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Another Question for Frontiersman


Tequila Shooter

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I'm getting ready for my first match shooting Frontiersman using Remington New Armies.  Question is:  will it be helpful to get a decapper/nipple pick?  If not what do you use?

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I pick the nipples each time I load the cylinder. Only takes a minute, but it saves frustration if you have a blocked nipple.

The T/C inline pick uses a small enough wire, that it will do even Treso nipples.

--Dawg

 

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PLUS ONE too Pale Wolf and Prairie Dawg.

 

I use to skip it.  I learned the hard way.  Since I swear by Slix nipples, I have a paper clip epoxied in a piece of dowel.  

 

I don't understand "decapper???"  If I need to remove Caps, I use a small blade pocket knife.  If it's "live" Cap on a "Loaded" chamber, I fire it.

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7 minutes ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

I don't understand "decapper???"  If I need to remove Caps, I use a small blade pocket knife.  If it's "live" Cap on a "Loaded" chamber, I fire it.

 

This is what I was thinking of 

image.png.2c3f928c56bc278808587f93a2d1043f.png

RMC 3-N-1 Tool

$9.95

A handy tool that can be used as a wedge pin punch or decapper, and has a nipple pick screwed into the handle.

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Use the one Prairie Dawg posted. You can put it on a lanyard and it is easy to hang onto. The one above was designed for single shot  percussion rifles and may not work all that well on a revolver.

 

As a side note you can also use the thin wire to orient caps when you fill your capper.

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If I want to remove a live cap or a spent cap fragment, I use my fingernail or the edge of a spent cartridge case.

 

I did not used to run a pick through the nipple vent but got burned at a match with some bad caps, so now like many others I make sure the vent is open after charging the chambers.

 

I'm cheap, so I made my own picks.  Bend a piece of spring wire and push it into an empty case, then fill the case with epoxy.  0.026" diameter spring wire is the biggest that will go through the vent hole in my Treso nipples.  (The bent wire piece in the photo is larger than that, just for illustration.)

 

 

 

IMG-0680.thumb.jpg.53b5c79a990ad648323d4d5ff718353c.jpg

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YES!

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Tequila, How interesting.  May sound strange, but I've never seen one of those things.  Kinda nifty.  However, I made my own nipple pic(s) two actually, one for my .36 stuff box and one for my .44 stuff box.  Since they were made from "leftovers" I consider them "free" and I always have a small pocket knife in my vest.  Remove spent caps just fine or like J-BAR, a finger nail.  Although a spent cap can and will slice and dice when well stuck.  I never de-cap a loaded chamber.  Ever.  Oh, and I tote around half of a Clothes Pin for recalcitrant wedges.

 

Oh, YES!!  You do need some form of Nipple Pic. (Think I mentioned that, sort of) 

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Thanks all for the answers.  Here's another question:

 

I heard that some shooters only put 5 nipples on each cylinder.  It's supposed to keep you from loading too many, capping the wrong one, and making it easier at the loading table to show that the hammer is on an unloaded chamber.  Is that how everyone does it?  Anything I need to know before?

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I have nipples(slix) on all six chambers. Like many others I mark the unloaded changer nipple with a red sharpie. On the front of the cylinder I have on each side of the chamber not to be unloaded is an engraved or stamped number that relates to a partial of the serial number. That way I know what chamber not to load and make sure a cleaning and reassembly the correct cylinder to frame.

now go fill the sky with smoke and fire. Enjoy

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53 minutes ago, Tequila Shooter said:

Thanks all for the answers.  Here's another question:

 

I heard that some shooters only put 5 nipples on each cylinder.  It's supposed to keep you from loading too many, capping the wrong one, and making it easier at the loading table to show that the hammer is on an unloaded chamber.  Is that how everyone does it?  Anything I need to know before?

I always kept all 6 nipples in. I also loaded all 6 chambers. remember it's not considered loaded until you put a cap on it. so at the loading table it doesnt matter what chambers you cap you're good to go. also if on the line and have a cap malfunction it gives you other chamber to pick from. 

