Im considering buying an Austin Halleck mountain rifle (precussion) and would like to know what is the best ignotion system.
I assume it will be set up for musket caps? Can it or should it be modified to take shotgun primers? Shotgun primers being the choice for inlines.
Anyone out there with expereince with these guns?

Austin Halleck is now out of business , did you know that ?

Assuming that the rifle would be set up for musket caps is like assuming that tomorrow, the sun will come up in the west. Not likely.

If someone makes an adapter for a percussion hawken style, I've never seen it and I would never use it - even it was safe.

Shotgun primers are a solution to a problem that has not yet been asked. A standard percussion cap will light up a muzzleloader just fine if it's properly built and operated. Accuracy will almost certainly be much better too.

A&H may have a few of those available on close out - wasn't obvious to me when I looked at their website, but they are good looking rifles.

Brent

Just for the record...
Percussion nipples which take musket caps are quite common and easily available in the U.S. I have one that can be used to replace the factory nipple on my Thompson Center Hawken. Works just fine. Personally, I prefer a hot cap e.g. a Dynamit Nobel.
Your experience may vary...
cheers,
Don

Don,
Where do you get Dynamit Nobel caps? I'm out and would love some more. But have no interests in musket caps at all. #11 percussion caps are just fine.

Brent

The mountain rifle should come from the factory equipped with a standard #11 nipple. Changing over to a musket nipple isn't difficult, but there's not much point. I've achieved unfailing ignition with standard #11's, with accuracy to match. Musket caps produce alot of debris that can hit your face and eyes... Not much fun. Also, 209 primers found their way into muzzleloading because the majority of people couldn't keep a muzzleloader running properly if they had to. Here's a few pointers to help you on your way:

1. Use real blackpowder, not some ridiculous substitute.
2. Swab your bore between each shot with a patch soaked with spit, bore butter, etc... No petroleum based products.
3. Listen for your nipple to "whistle" while swabbing. That will tell you it's clean.
4. If you don't hear it whistle, fire a cap off and that will clear the obstruction.

Brent,
The last Dynamit caps I got were purchased in a small gun shop in S.E. Georgia. They can be hard to find. I like them a lot. Tried the musket caps for one hunting season. Didn't have any problems, but didn't really feel the need either. Just something else to fool with....
Cheers,
Don

Thanks Don.
I got mine in a local shop that is bust. Bought a case of them. But they are long gone. Cool green flash they produced. I don't use musket caps for all the reasons that ManCannon brought up and more.

CCI caps, regular strength have worked well enough, so I'm not really worried. If I need utter dependability, there is always the flinter.

Brent

The last LoudenBangenSchutzenBoomin caps I purchased from Track of the Wolf in Minnesota. Call them. The CCI #11 have always worked for me. I did add an Uncle Mike's Hot Shot stainless nipple for a "safety measure" but I used brass Ampco's for years. That stainless will set off 210 grains of 2ffg in my 14 bore without fail. Get rid of that stupid shotgun primer and top hat abomination.

quote:

I assume it will be set up for musket caps? Can it or should it be modified to take shotgun primers? Shotgun primers being the choice for inlines.

What makes you assume this? By far the majority of caplock SPORTING RIFLES I've seen come with nipples for No. 11 caps. The US ones have 1/4X28 nipples threads, and the Italian ones have some metric thread. You CAN install a 1/4X28 Musket nipple, but a No. 11 Magnum cao like the CCI is just as hot as a musket cap, so why bother?

There is a device called the Mag-Spark nipple, which can be substituted for the reguar nipple on 1/4X28 guns and it uses No. 209 shotgun primers...... Tried it-it works, but a No. 209 primer is not needed for any powder I've used, and certainly not for real black powder.....

http://www.warrencustomoutdoor.com/mag-spark.html

Another thought on that as i have a smystem that was designed for sidelock cap and ball ML,that one could install this unit were the nipple is and it would have a waterproof top that was knurled and unscrew that held small rifle primers for ones ignition instead of caps. One could load it with a cylindrical tube loaded with primers similar to cappers for caps. I used magnum primers,and they worked great and less money than caps. Inlines,put them out of business i was told,but sure love them.I still can convert in minutes if i want to,as i have it back to nipple now,as club shooting rules doesn,t allow any other type of ignition for matches. van

quote:

Originally posted by van:
Another thought on that as i have a smystem that was designed for sidelock cap and ball ML,that one could install this unit were the nipple is and it would have a waterproof top that was knurled and unscrew that held small rifle primers for ones ignition instead of caps. One could load it with a cylindrical tube loaded with primers similar to cappers for caps. I used magnum primers,and they worked great and less money than caps. Inlines,put them out of business i was told,but sure love them.I still can convert in minutes if i want to,as i have it back to nipple now,as club shooting rules doesn,t allow any other type of ignition for matches. van

Yeah! I've got one of those, too. It uses Small Rifle primers. I once was chronographing some Pyrodex loads, using that gadget in place of a regular nipple. Velocities were all over the place-like 120 FPS difference between shots.

So I put a No. 11 cap nipple back on, and was shocked to find that shot-to-shot variation dropped to no more than 10 FPS. But the things do reduce the possibility of water getting into the drum on wet days.

I know of no such rifle-primer nipples still being made or sold, however.....