Help with European musket nipple

[DrMike]

I recently picked up a European musket with tack decoration on the buttstock identifying it to William Dow of the 64th Illinois. The item was described by the seller as a Liege musket; it appears to be a copy of the French model 1822 musket, converted to percussion by German gunsmiths in Baden or Wurttemburg. The cone/nipple has been pounded flat and I would like to replace it. Does anyone know the size of this nipple, and a source for an original replacement? Does a period Springfield, Enfield, or French nipple have the same threads? Thanks for any help!

[MuleyGil]

Re: Help with European musket nipple

Welcme to the AC forum.

You may wish to post on the North-South Skirmish Association board as well. There are lots of good gunsmiths over there.

http://www.n-ssa.net/vbforum/activity.php

[DrMike]

Re: Help with European musket nipple

Thanks, I forgot about the N-SSA, and welcome the tip!

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Help with European musket nipple

Halllo!

Those are messy, IMHO.

Earliest U.S. guns were copied from the French and used the Metric System until the Trapdoor died in the 1890's.

The "Germans" who weren't really Germans until the formation of Germany in 1871, did not make the metric system law until 1875. Prior to that, they used a system based on a system of measurements like metric does but the same.

Metric is measured by the width of one thread (pitch) measured by a metric gauge. "Germanic" is based on the "body part" system of 1 Elle (elbow) equals 2 Fuss (feet). 1 Fuss equals 10 Zolle (inches) equals 10 Linien (lines) which equals 1000 Punkte (points).

And most importantly... there are no interchangeable parts. So i suspect your musket is going to Belgium metric except for a non standardized the "German" cone (nipple).

:(

IMHO you best chance is sending the cone to someone like Lodgewood who may have a few "German" ones in a box and can match that ONE's particular and peculiar size.

Curt

[DrMike]

Re: Help with European musket nipple

Thanks Curt,
I previously looked on the Lodgewood website, but did not see any Belgium, Baden, Wurtemburg or Prussian nipples. That does not mean that they don't have one squirreled away.
I'm not sure if I will be able to extract the old one without drilling it out, so it might be tough taking measurements from it. It has a unique base, however, so it may be possible to match it based on that profile.
Mike

[DrMike]

Re: Help with European musket nipple

Follow-up news:
I drilled out the old nipple in my Liege musket with Baden bolster conversion. I tried to seat an original Springfield, Sharps, British Enfield and French nipple in the socket (shown in that order in the photo). None fit. [

Fortunately, I stumbled onto a seller on eBay who offered for sale a Prussian musket nipple. The photo of the nipple showed two parallel slots in the base, like my nipple that needed replacing, rather than the familiar square shoulders. When the nipple arrived, it was bigger than I expected. In fact, it looked just like what are sold elsewhere as a Ketchum grenade nipple. But, the base paralleled that of my destroyed nipple, and the threads were a match and seated perfectly both in the bolster, and in the face of the hammer (see second photo). ATTACH=CONFIG]51621[/ATTACH]

I found what I needed, but a question remains. Did Ketchum grenades use Baden nipples, or are what are called Ketchum nipples misidentified for the past 40 years?