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I use a different nipple for the 6th chamber. For example I use 5 slixx nipples and a generic black or gold one for the 6th chamber. I load off the gun and put a antler tip in the front of that odd nippled chamber while loading. Some folks use a plastic nipple cover on one to easily differentiate the one not to load.

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2 hours ago, Tequila Shooter said:

Thanks all for the answers.  Here's another question:

 

I heard that some shooters only put 5 nipples on each cylinder.  It's supposed to keep you from loading too many, capping the wrong one, and making it easier at the loading table to show that the hammer is on an unloaded chamber.  Is that how everyone does it?  Anything I need to know before?

 

I have always kept all six in place and use a red sharpie to mark the front of the cylinder and the nipple of the chamber I am not loading.  If you ever have a stage that requires a reload then you can load all six but only cap five at the loading table.  Then during the stage you cap the sixth nipple on the clock before firing any of your revolver rounds.  

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Just now, Tequila Shooter said:

Thanks all for the answers.  Here's another question:

 

I heard that some shooters only put 5 nipples on each cylinder.  It's supposed to keep you from loading too many, capping the wrong one, and making it easier at the loading table to show that the hammer is on an unloaded chamber.  Is that how everyone does it?  Anything I need to know before?

 

I have good nipples on all 6 chambers and load all 6 at the start of the match. Then I randomly mark one cylinder with a gold sharpie and do not cap that cylinder. This way if I have an issue all I have to do is cap the marked cylinder and I am good to go. 

 

I did a lot of reading and took a lot of advice from and came to the conclusion that chain fires are not caused by loaded uncapped cylinders.

 

You can see a well thought out and detailed explanation of the cause of chain fires here. Preventing chain firing

 

As for grease I only put grease over the first chamber I am firing.  Best explanation I have seen is to load all 6 chambers and cover the balls with your lube of choice. Now fire them one at a time. After firing each one look and see how much grease is remaining in the unfired cylinders.

Since only greasing one my guns are cleaner and a lot more fun to shoot.

 

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I bought small thread protector from hardware store and cut to length.  Come in bright colors and are easy for me and the LTO to see the empty chamber w/o looking down the barrel.

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I have a nipple in each chamber.  Two bad things can happen if I take one out: I will lose the nipple and I will have a problem on that one stage per year that requires a revolver reload.

 

Every percussion revolver I’ve seen has some kind of markings on the cylinder.  I pick one chamber to leave empty, remember which chamber it is in relation to the cylinder markings, and just load the other 5.

 

If a loading table officer wants to verify that I have only capped 5 nipples, fine. I will show him the uncapped nipple.  If I have goofed and capped the empty chamber I get a miss, no other penalty.  If the uncapped nipple is on a charged chamber (contains powder and projectile) it is by definition “unloaded”, so the only one hurt is me by embarrassment.  If I have my wits about me in this situation I could legally cap the charged chamber and fire it to avoid the miss, but I doubt I could do it in less than 5 seconds.

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I always have six nipples on my revolvers. I use screw protectors in red so it is easy to see the hammer is on an unloaded chamber. I cut them in half and you are ready to go.

5568C780-5787-4DD2-B661-FDF355907D4D.jpeg

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4 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

I have good nipples on all 6 chambers and load all 6 at the start of the match. Then I randomly mark one cylinder with a gold sharpie and do not cap that cylinder. This way if I have an issue all I have to do is cap the marked cylinder and I am good to go. 

 

I did a lot of reading and took a lot of advice from and came to the conclusion that chain fires are not caused by loaded uncapped cylinders.

 

You can see a well thought out and detailed explanation of the cause of chain fires here. Preventing chain firing

 

As for grease I only put grease over the first chamber I am firing.  Best explanation I have seen is to load all 6 chambers and cover the balls with your lube of choice. Now fire them one at a time. After firing each one look and see how much grease is remaining in the unfired cylinders.

Since only greasing one my guns are cleaner and a lot more fun to shoot.

 

 

SD - thanks for the link.  It's one I hadn't seen and it's an interesting read.

