It's pretty dead in here...Maybe it's time for some zombies.

[Coffinmaker]

  Oh for Pete's Sake 

What a revelation to hear I ain't the only one.  I absolutely hate it when I lose an argument wid myself.  So dam'd demeaning.  And:

YES!!  I do shoot Pietta's.  When I had my Shingle out, I just plain began to really dislike Uberti Cap Guns.  I wasn't much happier with Uberti Open Tops but "that" is another thread entirely.  Anyway, I found Uberti to be a complete PITA to set up to run well for CAS.  Don't get me wrong, Pietta were/are not dead simple, but I like 'em better.

Everything I did was for maximum reliability.  As a self proclaimed, dedicated, determined and card carrying GAMER, my guns just had to be reliable.  There is a laundry list of changes I made/make, which include the switch to Slix nipples and lighter springs (speed dontcha know).  In the long run, matters not whatcha do, there is going to be the occasional train wreck with Cap Guns.  Nature of the beaste.  After all, nothing is perfect and MURPHY is always lurking just around the corner.

If not including a mechanical method to prevent caps/frags in the hammer channel, welding cup the face of the hammer is a necessity, then polish it like a mirror.  Not perfect, but better than nothing at all.

I would like to include, what we forget in today's world, when Cap Guns were KING, the caps in use were quite different.  More robust.  REQUIRING heavy Main Springs just for ignition.  Many folks seek to be able to run an entire match without a bit of attention to their horse pistols.  We must remember, a RELOAD in the age of Percussion was sure death.  The accepted percussion "reload" was to grab another fully charged gun.  Ergo, shooting with an "off the gun" reloading stand is perfectly acceptable.  Wiping the Cylinder Face, Barrel Breach and Arbor between stages insures a gun running just a smooth at the 10th stage as at the first.  Along with that I have also become a proponent of tight Barrel to Cylinder gaps (nother thread??)