# Percussion cap fail....



## gokorn1 (Oct 13, 2009)

So this morning had a buck in my sights (would have been my first whitetail)  Click and no bang. He looked at me and took off. Changed caps and tried firing later on and went off like a charm. 
Has anyone else had this happen to them?


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## oldman 45 (Oct 13, 2009)

Unfortunately I have, but so far only shooting at a target, got no answer, only my caps are remington.


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## HandgunHTR (Oct 13, 2009)

Welcome to muzzleloading.

I have had that happen.  I have also had the cap pop but not ignite the charge.  I have had hang-fires and squibs as well.

The longer you do it the more that Murphy will plauge you.


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## NCHillbilly (Oct 13, 2009)

The only time in many years of black powder shooting and hunting that I have ever had a cap not go off was three years ago when I was drawed down on an eight-point public land buck that was standing broadside at  fifteen yards. I dropped the hammer twice and the cap was a dud. By the time I got it shucked off and a new one on the nipple, he was gone. Remington cap. Every other cap in the box of 100 went off. Go figure.


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## jicard3 (Oct 13, 2009)

Yep, I've had that happen. Like HandgunHTR, I've had the cap pop and not light the powder too. Experience has helped me learn ways to greatly reduce the risks of the pop and no boom happening very often now though. Hate to hear the deer got away. Look at it this way, you'll appreciate him that much more when you get him. Good luck, and hang in there!


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## kingfish (Oct 13, 2009)

Guys,  Remington caps are notorious for not going off.  Myself and all of my hunting buddies have had them not fire off.  I use the CCI caps now for years  and I have not had any problems with them.  Here are a couple of tips for ensuring the cap ignites:  I always put a few grains of powder onto a small screw driver head and then pour them straight into the nipple and then put the cap on.  When I put the cap on, I make it snug and then take my thumb nail and rotate the cap in a circle when it is on the nipple.  If the cap isn't on straight and the hammer or pin hits it at an angle, the cap may not fire.  I am a huge Remington fan but NOT their percussion caps.  Hope this helps.   Kingfish


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## Flintrock (Oct 13, 2009)

yep....try the cci caps.
.
on damp days keep some extras on you in a dry spot and swap them out every now and then.  OR you can get a FLINTLOCK  and you want have to worry about the caps going off again.


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## bearpugh (Oct 13, 2009)

yup, welcome to bp.


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## Darkhorse (Oct 13, 2009)

If you shoot a flintlock you'll never worry about bad caps again.
But if you decide to keep shooting those newfangled cap guns, and if you decide to keep shooting remington, then do this: Look at the inside of a Rem cap and you will see a circular upraised bulge (keep looking till you find one) this indicates there is plenty of prime material in the cap. Use these for hunting. Save the other ones for practice. But still no guarantees but it used to work for me.
Before going strictly flintlock I shot caplocks for over 25 years extensively and I've had all kinds of caps fail to fire. So none of them are immune.
But honestly I much prefer a good, wellmade flintlock.


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## kingfish (Oct 13, 2009)

Props to anyone who shoots a flintlock.  In my opinion, no different than a long bow or recurve shooter.  You've bought into the purest form of traditional muzzleloading.    Nothing but respect for you guys.  That's REAL primitive weapons hunting.  No disrespect to the Thompson/CVA/Traditions etc shooters.      Kingfish


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## quigleysharps4570 (Oct 13, 2009)

Darkhorse said:


> none of them are immune.




Tis true...was loading the revolver the other day and found one that didn't have any guts in it at all (CCI).


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## Bitteroot (Oct 14, 2009)

kingfish said:


> Guys,  Remington caps are notorious for not going off.  Myself and all of my hunting buddies have had them not fire off.  I use the CCI caps now for years  and I have not had any problems with them.  Here are a couple of tips for ensuring the cap ignites:  I always put a few grains of powder onto a small screw driver head and then pour them straight into the nipple and then put the cap on.  When I put the cap on, I make it snug and then take my thumb nail and rotate the cap in a circle when it is on the nipple.  If the cap isn't on straight and the hammer or pin hits it at an angle, the cap may not fire.  I am a huge Remington fan but NOT their percussion caps.  Hope this helps.   Kingfish




Agree 100%... CCI is a much better cap IMO.. and you should check your hammer before you go to the woods to make sure that an OLD fired cap ejected from the Hammer cup. I have had a fired cap cushion the cap as to not let the next one fire. The "every other" thing happened to me too, and when I snapped once it knocked the old cap loose.. and the next one fired.  Also.. on misfires or hang fires.. I noticed years ago that after a "good cleaning" that it happened often. Moisture and deposits left in the flash hole are generally the culprit and not the cap.  Now before I leave the house/camp to hunt... I remove the nipple and swab with a q-tip.. make sure it is clear... charge the rifle and tap the side with my palm to make sure powder trickles into the flash hole... if it doesn't.. I put a few granules in there and replace the nipple.  This really helps make sure that the first shot will ingnite as it should on a clean gun. Just my two cents.