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I have an old combo nipple wrench/pick that is useful for removing hard debris.

I load on a cylinder stand.  I buy 12" pipe cleaners at a hobby shop and cut into 1.5" pieces.  These keep nipples much cleaner than a wire-style pick.

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Cut a slice off of the screw protector & slip it over the nipple you don't load.

I don't load the red one -- easy to see

--Dawg

 

IMG_0154.jpg

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Another thing that I carry in my cart and n my cleaning kit is compressed air. I stop at an office supply store and by a can of compressed air used to clean computer keyboards. They come with an extension for the spray and will blow junk out of the cylinder including the nipples with ease. I use it most often if I clean the guns in the field and want to blow off the cleaning liquids.

works for me also if I need to blow out action on rifle etc. FYI

 

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22 minutes ago, Marshal Fire, SASS 10064 said:

Another thing that I carry in my cart and n my cleaning kit is compressed air. I stop at an office supply store and by a can of compressed air used to clean computer keyboards. They come with an extension for the spray and will blow junk out of the cylinder including the nipples with ease. I use it most often if I clean the guns in the field and want to blow off the cleaning liquids.

works for me also if I need to blow out action on rifle etc. FYI

 

 

I use the same thing to ensure the nipples are clear after cleaning.

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Remember to put anti-seize on the threads of the nipples before reinstalling. I use a copped based version I bought at Napa. It is the same stuff I use to lube the collet on my SuperSizer.

 

Don't over torque them either. 1/4 click of your little finger is plenty tight.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Marshal Fire, SASS 10064 said:

Another thing that I carry in my cart and n my cleaning kit is compressed air. I stop at an office supply store and by a can of compressed air used to clean computer keyboards. They come with an extension for the spray and will blow junk out of the cylinder including the nipples with ease. I use it most often if I clean the guns in the field and want to blow off the cleaning liquids.

works for me also if I need to blow out action on rifle etc. FYI

 

 

Never thought of that, it's a great idea.

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PLUS ONE too Prairie Dawg (AGAIN :D)

 

I also use a piece of Thread Protector over the nipple for the chamber I want to leave empty.  I don't shoot with, nor recommend shooting with a charged uncapped chamber.  Flirting with a Chain Fire.

 

PS:  Since I use a Cylinder Loading Stand, I also block the chamber I don't want to load.  When you shot Cap Guns, MURPHY is always looking over your shoulder.

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And don't leave the fired caps on the unload table! They dig a nice scratch into my guns when I lay them down. Makes me say bad things. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

This is my empty case pouch with antler tip that goes in a cartridge loop for hanging on my rig. I drilled out the tip and glued in the pointed end of a small finish nail. The best nipple pick I ever used, very rigid and strong for that occasional stubborn cap, this one is two years old and still sharp enough to pierce your skin. 

15936818983348795692516308366031.jpg

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On 6/17/2020 at 1:09 PM, Turkey Flats Jack said:

I always kept all 6 nipples in. I also loaded all 6 chambers. remember it's not considered loaded until you put a cap on it. so at the loading table it doesnt matter what chambers you cap you're good to go. also if on the line and have a cap malfunction it gives you other chamber to pick from. 

Shot C&B in cowboy action since 1986, this ↑↑↑↑↑ is what I've ALWAYS done!  I can't count the number of times I've had to pull my capper and cap that 6th chamber to get 5 shots off.  And it will for sure save your bacon when you have a 1 shot reload on a stage.

 

Many will say it will eventually give you a cross chamber discharge... but if 34 years of never having it happen, I count my empirical evidence as golden.  Make damned sure you shave a ring of lead from the round balls every time you chamber one.

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@Griff  thanks for the advice.  Yesterday I took my new C&B's to the range to practice not only shooting but loading.  I'm using a wonder wad over the powder, from what I've read, and now saw for myself, the wad pushes any powder from the chamber wall which is supposed to help preventing chain fire.  The 6th chamber loading I knew I'd do if a stage called for a reload, I never really thought about just keeping one loaded "just in case".

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