Percussion cap maker .... my version

[mike116]

All credit goes to CC member Rick Foster (DragoonRick).   I took his idea and research and made my own version of a DIY percussion cap maker.
I made mine from brass in the same manner as Rick but adapted it to a reloading press hoping to produce caps with more speed and less effort.   I think I had a small degree of success.   
It's all pretty much explained by the pictures and captions.

I made two sizes of star mandrills,  one for 1/2 inch disk and one for 7/16 disk and a punch that mounts in a spare crimping die I removed the crimper from.   The punch is mounted to the press with a Lock-n-Load adapter.



I cut off a 45-70 case and soldered the bottom to the star mandrills so it fits in a #8 shell holder.

Punch out disks from aluminum cans or I prefer the new style aluminum beer bottles,  they are made from heavier aluminum.   I annealed the aluminum before punching out the disks.   It is necessary to anneal whatever aluminum stock you use. 
Set a disk in place..


Pull the press handle.  The cap drops out the depriming hole in the press ram.


I made two sizes when I discovered that the bigger 1/2 inch disk made the cap skirt too long to fit on some nipples on smaller guns like the .36 cal Pocket revolvers.


I tested both sizes and had moderate success,  60% with 2 German made roll caps in each cup.   Then tried 3 caps in each one with no improvement.    I'm going to order some of the "Prime-All" compound from 22 ReLoader and see how that works.   I'm not willing to crush match heads and glue stuff in place just to make a few caps.

All in All I'm not sure this DIY cap making is worth it.   I'm embarrassed that I spent the amount of time and effort I have spent on this.   I will never ever make a cap as long as I can buy them.    It's too tedious and boring for me so I am now more willing to pay higher prices for the caps I need.   
I can now rest assured that I can make my own caps if needed but I'm praying that it never comes to that.   Tomorrow I'll be ordering some RWS caps.   Powder Valley still has some in stock.

[mike116]

Want to add....   My hat is off to anyone who is willing to fiddle with making caps and paper cartridges and the like.    I have tried it all and would rather show up at the range with a powder flask, projectiles and ready made caps. 

[Hawg]

 I'd make them out of plastic ring caps before I'd go to the trouble of punching out aluminum ones.

[mike116]

I'd make them out of plastic ring caps before I'd go to the trouble of punching out aluminum ones.

I attempted to get the ring caps to work a year or so ago.  They just didn't set off the powder charge.   1 or two out of ten is all that worked for me.

[Hawg]

I was getting 3-4 out of 6 with Pyrodex. I feel like I could have improved it but I got tired of fooling with them.

[Zulch]

WOW!! Mike, that is an impressive little setup that you made there. It looks like a ready made kit that one could sell/buy if they were so inclined. Great craftsmanship and ingenuity! It does sound tedious and boring, I have to agree with you. Let's hope and pray for better days ahead.

[mike116]

Hawg,  that's exactly my problem.  I'm tired of screwing with them.  Same thing happened to me with paper cartridges.

Zulch,   I have lots of things to work with.   Tools and materials are readily available so it makes it easy for me to try things like this.  DragoonRick figured it out,  I just made a similar set up.   

By the way.... I just ordered 500 RWS 1075 caps from Powder Valley.

[Hawg]

Hawg,  that's exactly my problem.  I'm tired of screwing with them.  Same thing happened to me with paper cartridges.

Yeah, me too. I sold my 63 Sharps because I wasn't using it because I got tired of making cartridges for it and they were easy to make.

[Captainkirk]

I had a similar go with experimenting about a year ago, after Rick's thread. Shortly thereafter I bought 1000 caps from Cabelas.

[Hawg]

I had a similar go with experimenting about a year ago, after Rick's thread. Shortly thereafter I bought 1000 caps from Cabelas.

I've got about that many.

[mike116]

For years I have bought one tin of caps whenever I saw them for sale.    I stopped when I had 40 packages (4000).   I realized I was down to 30 a couple weeks ago.  That's when I decided I had to learn to make my own.     
I may have panicked a little early.

[AntiqueSledMan]

I went through a simular deal with the Mag Spark system.
Purchased them and got my Lyman rifle set up to eccept them.
Never even fired a shot with them.
It's just something to fall back on if I ever find the day when I can't find caps.


AntiqueSledMan.

[DragoonRick]

Mike,  that’s really impressive very well done. It does take a while.😊😊😊😊👌👌👌
   Inspires me to look at a brass “star”.
   Thanks

I d really like these threads to pull more folks into the forum.
Rick

[DragoonRick]

  I’m going to continue to make em. Even if they show up in stores. I guess I’m a contrarian

[mike116]

  I’m going to continue to make em. Even if they show up in stores. I guess I’m a contrarian

I am now prepared for the worst.   I have lots of powder,   I have what is necessary to make powder,  and now I could make caps if I need to.
I have no plans to make either one,  but my back up is in place. 
I received 500 RWS 1075  caps on Wednesday from Powder Valley Inc.  Very Fast shipping by the way.   

Thanks again to Rick for doing the hard work.   I would not have bothered if not for his thread.   I too hope this could bring more interest to this forum.