New Cap-Making Dies

ofitg

This week I got a new cap-maker die in the mail. Brushhippie posted a video of the die on Youtube so I had to check it out -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91nRXFEXaEg&feature=share&list=UU4keAx4qZJL907szrou{burp}A

It was obviously patterned after the Forster Tap-O-Cap die, but there are some distinct differences. Here's a photo of the new cap-maker on the left, and the original Forster Tap-O-Cap on the right -



The new cap-maker has a shorter body made from aircraft-grade aluminum, while the original Tap-O-Cap had an all-steel body. Both machines have a steel rod anchored down in the base of the body (not visible in the photo).

The new cap-maker has a piston/plunger with 8 teeth on the end, made from non-magnetic stainless steel. The original Tap-O-Cap's plunger was a bit longer, and had 12 teeth on the end.

Both machines work the same way. First you insert thin sheet aluminum into the slot on the side of the body, and then you drive the plunger down into the body. The plunger cuts a disc from the sheet aluminum and folds it into a little percussion cap hull.

Here's a photo of the new cap-maker's hulls on the left, and the original Tap-O-Cap's hulls on the right (I used the soft sheet aluminum from disposable pie pans). The new cap-maker's hulls are almost identical to the old Tap-O-Cap hulls. They are the same length, and they fit well on the nipples of my Uberti and Pietta revolvers.

andrewsw16

I bought that original Tap-O-Cap several years ago and it worked (still works) fine turning out the cap body. The problem I found was in never being able to find any reliable toy capgun caps that would flash well enough to ignite the BP. Has anyone got a solution to THAT problem?
I'd love to be able to make reliable caps on my own.

MIKE WISKEY

guys, I realy hate to tell you this........but they have been making 'ready made' caps for some time

I mean , come on now thats like reloading .22 rimfire ammo........altho in todays world that might not be a bad idea

andrewsw16

They also make factory cartridge ammo, but I still like to load my own. [:D] [:D] These are an attempt to let you KEEP shooting in case "THEY" ever ban primers and other premade ammo. You can make your own BP with pretty common chemicals but you would have to rely on flintlock for ignition. When you make your own caps, you expand your options. [:D] Using the toy caps they had in our stores, I had only about a 10% ignition rate. Most just went click.
Just wondered if anyone found a brand or source that actually had a high reliability rate. Anyone?

flyingcollie

I dunno. They made caps, sure, but in the recent "panic", where you can't hardly get .22 ammo, I reckon caps are 'way down on the list of ammo makers' priorities. I haven't been able to buy caps for nearly a year now.

As for those dies, the product looks awful crude, and reports of non-performance of toy caps for ignition don't sound awful promising. I'd make my own caps in a heartbeat if I could be sure they'd work.

ofitg

The best paper caps on the market nowadays seem to be the German-made "Legends of Wild West" caps, but they're still under-powered compared to what we kids were playing with 50 years ago.
Most people making their own caps load a small pinch of fine blackpowder dust into the empty hull, and seat a single paper cap center on top of the powder.

A few adventurous folks brew up their own primer compound.

Junkballer

Interesting concept...self made caps, what about those little poppers kids throw on the sidewalk that goes pop instead of caps ?

v35

As kids we rolled "strike anywhere" matches between our leather soles and sidewalk to pop the ends off.
Taking two bolts and one nut we put one or two match heads in and GENTLY snugged up the bolts.
On landing they exploded pretty good, separating the hardware.
While this sounds dangerous, I don't remember anyone getting hurt.
My father did the same in early 1900s using hollow keys,match heads, string and a nail against a wall.

v35

Further to powders; I've successfully reduced black powder granulations to flour size between wood, not metal, plastic or ceramic and in small quantities of 5-10 grains, away from anything that might go off if the sample goes off. Wear goggles anyway.
In my experience with a Tanner flintlock, flour consistency BP in pan and touchhole cut ignition time in half.
In my young years, either KCLO3 or KCLO3 plus S (I forget) crackled then detonated in a porcelain mortar and pestle while in my hands.
The KCLo3 was in sugar size granules. I wanted to reduce it to powder. The finer it is, the more sensitive to ignition.
Be careful.

ofitg

The U.S. military used KClO3 and sulfur (along with antimony sulfide) in small arms primers 100 years ago.

http://www.northwestfirearms.com/threads/priming-mixtures.58110/

lzee7014

The cap shortage is over [at least in las vegas].
sportsmans warehouse has a wall full.
time to hoard is now.