The other day i pulled out the percussion for the first time in about 5 years, when i try to put on a no. 11 cap they wont seat fully, these are the same cap-nipple combination i used to use all the time. i have tried a new nipple, and a different tin of caps, no im not using a musket cap nipple and everything is squeeky clean. i even took the old nipple to the shop and polished it up but still the same.What happened with age? i will try some winchester caps as these were CCI but ive never had a problem with them before. ????? Thanks

Strange.

I have dry fired on a nipple and opened it up enough as to not accept caps.

Perhaps temp changes have had some impact?

Don't do like I did once.. purchased some #10 caps at the store instead of #11. Same tin, same color, just a different number. Don't stores know that old men don't always carry their reading glasses? Good thing I have a black powder revolver that uses them caps. Then the other day I was looking through my pile of supplies and found six tins of Musket caps. I have two rifles that shot them. But the price tag on them... $3.99 a tin. They had to be old!!!

You have a strange problem that I have no answer for. A combination of cap and nipple that worked before should always work. You even tried a different brand of caps and a new nipple. Something should have worked.

One question. Did you try a new nipple that was the same brand as what you had with the same caps you used to use with it?

I have had the same problem the last 2 years. I bought 1000 cans of #11 caps and 2 of the 10 cans were very tight and didn't fit on the nipple. Some caps didn't fire because of the tight fit and the ones that did fire I had one heck of a time getting the spent cap off. To me, it's a Quality control problem. I have less problems with my Flintlocks.

CCI makes Winchester Caps. I once purchased the Winchester caps and they had a CCI label. But they were on special. So I purchased them all.

once in a while i'll get some tight caps but i always push or seat the cap against the nipple with my thumb and iv'e only had maybe two or three caps out of thousands where i had to strike it twice. so try that if you already don't.

Hey guys, thanks for the replys. I just bought some winchester caps and same deal, they just dont fit. only thing i can figure is they always fit that way and when they were a little fresher they went boom. strange though the second tin of cci's is much newer. Anyhow with those 10 of 12 needed to be hit twice to go off. i think what i will do is shave a little off the nipple a little at a time until i have a snug fit but they all fire. To answer some questions though both nipples were the same brand as before and everything checks out they are for no.11 caps and the caps are no.11's as well. absolutely baffling how they used to be so reliable now problems. one last question how far is too far to seat a nipple anyway should i polish enough off so the charge in the cap is on the nipple face??? ....Thanks Fellas

Geez, I usually have the opposite problem with caps too loose and have to hit the nipple with a file to put a little burr on it.
Maybe its just that you're not pushing them on hard enough?!
You have a strange problem from the description.

I have a buddy with a nipple that came with his TC plunger gun (can't remember what model), that does the same thing. In fact his are so tight, he puts a cap on... then fires the hammer once to seat it down onto the nipple, then he's ready to shoot. The next time he drops the hammer, it will go off. Stupidest thing I've ever seen. LOL. I don't know if his is flared out some or what, but he's too cheap to spend $10 to buy a new one...so it makes for good fun for me to rib him about it every ML season.


I have factory knight red hot nipples in all my #11 guns, and I use RWS usually, and sometimes CCI/Winchester. Obviously the RWS are a tad snugger, but they both work perfectly.

The only solution I can suggest is to file down the nipple a smidge so your cap fits...or better yet, get a red hot.