I have noticed recently that when I go to buy No.11 percussion caps that all I can find are MAGNUM caps. The last time I purchased them I bought a boat load of CCI caps and never had a problem. I also had some German caps that worked just as good. Well, over time I started to run out of these and when I went to buy more, the only brand I could find at the store was Winchester MAGNUM caps. I have not opened them yet, but it is coming soon. I have read some posts that mentioned different types of caps not working, and wonder if there is a big difference. I can't find regular CCI caps locally, so I am wondering if they even make them anymore because I only find CCI MAGNUM. Is there a big difference between 10 and 11 other than size?
Don't bother with the #10 caps unless you are shooting a revolver or the #11 caps are REALLY loose. They will be such a tight fit that they won't work at all on some nipples and they may take 2 strikes to get them seated enough that they will go off on the tapered type of nipple. Other than size there is no difference that I know of.
The magnum caps aren't necessary with real black powder in most guns but are good insurance when you are hunting. If you use the sub powders the magnums may be helpful to get consistant ignition, but again are not always needed.
As far as I know CCI still makes caps, but not a lot of stores care about us traditional shooters because there aren't enough of us to make them lots and lots of money.
You might try talking to the manager at your favorite sporting goods store and see if they will order some for you, otherwise check prices at Track, Dixie, and a few other online stores and see what it will take to make it practical to buy them that way. It will mean buying at least 10,000 but it might be worth it. I once bought 50,000 resold 20,000 and I still have some, but I will run out in a couple more years.
no.10 cap is a little smaller for some pistol nipples that need them. but I have always used no.11 caps, if I have smaller nipples on the pistol I am using I just pinch them a bit and they work fine. even pinch the 11s helps them stay on the nipple when using a revolver.
Magnum caps became necessary when folks started using Pyrodex. Ignition of substitutes required more fire and they provided that. More types of substitutes in use means more magnum caps sold. They are really not necessary for most caplocks firing black powder unless you have a long right angle stretch between the powder and nipple flashhole as on some old military European carbines and flintlock conversion pistols.
One late thing I've noticed is that the size of caps doesn't seem to be constant. I don't know if they are farming out manufacture or what but several boxes of CCI caps I bought stated that they were all number 11 but some boxes would fit the nipples and others were too small. Maybe they just put them in the wrong boxes. I also noticed a difference between the fit of magnum caps and regular caps bought on the same day at the same time. Smaller ones can just be saved for revolvers etc. (I sharpie mark them with "10") but it is still a mystery how it happens. I occasionally really miss the 70's when we could get caps from tru 10 to 14 easily in the local gun shop.
I do use magnum caps for firing in an indoor range environment. They provide enough power to accurately shoot plastic slugs out of caplock pistols indoors. On the NAA companions they will power .22 caliber pellets with no powder charge for indoor shooting.
Does anyone use the toy caps I have seen some people recommend? Some swear by them and others swear at them. They are cheaper than the regular caps but I hear they are also more corrosive and can be set off using finger pressure when seating them on the nipple. That would be a real safety concern. (susp)
Grafs has regular CCIs at a good price if you buy 5000 or more.Maybe get together with some of your friends and buy a bunch.
Plastic ones did not work for me. We tried several types to test for the loudest and hopefully most likely to work. The cap inside orf all was covered by a fairly thick paper dot which blocked the fire from entering the nipple and actually plugged the nipple after about three tries. Regular caps have thin foil over the primer charge and I've never seen it block anything. These sound the same and might be fine in a play (which is where we saw them being used) but don't work well for firing actual rounds. I was concerned about one going off when putting it on the nipple and the fact that they have to stretch to go on there might make an accidental discharge more likely since you have to press pretty hard to seat them.
So what is "a good price"? I was at my Local Bass pro shop the other day and they had Remington #10 & 11 for 8.00 per 100.... I almost bout a bunch because I do like the Remingtons but I have a few hundred left and don't use cap guns very much since I discovered flint.... :mini-devil-28492:
They are $3.95 /100 around here.
3.95/100 is a really good price.Best deal around here is 4.50/100
Thanks for the input. I think I will hold off for a while
Check out the folks at Powder Valley Inc.
http://www.powdervalleyinc.com/ (http://www.powdervalleyinc.com/)
Not sure what the shipping and hasmat fee would be as the are only about 5 miles from me. They do not always have the Remington is stock, but I have yet to find that they did not have the CCI
Hazmat fee=$27.50
Guess I will have to make a call when I go upo to visit Old Salt and save 50%
Crazy me...I looked at caps the other day and meant to get back to get some...
wind and beer interfered. $38/1000..now I hope I don't run out before I can get back to get some.....Next year...
Doug
ROFL ROFL Wind and beer.......the downfall of many a good intention.