4 wing caps for 1853 Enfield

[jekct1212]

Hey are there and good ones for both shooting and reenacting? And are the CCI reenactor caps any good?

 

[chellers]

Welcome from East Texas.
And Happy New Year!
I'll move your thread to the appropriate forum.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Welcome to the forums.

 

[frontrank2]

I don't think you will find that the CCI #10 or 11 will fit a muskets nipple. I've used the RWS four wing musket caps for 25 years. They are good for shooting and reenacting.

 

[frontrank2]

I just looked it up that CCI also makes the four wing musket caps too. They would be OK for reenacting, unsure about anything else.

 

[Craig L Barry]

A tale of two sides. About ten years ago CCI got a bad rap because their six-sided caps represented a fragmentation hazard for file partners firing in close formation. Civil War reenactment events subsequently banned their use for safety reasons. Some years later CCI made a four sided musket cap, in copper instead of brass which is the material they were made from in the 1860s. These were made specifically for Civil War muskets. For whatever reason, although the CCI copper musket caps were a fine product they never really took off with reenactors. Probably because of the problems with the earlier six-sided caps not being permitted at Civil War reenactments, which is where they were most often used. Who knows? All I can say is there were/are no known issues with the copper 4-wing CCI caps.

The RWS are probably the most popular and have always been reliable percussion caps. A new brand is being offered by the German gunpowder firm Schuetzen. I picked up 1000 of them to try out and they are (like all Schuetzen products) excellent as well. They remind me (except for packaging) of the old Navy Arms caps that came in the 250 count tins with the yellow priming charge, except these are orange. They all cost about the same except CCI is about ten dollars less per thousand.

 

[frontrank2]

A tale of two sides. About ten years ago CCI got a bad rap because their six-sided caps represented a fragmentation hazard for file partners firing in close formation. Civil War reenactment events subsequently banned their use for safety reasons. Some years later CCI made a four sided musket cap, in copper instead of brass which is the material they were made from in the 1860s. These were made specifically for Civil War muskets. For whatever reason, although the CCI copper musket caps were a fine product they never really took off with reenactors. Probably because of the problems with the earlier six-sided caps not being permitted at Civil War reenactments, which is where they were most often used. Who knows? All I can say is there were/are no known issues with the copper 4-wing CCI caps.

The RWS are probably the most popular and have always been reliable percussion caps. A new brand is being offered by the German gunpowder firm Schuetzen. I picked up 1000 of them to try out and they are (like all Schuetzen products) excellent as well. They remind me (except for packaging) of the old Navy Arms caps that came in the 250 count tins with the yellow priming charge, except these are orange. They all cost about the same except CCI is about ten dollars less per thousand.

Speaking of fragmentation, I experienced a little of that from the Navy Arms caps.

 

[Poor Private]

Some people haven't bought CCI musket caps in a while. They are now totally acceptable for firing. I have used them for the last couple of years. I use them in both my muskets(all types), and in my slap hammer swivel cannon. I have never had a missfire, due to the caps. I live fire as well as blank firing.
Up here in Michigan there is no shortage of musket caps of any manufacture. Some people claim they can't find musket caps. I can go to Cabelas' in Grand Rapids and buy them, also at any of my local larger gun shops, in both Kalamazoo, and Hastings. Cost runs around 9-10 bucks a tin of 100. I still have a couple of old Navy Arms sealed tins that hold 250 caps.
In effect don't take what some people say as gospel, check out for yourself, and test,( myself included).

 

[Jobe Holiday]

I have seen the RWS caps for $70 per 1,000 and the new Schutzen for $60 per 1,000. The new Schutzen caps are made in Spain and are stamped from brass plated steel. They seem to be as hot as the RWS because my friends who use them with their Sharps Carbines are having no ignition problems.
J.

 

[Craig L Barry]

I am a real fan of Schuetzen black powder. The battlefield park uses GOEX exclusively (all the parks in this area do) for historic weapons demos but for my dime, Schuetzen burns cleaner and seems to leave less fouling. Their percussion caps are "so far so good." Brass coated steel explains why they don't pinch so easily...

 

[jekct1212]

That's good to know that they work for both, I ordered some CCI 4- wing today and will post my findings.

 

[Jobe Holiday]

One of the advantages of the new steel caps is that if you happen to dump a handful on the ground.....all you will need is a magnet to recover them! OK, now I need to add a magnet to my shooting box!
J.

 

[IrishReb1863]

I had some fragmentation issues with the six wing caps when I couldn't get four wing caps. I had a piece of the cap go into the hole on the nipple. It was wedged in there and couldn't be gotten out in the field. Don't know how, ballistically it could get fragmented at that angle. Luckily, I had a spare nipple.

The CCI "Reenactor" caps have been good. I haven't had any negative issues with them (firing live or blanks). I prefer the RWS or "German Caps" as I have heard them called. They seem to be stronger that any I've used.

 

[frankconrad]

Question Do modern caps survive a week submerged in water like the original?

 

[TheSlavicNutmegger]

I had some fragmentation issues with the six wing caps when I couldn't get four wing caps. I had a piece of the cap go into the hole on the nipple. It was wedged in there and couldn't be gotten out in the field. Don't know how, ballistically it could get fragmented at that angle. Luckily, I had a spare nipple.

The CCI "Reenactor" caps have been good. I haven't had any negative issues with them (firing live or blanks). I prefer the RWS or "German Caps" as I have heard them called. They seem to be stronger that any I've used.

I had some old cci six wings in a arsenal pack I got from a friend. One blew up in my face when I put it on the nipple, and another blew out my eardrum then another wing flew right by my eye, my good eye that is. My father just got some,of the four wing cci caps, hopefully I won't die at Brookesville this year. If So, well darn.

German caps I love though, of course anything German, but the caps I definetly recommend.