So I'm aware that the Nipples for #11 caps wear out over time. Or I guess rather than wear out would say it builds up a lip there. I'm also aware some people file it down instead of replacing it, but I wondered how often you had to either do that and or replace it?

I mainly replace them when the flashhole gets too big. It seems like accuracy falls off and blowback increases. This is in my Knight inlines.

I change mine out before hunting season and keep the old ones for backups in my Possibles bag.

Normally the flash hole opens and the accuracy starts to lack. Another sign is when caps used to be tight, they get hard to set. I have taken the lip off a nipple to make the caps load easy. All I can tell you is if you have any doubts, replace it.

Sounds good. I didn't really even know about the Flashhole. I replaced the nipple 2 years ago, and put a heavier spring in the gun to try to fix an issue I was have with the first shot just seating the cap on harder, and it taking a second shot to set it off. The nipple alone didn't fix this, but once I put a heavier spring in it, it stopped doing it and I made it that whole year of hunting and some shooting, and the next hunting season without it ever doing this. This year, I was back to having this issue again, so I decided to just put a new nipple in to make sure it wasn't it. I didn't feel or see a lip, so I thought maybe this stronger spring was getting weak again. Sure enough I've not had a single problem since changing the nipple. So I'm wondering now if I should just change it every year so that I avoid this problem. I wondered if they normally lasted 50 shots, or 1000 shots, just to see how often they should be wearing out, but it sounds like it's something you just have to watch.

I use the Treso nipples. They're pretty tough. I usually change at 500 shots, but they probably didn't need to be changed. I'm just kind of finicky about that stuff.

usually when she starts nagging or getting on my nerves, its time for a new set.

wrong nipples

larger then normal flash hole is larger on inlines or on my sidelocks I start having blow back problems. learned the hard way about costume drill nipples.