Say a person went to France for a holiday and managed to bring back an 1860
Army black powder gun but didn't realise the need for percussion caps.
Would it be possible to make them yourself? What chemical ignites the black
powder to send the lead ball on it's way?

Cheers!

"Penno" yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:g1cp61$ntv$1@grapevine.wam.umd.edu...
# Say a person went to France for a holiday and managed to bring back an
# 1860
# Army black powder gun but didn't realise the need for percussion caps.
# Would it be possible to make them yourself? What chemical ignites the
# black
# powder to send the lead ball on it's way?

The caps are made by RWS and Dynamit-Nobel in Germany. They are common.

Penno wrote:
# Say a person went to France for a holiday and managed to bring back an 1860
# Army black powder gun but didn't realise the need for percussion caps.
# Would it be possible to make them yourself? �What chemical ignites the black
# powder to send the lead ball on it's way?

If you knew the right chemical, where would you get the little metal
caps to put it in?

Forget all that. You can buy percussion caps by the thousands from
places like Dixie Gun Works.

Doug Chandler

VERY easy. I remember some "survivalist" type suggesting an aluminum
soda can for the metal cap, and the caps used in toy cap pistols. For
states with "primitive" weapons seasons, percussion caps are easy to
get.

Penno wrote:
# Say a person went to France for a holiday and managed to bring back an 1860
# Army black powder gun but didn't realise the need for percussion caps.
# Would it be possible to make them yourself? What chemical ignites the black
# powder to send the lead ball on it's way?
#
# Cheers!

It's an old-fashioned pyrotechnics compound called "Armstrong's
Mixture". Even more dangerous to handle (except in extremely small
quantities) than flash powder, so I won't go into any more details. You
need to look for another solution. HTH :-)

Bob

prigator@aol.com (DougC) wrote:

#If you knew the right chemical, where would
# you get the little metal caps to put it in?
#Forget all that. You can buy percussion caps
# by the thousands from places like Dixie Gun
# Works.

Dixie Guns Works sells, or at one time sold a tool to cut and form your
own percussion caps. The metal cups were made from unrolled aluminum
soda or beer cans. I don't remember the chemicals used for ignition, but
I believe they were common items anyone could buy.

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and
degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing is
worth a war, is worse." --- John Stuart Mill:

"DougC" aol.com> wrote in message
news:g1d430$snj$1@grapevine.wam.umd.edu...
# Penno wrote:
# # Say a person went to France for a holiday and managed to bring back an
# 1860
# # Army black powder gun but didn't realise the need for percussion caps.
# # Would it be possible to make them yourself? �What chemical ignites the
# black
# # powder to send the lead ball on it's way?
#
# If you knew the right chemical, where would you get the little metal
# caps to put it in?
#
# Forget all that. You can buy percussion caps by the thousands from
# places like Dixie Gun Works.
#
# Doug Chandler

Someone was making percussion cap kits, I think it was Forster, made them
from aluminum cans and toy caps that you punched out.

"DougC" aol.com> wrote in message
news:g1d430$snj$1@grapevine.wam.umd.edu...
# Penno wrote:
# # Say a person went to France for a holiday and managed to bring back an
# 1860
# # Army black powder gun but didn't realise the need for percussion caps.
# # Would it be possible to make them yourself? �What chemical ignites the
# black
# # powder to send the lead ball on it's way?
#
# If you knew the right chemical, where would you get the little metal
# caps to put it in?
#
# Forget all that. You can buy percussion caps by the thousands from
# places like Dixie Gun Works.

Not in England you can't unless you want to risk 5 years jail time as you
chance going through customs again. I thought there may have been a work
around. :( Lucky bastards being in the USA, buying Glocks and all sorts.

On May 25, 6:28 pm, "Penno" yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
# Say a person went to France for a holiday and managed to bring back an 1860
# Army black powder gun but didn't realise the need for percussion caps.
# Would it be possible to make them yourself? What chemical ignites the black
# powder to send the lead ball on it's way?
#
# Cheers!
#

Do you have access to 'strike anywhere' matches? the white portion at
the tip of these is friction/percussion sensitive. You would have to
manufacture thin metal cups. Others have mentioned the 'Tap-o-cap'
device by Forster. the material from one or two matches should be
enough for one cap. You have to clean with a lot of hot soapy water
because this compound is corrosive. But we are talking about black
powder.
http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-113826.html

CCI makes #11 caps and the larger musket caps, most gun stores carry
them.