Texasimport

At long last I found a few minutes to take my 14 year old out and see about shooting a pair of Lyman rifles we bought for this fall.

I build a Kit .54 GP 1/60" and the boy got a .50 GPH 1/32". We did tear down his and properly finish the stock and so they both look pretty good.

I am using 777 FFG, 75gr, shooting balls from the .54 and we where shooting conicals from the .50. This was something to get the boy and I familiar with our new found goodies. The conicals seemed awful loose, so I think I will be trying others next trip out.

I found that we have an no fire rate of almost 10% when using CCI #11 P-caps. Is this normal. . . .I pull the hammer back and they all worked on the second try. . . .

Pretty pleased with both guns and their capabilities but am wondering if I should be doing something different with the P-caps? It will be a bad day if I get a nice Bull elk in my sughts this fall and have him walk away when I just get nice click and no smoke.

metaldonnieg

I was having a problem with my caps not seating down far enough on the nipple for them to pop on the first hammer strike but thanks to some suggestions from here I filed the nipple ever so slightly with the finest file i could get hands on and it works perfectly now. Some guys also suggested just getting another nipple, which I had a spare to try but I thought I'd give the filing a shot first.

That might not be your problem, but I figure it's worth a mention.

cayugad

Lyman factory nipples are the suspected culprit there. I have read a lot of posts of people with Lyman percussion rifles having caps give them ignition problems. Get yourself and your son, stainless steel hot shot nipples.

http://www.rmcsports.com/rmcsports_cfmfiles/find.cfm item # ML092

Another trick is to put the nipple in a drill, and with some emory paper, spin them and thin the nose down a little. What I am guessing is happening is the first hammer fall is setting the cap and the second is firing it off in some cases. This will really become more pronounced as the fowling gets worse.

Texasimport

Cayugad. . . I knew you would have some words of wisdom. . .many thanks. . .I will get a few of the hot shots ordered and get back out soon and start working up hotter loads and start moving the target a bit further down range. . . .

Both you and the metal guy talk about a little nipple tweeking, sounds kind of fun. . . . What is the shape or end result I might be looking for. a very narrow or almost pointed top or a flat but slightly rough top end?

cayugad

The idea is to thin the nipple is all. That way the cap will seat further down the nipple and make better igniton.

DavidVanVorous

Id heartily agree with the other posters about the nipple being a possible problem...
Iffen the cap doesnt seat all the way down on the tip of the nipple its a crap shoot iffen *any* cap will ignite at hammer fall. Another possibility is that the hammer spring might be weak or the lock a tad tight at the hammer...

Before I got into the lock I'd be inclined to try sanding the Od of the existing nipple , another nipple or even other cap brands as not all #11 caps fit the same...

Im personally kinda partial to the CCI #11 mags and either an Ampco or a Hot shot nipple on all my hardware.

Keep yer powder dry,
D.