nopple size

[ian45662]

What size should the treads on the nipple of an older zoli made zouave?

[Southron Sr.]

Give Dixie Gun Works a call on their toll free number. They carry replacement nipples for the various re-incarnations of the Zouave and can answer your question.

I would suggest you purchase an Aamco replacement nipple as they last much longer than steel nipples.

"Nopple?" I thought that was what they called the Bouncer in a bar for Trolls!

[Michael Bodner]

Contact Bill Lodgewood. I took my Zoli Zuave to him during Nats and he knew EXACTLY what it took without even looking. Ironically, its the same size of one of the original guns, but I can't recall if its a Springfield or what.

-Mike

[DAVE FRANCE]

It is an 8 mm X 1. (8 millimeters max outside diameter of the thread and 1 millimeter pitch). It is almost the same as the inch thread used on many original muskets and carbines. But, if it was made in Italy and it is not an inch thread. Europe and the rest of the world do not use inch threads.

If you have a nipple that you are replacing, take it to Home Depot, Lowes, or some other place where they sell a lot of screws and they will have a thread identifier, you can screw your nipple into that will identify what thread it is.

David

[Blair]

ian,

5/16 X 24
This is the same thread used in the original American made Military percussion arms.
5/16 X 18 is the closest to the English (Enfield) made arms. It is important to note the Brits used a 55 degree pitch to their thread. Where we use a 60 degree pitch.

[Michael Bodner]

5/16x24 sounds about right. All my Google searches say the same thing. I'm absolutely sure that Bill Lodgewood did not specify a metrix thread. Of course, that doesn't mean that the newer imports aren't using them - Mine Zoli is at least 20 years old.

-Mike

[ian45662]

I took the nipple out of the original 1816 I have and sure enough it fit. 5/16x24 it is. Thanks guys.

[Michael Bodner]

Now, everybody WRITE THAT DOWN so we don't loose it.... :D

[DAVE FRANCE]

Of course Bill knew where the screw was because it was for an Italian made musket rifle. He has probably sold many thousands, and he knows they are Metric M8x1.

I had that inch nipple thread size written down. It is in an article for the Skirmish Line in 2005 that was largely about threads for screws and nipples. In the article I mentioned that the original inch thread size and the Metric size used by European companies are extremely close.

But the question was asked about what size was used in an Italian made rifle. Most Europen countries stopped using inch threads many decades ago. I think England was the last country in Europe to convert to Metric and that was in the sixties or earlier.

I don't understand why anyone would think a rifle made in italy, France, Germany, etc (but not England) in the last 100 years would have a tapped hole for an inch thread. They don't use inch threads in anything.

Both sizes are essentially the same diameter. But, the metric 1 pitch is equivalent to 25.4 threads per inch. If you use a hard nipple that has a 24 threads per inch, you made damage the threads in the bolster a little. That happened to me with the first musket I had (an Italian made Zouave). The hard nipple didn't fit well in the metric threads and I damaged the threads by cross-threading the screw. I think most nipples are soft enough that you can use an inch thread without damaging the threads in the bolster.

But I have owned some Shiloh carbines that could use either size in and I used M8 x 1 nipples that were much cheaper than the ones from Shiloh.

If you want a table that compares inch and metric threads, send me a message and I'll email you one.

David

[Rebel Dave]

8MM is .315in, and 5/16in is .3125in. So an 8MM nipple is .0025 in larger in dia than a 5/16 nipple. 25.4 threads are 1.4 threads more than 24 threads.
If you put an 8MM x1 nipple in a bolster for a 5/16x 24 thread nipple, it usually tightens up before bottoming out, because the diameter is larger, and the threads are closer together.

A 5/16 x24 nipple might screw in an 8MM x 1 thread easier, but it might tighten up, because of the threads being different.

Rebel Dave aka Dave C.

[Blair]

Just a suggestion on my part,
If you feel you need to replace the nipple or any other screw on any firearm you own, be sure to have that arm with you when you go on your search. Especially if you are not sure of the screw dia., thread size and pitch or how to get those "correct" measurements.
This suggestion may help save you a great deal of expence in the long term.

[DAVE FRANCE]

Well said Rebel Dave and Blair,

The small screws that go into the the two small springs in the Henry are metric M3.5 x 0.6 pitch. A friend of mine removed them from his Henry but damaged the screws in the process. Some of the used to be very tight and difficult to remove.

He took the screws to a hardware store and got replacement screws that were inch 6-40. The inch and metric screws are the same diameter, but the metric screw pitch converts to 42.3 threads per inch. He got the inch screws into the springs that were so hard they were not damaged. But the screws could not be removed except by drilling them out by a machinist.

As you mentioned, it was a lot of trouble and expense.

It is easy to remember! If a screw is made outside of the US, it is a Metric screw (unless it is very very old).

Some cowboy action shooters complain the screws that come in the firearms they use are soft. I find that hard to believe, for reasons I won't get into, but it is very easy to damage small screws with the small screwdriver slots they have.

By the way, at the time of the Civil War, there were standards for screws in England, but no real nationwide standards in the US.

David