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Thread: Musket caps

  1. #1
    bobanderson is offline
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    Musket caps

    Has anyone done any comparison testing between RWS, Schuetzen and CCI re-enactor musket caps?

    With the current supply situation, it seems prudent to explore other options.

    It looks like the normal supply has been exhausted.

    I just scored 2 bricks of Spanish caps, at twice the last price, but with 3 shooters, they won't last long.
    Bob Anderson
    Company C, 1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry
    Small Arms Committee

    "I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a hand on.
    I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."
    - John Wayne in "The Shootist", 1976

  2. #2
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    I once made up a dummy 3D printed tube and put increasing layers of tissue paper over the end in my Sharps to see how many layers the RWS vs. Sheutzen would blast through. I was wondering because the Sheutzen caps would blast my fingers and so I assumed they were more powerful. They were about the same.

    I suspect the extra spiciness of the Sheutzen caps is because they are made of steel rather than copper/brass, and so do not deform as nicely onto the nipple.

    Anyway, it doesn't matter anymore since the division of MAXAM that made the caps for Scheutzen has gone out of business. Any old stock will be depleted soon.

    CCI got sued some 10 years ago now I guess due to cap fragments hurting someone. So they weakened their caps. I can tell that they do not reliably set off any muzzleloader that does not have a direct-vent (straight-in) fire channel. They work OK in guns with a direct-vent fire channel. So for me, CCI caps are not suitable for competition use. It might be possible to spice up CCI caps by sprinkling some 4F powder in them and locking it in with some hair spray maybe.

    Be aware that Pedersoli, for some unknown reason, has begun monkeying with their fire channels on new manufacture guns in the last year or two. They are putting a cleanout screw in the Enfield barrels, for example, instead of the direct vent they should have. Then they grind off the screw head and blue it all hoping you won't notice. But now what you have is a right-angle fire channel with no cleanout screw that can be removed for thorough cleaning. They have done this with the Lorenz also (in addition to adding a patent breech that it should not have).
    Steve Sheldon
    Commander
    4th Louisiana Delta Rifles
    NRA Certified Muzzleloading Instructor

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maillemaker View Post
    I once made up a dummy 3D printed tube and put increasing layers of tissue paper over the end in my Sharps to see how many layers the RWS vs. Sheutzen would blast through. I was wondering because the Sheutzen caps would blast my fingers and so I assumed they were more powerful. They were about the same.

    I suspect the extra spiciness of the Sheutzen caps is because they are made of steel rather than copper/brass, and so do not deform as nicely onto the nipple.

    Anyway, it doesn't matter anymore since the division of MAXAM that made the caps for Scheutzen has gone out of business. Any old stock will be depleted soon.

    CCI got sued some 10 years ago now I guess due to cap fragments hurting someone. So they weakened their caps. I can tell that they do not reliably set off any muzzleloader that does not have a direct-vent (straight-in) fire channel. They work OK in guns with a direct-vent fire channel. So for me, CCI caps are not suitable for competition use. It might be possible to spice up CCI caps by sprinkling some 4F powder in them and locking it in with some hair spray maybe.

    Be aware that Pedersoli, for some unknown reason, has begun monkeying with their fire channels on new manufacture guns in the last year or two. They are putting a cleanout screw in the Enfield barrels, for example, instead of the direct vent they should have. Then they grind off the screw head and blue it all hoping you won't notice. But now what you have is a right-angle fire channel with no cleanout screw that can be removed for thorough cleaning. They have done this with the Lorenz also (in addition to adding a patent breech that it should not have).
    Steve,

    I've played around with CCI caps on and off again for a few seasons now, as I was given a few tins from random friends and family that had them laying around. Of course the "multi use" and the holy grail single tin of 6 wingers were fantastic for use, and a multi use tin sits in my shooting box as backup caps incase I forget to fill my primary cap tin. But the "reenactment use only" caps worked fine in my 61 springfield and smith, both with right angle ignition systems. One with goex and one with swiss. No hangfires or failures. Now, I would imagine if conditions weren't perfect they would have issues. IE fouling in flash channel or breech, rain, humidity, etc. But as long as I blew out the flash channel with air every 15-20 rounds it never produced problems for me. Definitely the least stout of any of the caps, that's for sure. I've felt more gusto out of #11's.

    I have also come to the same conclusion on the Schuetzen caps being hotter because of the lack of sealing around the nipple. You can hear it when you snap them, especially on the smoothbores. You hear a big snap and crack with the Spanish caps, but that end of pipe slap note with a small crack with the RWS caps. The RWS are more efficient because of the seal they make around the nipple. If you have an oversized original nipple (or one that has been dry fired a number of times) and really crank on that spanish cap to get it to seat it does the same thing as the RWS caps do normally.
    John Westenberger
    Co. B. 1st PA Cav.

  4. #4
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    Be aware that there may not be any difference between "Multi-Purpose" and "For Reenactment Use" CCI caps.

    Here is what I found when I peeled the label:
    Name:  P1010226.JPG
Views: 158
Size:  658.0 KB

    Name:  P1010227.JPG
Views: 156
Size:  669.0 KB

    Steve
    Steve Sheldon
    Commander
    4th Louisiana Delta Rifles
    NRA Certified Muzzleloading Instructor

  5. #5
    Tim Iannuzzi is offline
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    Re: caps

    It was my understanding from conversations at the Fall Nationals that the latest batches of RWS caps being sold are hotter than previous RWS caps. I haven't tested this, may do so at my local range soon, since I have some from the new batch, last years, and the red label tins from many years ago.
    Last edited by Tim Iannuzzi; 5 Days Ago at 07:08 AM.

  6. #6
    Carolina Reb is offline
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    I have shot the CCI reenactor caps in 61, 63 and 64 Springfields, Enfields, Smiths, Burnsides and Merrills, using 1 1/2F (Swiss), 2F and 3F GOEX, Scheutzen and Swiss. None had problems. Accuracy was the same as RWS. I think they get a bad rap, except maybe in Sharps, which I haven't tried. There are several tins in my backup supply. Unfortunately, last time I bought some they were even more expensive than what Jackie has to charge for RWS caps.

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