Musket caps

[stephen Sparks]

I need some advice concerning musket caps. I'm tired of second hand info, so I came to the professionals at the NSSA. I used to use RWS musket caps on my rifled muskets, and RWS no11 caps on my revolvers. I'm having trouble finding RWS brand. Rumour Control Central has it RWS is out of business. I can find CCI brand, but I've been told CCI musket caps are under powered and will not reliably detonate the main charge in a rifled musket. Is this true? I want to target shoot and hunt w/ my R.muskets. What do you all recommend? I appreciate your replies. Best regards,Stephen

[Chris Sweeney]

RWS Caps seeem to still be available everywhere. I haven't heard of them going under.

It's been my experience that CCI caps tend to be much hotter than RWS, Navy Arms, or Remington caps, not weaker

[Fauch125]

6 wing CCI caps are hotter, no longer produced, , new 4 wing CCI caps much weaker

[ms3635v]

Stephen,

I just returned from the Nationals at Ft. Shenandoah and there were plenty of RWS caps available (both winged and wingless), and none of the sutlers mentioned anything about RWS going out of business. The prices ranged from $68.00 to $70.00 per thousand for the winged caps and $35.00 for the wingless.

Mike Santarelli 3635V
Co. B, 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry
Middle Atlantic Region

[Hambone]

Stephen,

If you will post what area of the country you are in maybe someone can tell you where you can find the caps.

[Lou Lou Lou]

Contact the Back Creek Gun Shop, located just outside the fort

[Bob Matthias]

Do not buy the 4 wing CCI's (for reenacters) Weak and unreliable

[stephen Sparks]

Thanks for all the replies. I knew I could count on the NSSA !I am so glad to hear RWS is not going out of business! I am in Florida, but I will order online, so Back Creek will work just fine! Thank you all very much ! Your servant, S.Sparks

[Rebel Dave]

Sparks
A link to Back Creek gun Shop Is located in the links section of this site.

Rebel Dave

[Southron Sr.]

I am very happy with the RWS Wingless Caps. They are much cheaper than the Winged caps and my musket and carbine can't tell the difference because both of them go "KER - BOOM" every time I pull the trigger.

CCI has voluntarily removed themselves from the musket percussion cap market. The new CCI "Re-enactment Caps" should be avoided like the plague. They even say "Re-enactment Caps" on the label.

[paulmarcone]

Will Back Creek mail the german musket caps? How are they to deal with?

Thanks.

[Muley Gil]

IIRC, percussion caps cannot be mailed.

" How are they to deal with?"

Jackie and his family are great folks. You're only about an hour away from Winchester. It would be worth your time to drive over and stock up. Call first though.



http://blackpowderva.com/

[stephen Sparks]

Southron Sr, You have used the wingless RWS musket caps? I have looked at those but never used them. I had balked ,not b/c I thought they were unreliable, but I thought they may stick to the cone after firing. I was under the impression musket caps were winged to make it easier to handle and to keep them from sticking to the cone. Am I mistaken? If there is no difficulty removing the spent caps, I'll buy some. Is there some new law preventing caps from being shipped by post or UPS/Fedex? Best regards, S.Sparks

[John Holland]

S. Sparks -

http://www.blackpowderva.com/ has contact information for Jackie Venskoske. If you contact him yourself he will answer all your questions regarding shipping of powder, caps, etc.

JDH

[Ken Hansgen, 11094]

I have used the wingless caps and am very happy with them. They seem to be very hot and in fact are easier to get off the nipple than the winged caps (they are expanded by the blast and often come off by themselves when the hammer is cocked.) They are also easier to get on the nipple of a '55 Springfield musket or rifle with its high hump. Only drawback is that they sometimes "nest" inside each other in the pouch, but this is easily dealt with by putting the lower cap on the nipple and throwing the upper cap on the ground (to be recovered later, IF you can find it, or you can put it back in the pouch, if you don't mind the time delay). They are also authentic, as I have seen a bunch of wingless caps in the Old Courthouse Museum in downtown Winchester that was recovered from a Civil War blockade runner. Of course, as you already know, they are also much cheaper than the winged caps.

[paulmarcone]

Blockade Runner will ship the german caps. Will try 200 of them. If I like them, I will make the trip out to Winchester and buy them in bulk.

Also ordered some #11 remington for my cap and ball revolvers from Cabela's -- had to pay haz mat fee.

[Ken Hansgen, 11094]

Let's hope #11s work for you. Most skirmishers seem to use 1075s (that's # 10-3/4). If caps are too large they fall off nipples. Replacement nipples are rather expensive. Best fix is to buy smaller caps to fit. (There are also #10s for very small nipples.)

[mikea]

I have had the same experience as Ken. The wingless musket caps work great and are easier to remove - haven't had one that had to be pried off, something that ocasionally happens with the winged caps. Only drawback to the winglwess caps is that my no longer 25 yr. old fingers take longer to put them on the nipple. I use winged caps for team events and wingless for everything else.

[paulmarcone]

Let's hope #11s work for you. Most skirmishers seem to use 1075s (that's # 10-3/4). If caps are too large they fall off nipples. Replacement nipples are rather expensive. Best fix is to buy smaller caps to fit. (There are also #10s for very small nipples.)

With the exception of my Pietta Remington New Army, I have refitted all of my cap and ball revolvers with Treso nipples. The Remington #11s fit very nicely on these nipples and I have never had any problems with them. And the #11s also fit well on my Remington.

Thanks!

[stephen Sparks]

Well, I feel stupid. I did not know the flangless caps were historically accurate! I just assumed the winged caps were what they used. I love learning new tidbits of info ! I'm going to get the wingless caps !

[Ken Hansgen, 11094]

Steve, Don't know if that's ALL they used, but since they were on a blockade runner, assume they came from Europe, possibly England.