[AZshooter]

Fired my first cap & ball revolver around 1968 & never really paid any attention to the caps. I've still got an open tin of Navy Arms-labeled (RWS). It's marked 95¢, and there are around 100 inside. No size, just the #1075. All I remember is that there were bigger musket caps & smaller pistol caps.

Fast forward to today. Folks complain about the #10 vs #11 caps as either too tight or too loose - I naturally assumed that #11's were larger diameter than # 10's --- until this afternoon.

I just got a set of Ampco nipples that specify they're made for #11 caps. Wasn't sure what size my old 95¢ caps were, so I bought some #11 & #10 caps.

Ends up that both sizes are the same size, only the #10 (4.1mm) are a little longer than the #11 (3.7mm) - in Remington, anyway. The min/max diameter of the taper of a nipple would account for the fit, since the further down on the taper a cap fits, the tighter it would be.

I woulda' thought the 11's would be bigger in diameter. Maybe all this is common knowledge thesedays, but it was a revelation to me.

 

[Clyde]

Fired my first cap & ball revolver around 1968 & never really paid any attention to the caps. I've still got an open tin of Navy Arms-labeled (RWS). It's marked 95¢, and there are around 100 inside. No size, just the #1075. All I remember is that there were bigger musket caps & smaller pistol caps.

Fast forward to today. Folks complain about the #10 vs #11 caps as either too tight or too loose - I naturally assumed that #11's were larger diameter than # 10's --- until this afternoon.

I just got a set of Ampco nipples that specify they're made for #11 caps. Wasn't sure what size my old 95¢ caps were, so I bought some #11 & #10 caps.

Ends up that both sizes are the same size, only the #10 (4.1mm) are a little longer than the #11 (3.7mm) - in Remington, anyway. The min/max diameter of the taper of a nipple would account for the fit, since the further down on the taper a cap fits, the tighter it would be.

I woulda' thought the 11's would be bigger in diameter. Maybe all this is common knowledge thesedays, but it was a revelation to me.

Sort of like the difference between Small Pistol and Small rifle or Large Pistol and Large Rifle primers - the rifle sizes are longer, to fit the deeper primer pockets of most rifle brass.

 

[wbrown]

A .95 cent tin of caps! Boy, those were the days.

 

[Widdy]

@AZshooter

Yep, you are so right. the Reminton #10 are NOT smaller than CCI #11 (actually almost identical). The old Italian (Dixie/RWS) #11 are the smallest cap (really really small both in width and depth), but I'm told they are corrosive compared to other brands). I'm not sure about Dynamit/Nobel but I have some now, so I need to measure and compare.

Measure the overall length but also subract the depth from top edge down to the priming mixture inside. This will give the distance available for to push onto the tapered nipple. The longer ones will push down further where the nipple is wider and therefore fit tighter. I am guessing that is why the Remington #10 fit smaller nipples, because they are longer (taller), not because they are narrower.

I have a tiny set of primative pliers (Dixie Guns) overall length about like a pinkie finger, with teeny jaws, which I use to squeeze any size percussion nipple so it stays put. My Colt .36 police never jams because the hammer notch will not pull off the nipple that is set tight like that. A pair of hemostats would do the same thing.