muzzle caps

[Clint]

Every time you load a rifle you get to see the muzzle cap up close. Here are a few of the skinny ends from my rifle rack, let's see some muzzle caps!





 

[Mike Lyons]

This is the only oddball I have tried.

[steven baker]

Hello Mike, this is my cap on a southern stile iron mount.All much plain ,nothing fancy ,this one as not been fixed on yet as it is still work in progress,  any tips on how to fix it in? Iam looking to use a rivot . I hope everyone enjoys these pics take care Steven.

[Dennis Glazener]

Hello Mike, this is my cap on a southern stile iron mount.All much plain ,nothing fancy ,this one as not been fixed on yet as it is still work in progress,  any tips on how to fix it in? Iam looking to use a rivot . I hope everyone enjoys these pics take care Steven.

Steve,
I usually make a copper rivet out of a piece of 12 guage electrical wire and run it through the bottom of the cap into bottom of barrel channel.  Brad it on the barrel side then use the barrel in place to Brad the cap side. I use a countersink to allow the braded copper to fill the countersunk hole. You could add a little JB Weld for extra strength if not concerned about historical correctness
Dennis

[P.Bigham]

Wife’s ash stocked rifle.

[jerrywh]

[P.W.Berkuta]

Jerry WINS ---- 

[oldtravler61]

  Jerry is extremely talented...but I like them all... Mike you did a fine job...turned out better than mine....Oldtravler

[577SXS]

I really like pewter caps but after seeing Jerry's I think that's the prettiest cap I've seen.

[David Rase]

For those of you who can't decide between poured pewter and sheet metal here is a William Keller inspired sheet steel nosecap with a poured pewter front.  It has a gutter cut into the wood on each side extending under the sheet metal and out through counter sunk holes in the forestock and sheet steel cap to hold it all in place.

[steven baker]

Hello Dennis,thankyou most kindly for your ideas and input, take care Steven.

[Eric Krewson]

I have only done a couple of muzzle caps, I drill and countersink a hole in the barrel channel through the nose cap. I counter sink the outside of the muzzle cap slightly at the hole. I install a screw, cut it flush with the muzzle cap and peen it slightly into the countersink and file it flush.

Not traditional but looks like a rivet from the outside, is a very secure fit and can be easily removed if need be.

[J. Talbert]

Any open ended Lehigh nose caps out there?  Looking for examples and advice.  I’ll be doing one soon.  I’ve seen David Rase’ excellent tutorial of an open ended full wrap Lehigh with a round barrel.

Any examples of open ended octagon treatments?

Thanks,
Jeff

[Mike Lyons]

Jeff,  I’ve made three of them.  You’ll need to decide if you’re going to wrap it all the way around and rivet it in the center of the ramrod channel or wrap it up to the barrel and rivet  it on the sides.  You can make a paper template. You’ll need to relieve the wood for it to fit.  If you do a complete wrap around,  remember to remove a little more wood where it overlaps.  Annealing the brass while your bending it around will help in the process.  I used pretty thin brass each time.  You can use clamps, rod or whatever works to snug it up.  I like bending the brass around  steel rod the size of the RR groove and then clamping the steel rod and brass to the stock.  Then work it around.  Be careful tapping the annealed brass too hard or you’ll make dents that won’t file out.  I’m sure there’s easier ways but that’s how I do it.  I use copper wire as a
rivet.  .

[J. Talbert]

Thanks Mike,
 I've heard this discussed a number of times, never had hands on an original.  Were the octagons wrapped all the way around the entire barrel channel or just tucked in the sides?
Either way, I'm thinking that you'd be best to make metal form for shaping the brass.  I could easily see me breaking the end of the stock trying to wrap the edges around it.

Any other experiences out there?

Thanks Jeff

[TommyG]

Jeff,  This was a fowler I built last year, Moravian probably from CS in Northampton county.  I followed Dave Rase's excellent tutorial.  Only thing I did was not overlap the brass, I used a butt joint inside the barrel channel then copper rivets on the sides.  I used .020 stock, employing the hose clamps and a piece of round stock, go slow and anneal often.  I just started a Lehigh that will get the same treatment with an octagon barrel.  I have been thinking about it a bit, although I'm a ways away from the MC, but I will probably make an octagon slug and employ the same method.

[J. Talbert]

Thanks TommyG for the picture and info.  Nice job by the way.

Jeff

[canadianml1]

One piece silver muzzle cap.

[Clear Spring Armory]

[Clear Spring Armory]

One I'm currently working on. Don't have pictures of any of the others. Funny how muzzlecaps get overlooked, huh?

[Chris in Washington]