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Order of operations Cap and Ball


El CupAJoe

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I was wondering about what to do if I have a cap that doesn't go off?  Regardless of how I choose to address the course of fire (cap and fire a different chamber, or take a miss), can a ftf be reholstered as long as the unfired cap is not under the hammer?  I know I'll have to pull the cap off before I can go to the unloading table, but I was wondering what the best course of action is if the revolver is not my last gun on that stage?

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Finish firing the gun until all are shot.  Turn the chamber with your off-hand until you get to the unfired cap & hit it again.  If it still does not go off, ground the gun & yell "broke", or re-cap the chamber & fire it.  If you ground it, point it downrange, at the end of your shooting sequence, ask the TO if you can recap it and fire it off the clock.  Don't re-holster--there is a possibility that it is a hang-fire, and could go off while in your holster--you don't want that

--Dawg

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I wear a neck knife, and carry a capper in my pocket in case I want to re-cap during a course of fire to maintain a clean match

--Dawg

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19 minutes ago, Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329 said:

Finish firing the gun until all are shot.  Turn the chamber with your off-hand until you get to the unfired cap & hit it again.  If it still does not go off, ground the gun & yell "broke", or re-cap the chamber & fire it.  If you ground it, point it downrange, at the end of your shooting sequence, ask the TO if you can recap it and fire it off the clock.  Don't re-holster--there is a possibility that it is a hang-fire, and could go off while in your holster--you don't want that

--Dawg

 

^^THIS^^

 

Know of atleast one shooter that had a hang fire that went off about 30 seconds after the cap fired. Pistol was in his holster so the ball went through his foot.

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1 hour ago, Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329 said:

I wear a neck knife, and carry a capper in my pocket in case I want to re-cap during a course of fire to maintain a clean match

--Dawg

Is it 2 inches long or 10 inches long??? Info we need to know....

 

Texas Lizard

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4 hours ago, El CupAJoe said:

I know I'll have to pull the cap off before I can go to the unloading table, but I was wondering what the best course of action is if the revolver is not my last gun on that stage?

 

Caps have to come off at the unload table before you leave it NOT before you go to the unload table.

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:o  You have ALL missed the very FIRST step in the process.  The very FIRST step is to very LOUDLY yell "Aw KRAP."  Very important.  Since you're shooting Gunfighter, you don't have a "off" hand with which to turn the zillender.  So you have to continue to cycle the gun back to the offending chamber, being careful not to drop the hammer on a helpless bare nipple (or two).

 

If there is a FTF on the second time around, REPEAT the very FIRST step from above, only add "DAMMIT IT'S BROKE."  As we don't have that handy "off" hand until we shoot the other gun dry, you're just kinda screwed.  Your clean match has just gone "Tango Uniform"

 

You can now determine if you have committed the dreaded "DRY BALL" (Very Embarrassing) or if you have simply capped your deliberately empty chamber (Also VERY Embarrassing).  Of course, you couldn't have forgotten to "pic" the nipple so your flambe went nowhere . . . . right??

 

Then there is the occurrence where in a moment of distraction (did she have Red Hair??) you failed to load ANY chambers . . . . . . I, of course would have no knowledge of that particular occurrence  :)

 

If you have not yet experienced these occurrences, trust me, you're going to.  :P

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  • 2 weeks later...

All the above.  I carry a screw knife instead of a neck knife but it's the same purpose.  And to remove a cap from the slot under the hammer.  With a cap FTF I always try the next shot, then look under the hammer if the next one fails too.  If you are positive that the cap did not fire then there is no chance of a hangfire.  Caps do not have a delayed fire, powder does.  I would agree that any FTF is better grounded than holstered.  It takes a measure of experience to be sure of a cap FTF or cap-only fire.  Any doubt, ground it.  

And you will want to fire it somehow before going to the unloading table, you need that chamber empty before charging for the next stage.  That's when a dryball gets embarrassing.    For that I keep a wire in my cart to push through the nipple to feel for powder.

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