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pin hole

twin60stwin60s Member Posts: 156 ✭✭✭
edited March 2008 in Black Powder and Cowboy Action Shooting
can you drill out the pin hole in a nipple a little bit or does it have to be pin hole size? i am having to clean it quite a bit while shooting or change it to a clean one.
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    hillbillehillbille Member Posts: 14,183 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    you can if you don't mind flashback in your face or worse yet the cap flying back in your face or eye. had a cousin that did it barely reamed out the hole, percussion cap hit him just above the eye left a pretty good *, if it had hit him in eye probubly would have put out his eye. if your having trouble go to a musket cap for more fire, if misfires are your trouble, imho wouldn't drill out the nipple for safeties sake.
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    allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,242 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have drilled one out and it worked better.
    You can find nipples that are supposed to give more sure fire. Mike's used to make them.
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    twin60stwin60s Member Posts: 156 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Originally posted by hillbille
    you can if you don't mind flashback in your face or worse yet the cap flying back in your face or eye. had a cousin that did it barely reamed out the hole, percussion cap hit him just above the eye left a pretty good *, if it had hit him in eye probubly would have put out his eye. if your having trouble go to a musket cap for more fire, if misfires are your trouble, imho wouldn't drill out the nipple for safeties sake.
    thanks
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    glabrayglabray Member Posts: 679 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    A number of us have found that if the standard nipple hole is opened up just a few thousandths of an inch the ignition of black powder is vastly improved which in turn vastly improves accuracy.
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    hillbillehillbille Member Posts: 14,183 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    guys I'm not saying its not possible just that the average person takes the nipple put it in vise on workbench, then finds a drill bit that wont go in and it looks, and or feels like it is only slightly larger,this type of guessing could be harmful, if you have mikes and take time to mike drill bit and hole ect. should be fine, around here the nipples are only about $5. I would go with hotshot nipple or as said before get musket nipple , new caps the musket caps are hotter and easier to get off with the large lip that is on them.
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    Wolf.Wolf. Member Posts: 2,223 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    --
    hillbille point is well-taken.

    What he's suggesting is that most don't have the correct tools, experience or understanding to ream the nipple orifice to a correct, safe, specifically larger size. This is where the number and letter drills come in. And, when you are working with guns, you better have a premium, industrial set of these drills, not the $19.99 set from China. They are not cheap and should be handled and used with care to preserve them.

    But, what exactly is the correct, safe larger size nipple orifice that will deliver maximum efficiency and still be safe? (Watch out! You'll put your eye out!! [:D])

    It's not rocket science, but if you have the knowledge, understanding and experience, or if you simply understand that you don't (twin60s obviously does realize this), then you can ask for advice or research the data you need intelligently. Having done all that, you're ready to incrementally ramp up the nipple orifice diameter so you know what the hell you're doing and not just serenely forge ahead by grabbing the first "no-go" drill bit in the box.
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