Maynard help?

[jswift]

Does anybody know the size tap I need to chase and clean out the threads of an original Maynard nipple hole? Happy New Year and thank you for any replies. Jim

[mwmoore10261]

The Maynard nipple is a non standard nipple and I have had no luck finding a tap and die in .260 x 24 which is the original size. I took my Maynard nipple to the local hardware and tried with no success to match it up with a corresponding nut. Noticed it was slightly larger than 1/4 inch. Most musket nipples are 1/4 x 28. The best solution is to buy a few extra nipples. Dixie Gun Works sells them for $5.00 under part number NP0901. Pick one to use as your thread chaser, thoroughly coat the threads with Ballistol or solvent of choice and use it to clean out the threads. I use a 1/4 inch drive socket and allen wrench combination to get torque on the nipple. It is also the best home made nipple wrench setup for removing stubborn nipples on Maynards or muskets. Good luck.
Michael Moore, 10261

[Scott Kurki, 12475]

You could always have someone like Charlie Hahn make you a tap.

[John Bly]

Yes, the Maynard nipple is an odd size. They are about .263" dia with 24 threads/inch of a Whitworth thread form with rounded crest and root and a 55 deg thread angle. Original nipples are available and repros are also. Check with S & S, Lodgewood, Gator Den, Regimental Quartermaster, etc. for nipples. If you just need to clean out crud and rust, you can use a nipple as a tool to do this. Order several. Grind three or four grooves lengthwise on the nipple threads with a dremel tool with a cut-off wheel to look similar to a tap. Use Kroil or PB Blaster as a lubricant and crud cutter and carefully work the nipple into the threads to get the crud out. Go slowly and back the nipple out frequently to clear the debris. When you get the nipple to seat, clean out the hole and intall the nipple you plan to shoot.
If you drilled out an old nipple and need to remove metal remnants, you have a different problem. It is best to drill to the minor diameter and pick the remnants out with a dental type tool. This is slow painstaking work, but it can be done.
I have used a 7mm x 1mm tap with the O.D. ground down to .263" to restore a useful thread. If all else fails, it can be re-tapped for a Smith nipple which is 5/16"-24. I hope some of this helps. John Bly

[jswift]

Thank you to Mr. Bly, Moore and Kurki, for your help and suggestions, they were exactly what I needed to hear. I have tried to remove the remaining remnants of what was left of the original nipple with a dental tool I haven't met with any sucsess, is there anyone, ya'll would recommend, in the N-SSA community that would have the necessary tools and skill to either restore the nipple threads or retapp the current hole to a 5/16x24 Smith nipple? Thank you again for your time and expertise. Jim

[John Bly]

PM sent. John Bly

[RangerFrog]

Unsolicited Endorsement: John Bly did this exact same job for me on my 2nd Model that had been damaged in a fire and by the "help" of an unskilled gunsmith before John got it. The work he did was excellent. I highly recommend you get your Maynard to him ASAP if he is willing to work on it for you.

Regards,
Froggie