Snap Cap "Primers"

[Patrick Butler]

Originally Posted by Rick Losey

i wonder if the original inserts were horn- horn striker blocks were common.

I bet you are right as there was not much plastic about in 1930.

[OH Osthaus]

Originally Posted by Patrick Butler

I bet you are right as there was not much plastic about in 1930.

when I used to do re-enacting - one of the craftsman that made horn products used to call horn the plastic of the 18th century

he made spoons, combs, boxes all out of cow horn by heating it and molding

the British and more so the continental makers used buffalo horn for striker boxes, buttplates, and even trigger guards.

by the 1930, gutta-percha was in use, but i think that would have been to brittle for snap caps,

i do not have any buffalo, but if you want to try your hand at fitting a set in solid black cowhorn, i should be able to find some scraps you can try it with

[Bill Murphy]

Delrin or nylon should work equally well. One may crater more than the other, or maybe neither one will crater. It's been so long since I worked as a machinist, I can't remember the specific properties of each. Google them.