So, I just acquired 4 cans of French (?) Alcan musket caps. Three of them are still sealed and one is opened but unused. It is a total of 400 caps! The state on the label they are waterproof. The cans look like they are from the 1960s-1970s. Any senior shoots familiar with these caps? Would they still be viable for shooting? Anyone know ANYTHING about them? I couldn?t turn them down, I got all four cans for $20!
In my 50++ yrs of skirmishing French caps were very corrosive and required detailed cleaning to prevent rust and as we all know rust never sleeps!
Should there be a committee of the NSSA who has contacts with firearm companies, black powder manufacturing, and cap production who encourages these companies to continue making these items at a reasonable cost to insure that the NSSA will go on for the next 75years. Reading between the lines of many posts here that there are certain people and groups. Nothing says power and effort like a group dictated to success of the organization. In Washington, DC they are called lobbyists.
I would help, but I am three days older than dirt and on my way out of the NSSA.
Harry in Pa.
Forney's
03626v (joined the NSSA in 1979.)
Harry, valid points. It is pretty bad that I took a gamble on 4 cans of 50+ year old caps and I felt like I won the lottery when I tried them and they actually work! Yea!! I got 400 caps for $20. Sad, I had to spend so much time to look for something that seems as rare as hens teeth, even in a sporting goods store?..
Alcans were popular around 60 years ago. I used many of them. Good cleaning practices will take care of the corrosion issue. They?re OK to use.
Last edited by John Robey; 10-20-2024 at 04:07 PM.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks