a milling machine ........BUT BOY AM I GLAD I DIDN`T DO SOMETHING THAT DUMB !

 

[Cincinnati Slim]

Do Tell Sundance44s !

Oh come on Mr.Sundance44s, tell us how you really feel...

Another satisfied customer ?

4 to 6 months does seem a bit long to wait for anything !

Only compairison in my experience was with a custom hand wound electric guitar pickup I once ordered from Bill Lawrence. Yes THE famous Bill Lawrence. Took me 5 months to get. Once I finally got it he included nice signed postcard from him and now I get Christmas cards every year. Nice touch but I haven't ordered anything else since...

Life is indeed short, Happy Trails

Cincinnati Slim

 

[sundance44s]

Sundance44s

Going on 8 months now ...i`m still waiting on the nipple wrench i ordered from the famous BigIron ......bet he`s a ledgen in his own mind .

 

[Franco2shoot]

base model

Steve499,
What is the base model capper that you used in the pictures. It looks metalic, and I've only seen plastic ones for sale.

I think I can make that modification and have it work on my Uberti. Also, is there enough backing or rigidity that you can really press the cap down hard on the nipple? I will want to use any capper I come up with on both the Uberti 1858 Remington, and the Pietta 1860 Open Top Colt. The Remington is not fussy with caps being pressed hard on, but the Colt, which has less impact from the hammer is very fussy and if I don't press the cap on hard it might take two strikes before the cap goes off.

KKKKFL

 

[sundance44s]

Sundance44s

Might add ... i did open mine up like the pictures so i could use a capper ...and used my capper once and went back to putting them on with my fingers ....Because its so much easyer now ..with it opened up like that , I`m twice as fast with my fingers now ..happy eaither way now .

 

[Steve499]

Franco, the capper is brass and has no makers name on it. I'm sure it came from Dixie Gun Works but it has been some time back so I have no idea if they still have that same capper. In the pictures, the capper on the left is the one I carry with my Remington while the capper on the right goes with my Colt. As you can see the brass is quite a bit thicker on the left one. I have no trouble seating caps fully with either one by having my thumb as close to the end as possible as I push the caps on. I filed around on the brass and the spring a little at a time until I was able to get a fit on the nipples.

I have seen cappers which have two springs, one on either side of a flat extension of the back. Those aren't nearly as strong as the ones made with the single spring and the brass back and side, like a piece of angle iron. Also, the two spring model is wider and doesn't want to fit in the nipple recess.

Steve

 

[Franco2shoot]

Not an "E" purchase

Methinks it might be best to wander the various supply shops in my area and pick a capper that I can eyeball prior to purchase. I like the strength issue of the angle iron you are speaking of, and so long as the price is low, purchasing a seperate capper for each pistol is no biggie.

Thanks again for the wonderful up close pictures.

KKKKFL

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

Franco, that looks to be the same capper one can find at Cabela's. http://www.cabelas.com/spodw-1/0006419.shtml

Dixie Gun Works has it in both a matte finish and polished.. Their page specifically says it doesn't work with Remington revolvers. Matte, polished.

 

[oldfogey4ever]

Thanks for posting this info. Duelist 1954 got me started down this road by posting his video clips but he never showed the info you did (least I didn't catch it). Thanks

 

[603doug]

I had to grind the cash capper down for my walker, now it works slick