I once loaded my rifle in a hurry at the hotel room in South Ga.. only to realize I didn't have a powder charge in there right about the time I pushed the ball about half way down the barrel.   I took the nipple off and poured the required 80 grains onto a sheet of notebook paper and put the entire amount into the rifle through the nipple/flash hole and seated the ball. Shot perfectly on a fat South Ga doe about an hour later. The things you do when in a hurry!


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## parolebear (Oct 14, 2009)

Happened to me looking at a 6 pointer at 15 yards.  It was my fault, I failed (too sorry) to pop a cap before I went into the woods that morning.  You have to clean the condensation out of the nipple.  I popped three caps, deer left, I unscrewed the nipple poured powder in there, screwed the nipple back on as far as possible and BANG.  It then went bang everytime after that.  As was said welcome to ML and don't take anything for granted.  It was not gun, primer, powder it was operater error.


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## DrifterBob (Oct 14, 2009)

Happened to me last year, pop, no bang. Now after cleaning and running a patch of bore butter down the tube, I  fire a cap to be sure the nipple is not plugged and the lube patch and ball is only lightly lubed, not so heavy to plug the nipple again. It has helped so far with my TC 54 cal Renegade.

Bob


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## Sloppy_Snood (Oct 28, 2009)

Dump Remington and CCI on the #11 primers.

Use the RWS 1075+ #11 percussion caps.  Quite simply....much better and significantly hotter.


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## fishdog (Oct 28, 2009)

All caps will fail. It happens, change brands if you want maybe you will get lucky and it never happen again, I would bet not.


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## tv_racin_fan (Oct 28, 2009)

So far I have had every brand of caps I have tried fail at one time or another except the ones I just got. I know it will happen sooner or later, I will get in a hurry and forget something and have the ole pop and no boom or possibly no pop at all.

I got a Ruger Old Army cap n ball revolver. First trip to the range I forgot to take anything to really mash the cap onto the nipple to make sure they go off. I wasn't really upset since I was at the range I just simply hit em again and they go boom. BUT I let the range master shoot it and he asked about it. I simply told him it was my fault and to simply give em the second chance.

IF you look at the cap you can generally tell if it is going to be a good one. IF you make sure and pop a couple of caps prior to loading or dry the nipple and touch hole area some other way you wont have the issue of oil in the powder causing the pop and no boom. IF you make sure and clean the nipple after popping the caps n make sure the touch hole is clean you wont have cap debris clogging the area. IF you made sure to run a dry patch or two down the bore before popping the caps you will not have the issue of oil in the bore contaminating the powder and causing the pop n no boom issue. There are so many things that can go wrong I do not see how anyone can remember them all every single time and not have something cause the pop n no boom syndrome.


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## fishtail (Oct 28, 2009)

Be sure the cap is fully seated to the nipple.
Have had the same problem with in-lines. 
Come to find out the cap had backed off a little. Re cocking and re firing would make it go off.


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## Thor_Bear (Oct 29, 2009)

Had that happen to me while using CCI caps and Remington caps. I switched out the stock nipple and replaced it with a "Red Hot Nipple". Not sure who makes them but they were the best BP investment I've made as I havent had a "no-fire" since.


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## Sloppy_Snood (Oct 29, 2009)

fishtail said:


> Be sure the cap is fully seated to the nipple.
> Have had the same problem with in-lines.
> Come to find out the cap had backed off a little. Re cocking and re firing would make it go off.



If one merely uses a fine grit sandpaper, most #11 percussion caps nipples' diameters can be reduced to fit a particular #11 percussion cap perfectly.  Sand SLOWLY as you do not need to remove much metal from the nipple.


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## ReelJim (Nov 9, 2009)

I have been in the muzzle loading for some 50 years or so.  You having trouble with caps not firing, to stop all that, I did something you can do.  Change the nipple to a small cal. pistol cap, I have not had a misfire in over 35 odd years.  Rifle is the one that I built some 50 odd years ago, and I still can be found in the woods come hunting season.       BCNU - ReelJim


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## lonewolf5347 (Nov 10, 2009)

RWS 1075+ #11 percussion caps
best cap made to day


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