muzzle loader percussion caps not firing

Yes I know it isn't exactly tractor related, thank you! My son wants to use my CVA .50 traditional rifle for deer. I used to hunt with it but sometimes the caps wouldn't go off the first time. So to fix the problem I bought a CVA Optima inline. We bought a can of CCI caps and often you have to cock it and try the 2nd time and then it will usually go off. The hammer seems to hit the cap pretty hard. I am wondering if a new nipple would help? I have tried other caps and it didn't seem to help much.

I believe I'd try a new nipple and magnum caps. Shoot just the caps a few times to make sure it's working.

switch to a musket cap and nipple, or a 209 kit.

For a starter, the Optima is a 209 primer. Are you talking about the #11 caps on the inline? If it is having trouble, try a new nipple. And make sure the caps are good with a few dry fires. If they are popping, check to make sure you have a clear fire channel to the powder.

Doug,
Is this an old side hammer black powder rifle? I had the same issue with my CVA years ago. Those caps can really be fussy. Any litle moisture on them and they are shot. Sometimes the nipples plug easily too. If you have a nipple wrench handy, take the nipple out and look into it. I also drilled out the nipples a hair larger to prevent that from happening. I believe you can buy new nipples that you can use the larger shotgun shell firing caps too. I used the shotgun shell caps in may later years muzzle load hunting with better luck. Hope all this makes some sense to you. Best of luck.
Kow Farmer (Kurt)

Which one don't go off? Neither? Far as the sidelock, I agree with the guys about a new nipple, especially if it was dry fired alot. The nipples are a much softer steel than the hammer, and they start to mushroom? crown? round off? no longer a nice flat surface to squish the compound inside the cap.
I heard good things about the re enactor's musket sets too, as long as the nipple's threads are the same as your rifle. Old CVA's aren't known as a 'platform' for improvements.
A new inline and new caps shouldn't have any issues at all. Where and how are you storing the caps?
The last time I mentioned something along this line I got severly chastized....

yes it is a traditional style side hammer, I bought it used 12 years ago so I don't now the previous history, the caps were bought new last night, as i said the cap usually goes off the 2nd time, I have had a hang fire or miss fire once in a while but if I tip it on the side to get some powder into the bolster it usually fires if the cap goes off

(quoted from post at 19:10:37 11/25/12) Yes I know it isn't exactly tractor related, thank you! My son wants to use my CVA .50 traditional rifle for deer. I used to hunt with it but sometimes the caps wouldn't go off the first time. So to fix the problem I bought a CVA Optima inline. We bought a can of CCI caps and often you have to cock it and try the 2nd time and then it will usually go off. The hammer seems to hit the cap pretty hard. I am wondering if a new nipple would help? I have tried other caps and it didn't seem to help much.

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If someone has "dropped the hammer" or "dry fired" the rifle without protecting the nipple, the nipple can get peened on the end and not let the cap be seated fully with finger pressure.
That is why it sometimes takes 2 tries before the cap fires.

Either replace the nipple with a new one,... OR,... take a file and touch up the top edge of the old nipple so the cap can be fully seated with mere finger pressure.

If that doesn't give reliable ignition,... the next thing I would check is the lock's mainspring.
CVA's spanish made locks didn't have a real strong mainspring to start with.

A new nipple would be cheap to try, and probably fix it.
While you have it out, clean the hole all the way through to the barrel.
They're really pretty durable with a little care.

I had the same problem with a .44 cap and ball six-shooter I have. (Replica of an 1851 Confederate Navy piece).

CCI caps were intermittent and unreliable. It's flawless with Remington caps.

Just clean up the nipple with a file and some emory paper.

Make sure the lock inletting isn't at fault. Wood shouldn't be touching the hammer at any point in its travel.

Switch RWS-Dynamit-Nobel caps, much easier to get to go off.

Most import guns unequivocally suffer from poor quality locks, making the best of what you have is key.

the barrel says "Made in the USA", I was thinking years ago we went to another brand of caps but CCI's were all I could get the other night, I will try to get a new nipple and some other caps, we have two weeks left to hunt, My Optima with the 209 primeris like a Ronson, lights the first time everytime!

(quoted from post at 00:09:50 11/26/12) the barrel says "Made in the USA", I was thinking years ago we went to another brand of caps but CCI's were all I could get the other night, I will try to get a new nipple and some other caps, we have two weeks left to hunt, My Optima with the 209 primeris like a Ronson, lights the first time everytime!

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The barrel may be "made in usa", or the gun may be assembled in USA, but the lock is almost certainly imported. Likely Spanish or slightly better Italian.

back a hundred years ago,before inlines,(LOL) we would do a few things to improve ignition. first,always replace the nipple. it doesnt HAVE to be peened over any at all.what happens on one that has been fired a lot is it simply burns up.once its not square anymore on top the first blow actually seats the cap on the nipple,and the next fires it. when you replace the nipple,make sure you get the proper threads,AND length. there is a wide variety of them. for the fellow who has problems with his revolver,this is your problem also most likely. NEXT and very important,hammer MUST hit nipple squarely not just on one side.the effect of one not hitting squarely,(and this is the main problem with every cva sidelock ive ever owned) is just like having a nipple burnt up. the PROPER way to fix this is to heat the hammer and bend it. believe this or not,thats why the locks are most often heat blued,you wont hurt the hammer by heating it.it soft and is meant to be bent. cva simply doesnt take the time to hand fit them,and in fact most manufacturers dont. as for the charge not entering the bolster,cva has always had this problem. they use a screw in bolster that has a small hole in it.what i do on mine is make sure i tap side of rifle many times.if i am seriously hunting i will even pull the nipple and make sure powder is there,and nipple is clean,when i load it in the mornings.i dont use my sidelocks much anymore,unless i am hunting a state thate that requires it,but when i do i want it to fire so the extra few seconds it takes to load is often worth more than hours or days of hunting time. hope this helps.