Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Making Percussion Caps

Well being how No. 11 caps are nearly non existent and anyone that has some is hanging on to them for dear life - I found this kit from 22lrreloader.com as an alternative. It comes with a die and 4 packages of dry chemicals that you mix together and put in the cap (made from a soda can). A drop of acetone liquifies and binds the priming material to the cap. I have read where some guys use hair spray or a couple drops of Duco Cement in the acetone to help keep the primer in the cap.

Anyway, here's my first attempt. Will try to get out this weekend and see how they work. Took some time, and is a little tedious but beats not shooting. Not exactly cheap. The die is about $50 and the primer compound kit runs another $20. Took about a week to get it from 22lrreloader.com

In the pic - pop can flattened out with the die sitting on top, couple empty caps, packages of chemicals to make primer, dropper for acetone, small primer box to hold caps in and work with, an empty 17HMR box to mix primer in and a dipper with a small pistol primer cap glued to a q-tip. A single batch makes about 20. The primer packets are supposed to make about 2,000.

About the only place I varied from the instructions is that I sanded the inside of the pop can in hopes that etching the coating would help hold the priming compound in the cap. Will see.



There are a bunch of videos on youtube if you want a little better visual.

Waiting for your report. I was all cranked up about that kit until I found a 250 pack of Shuetzen 11s at my LGS. Gives me maybe 400 total for my underhammer. My Renegade and musket can use tophats, and I also have a magspark.

Thanks.

They are not nearly as pretty as 'store bought' but if they work it should keep me in business. I'll keep the few CCI's that I have left for hunting and use these for plinking. That's the plan anyway.

I looked for them about 2 yrs ago and they were nowhere to be found. I still have 700 11's . I am mitigating the primer problems by shooting my bow.

Got out this weekend and gave the home made caps a try. They work, and work quite well. I shot a couple dozen rounds with black and pyrodex. I did have one fail to fire but I believe that was my fault. The cap that did not go was kind of smashed and I stuffed it on the nipple and twisted it a bit to seat it. The twisting removed the priming compound from the cap when I inspected it after it did not go off. After that I was careful to just push them straight down on the nipple and had no issues.

Bottom line, they work and work well. If I had a choice between CCI No. 11 caps and these, well I'd use CCI's. But, being how there are not commercial caps to be found, this works.

If you are the type that ties your own flys or fletch your own arrows, etc. then this is no big deal and kind of adds to shooting muzzleloaders. If your the type that likes everything neat and tidy and pre-made, then this is probably not for you.