CCI Musket cap Question

[Steve Weems]

I've got a chance to pick up a quantity of CCI top hat musket caps
but I am worried about the discussions that CCI have down powered
their caps. These caps are in the traditional CCI tins and have the
number 0300 on them. No markings or words such as "reenactor"
are on these tins.

Anyone know if these are full strength? Thanks for any input.

[Maillemaker]

I've used 100 of these and my gun went bang every time. The biggest problem I have found with them is that they tend to rip or otherwise mangle upon firing.

[Jim Mayo]

Are they 6 wing or 4 wing? The 6 wing are hot and loud. They also tend to break and scatter a wing or two. The 4 wings I have heard are not as hot but don't shatter.

[Steve Weems]

Jim--these are 4 wing caps--i was afraid these were low powered for the reenacting crowd--steve

[Jim_Burgess_2078V]

To my great disappointment I learned earlier this year that CCI had discontinued their 5-wing caps and had replaced them with a less potent 4-wing cap for the re-enactor market. The old 5-wing caps worked very reliably in my Shiloh Sharps carbine and based on what I was reading on this BB I did not expect the new CCI caps to be a viable substitute. I expressed my disappointment/dissatisfaction to the CCI representative at the NRA convention in April and learned what had happened. Evidently a re-enactor who was not wearing safety glasses lost his eyesight from a fragmented 5-wing cap and sued CCI. The National Park Service banned the use of the old CCI caps in their living history demonstrations due to the potential for this happening. CCI simply could have switched to a 4-wing design and kept the same amount of primer compound but they decided to reduce the mix as well. The CCI Rep, Brett Olin (brett.olin@atk.com), said he designed the new caps and asked me if I had actually tried them in my Sharps. No, I had not. He claimed they worked in his Sharps. I have since purchased one tin but have yet to try them. I would recommend that if anyone has misfire/hangfire problems with the new CCI 4-wing caps that they contact Mr. Olin and report their findings.
Jim Burgess, 15th Conn. Vol. Inf.

[Maillemaker]

I've burned through nearly 100 of the CCI 4-wing caps. They made my P1853 go bang every time. But unlike the Dynamite Nobel caps, the brass was frequently torn/distorted after firing the CCI caps, wheras DN caps are virtually unscathed.

Steve

[Southron Sr.]

The CCI musket caps I had problems with were clearly marked "Re-enactment Caps." My Sharps carbine went "Bang" only about 1/2 of the time, if that.

Wait until Muzzleloading Deer Season rolls around, and a lot of hunters lose their "Trophy Buck" because their gun only went "Snap" instead of KER-BOOM!!!!

The ladies at CCI that work in the "Complaint Department" are going to be busy this Fall!