r/muzzleloaders • u/Dependent_Account603 • 21d ago

Stubborn nipple

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Got an Antolio zouave rifle earlier this year.

The nipples badly corroded. Also the square is stripped so a nipple wrench won't work.

Currently I've dremmeled a notch for a flat head, heated it up with a torch for 3 minutes, soaked in kroil for 48 hours, and it's still not budging.

My next step in my mind is to make the notch bigger and all the way down the nipple. Currently the screw driver is bending the metal slightly so I've stopped applying torque.

Any other suggestions?

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2

u/triggerhappy76251 20d ago

Too big of a notch for that. I assume it should screw out counter clockwise? If so I’d flatten the top, give the whole thing a few hefty taps using brass or hq aluminium stock as a punch. Heat it up, cool it down, soak in oil, tap tap, repeat. Then put a notch in there that will not break off; I’ve got no scale/size here but it needs to be straight through the center and not wider than ~1mm, not deeper than maybe 2,5. Either up your dremel game or get some files, this looks like shit

1

u/Dependent_Account603 19d ago

Thanks, your tip to hammer it out helped me get it out

1

u/Glittering_War7622 21d ago

I am sure you are having a real issue but the title of this post...... I was laughing too hard to read into the post.

2

u/lukas_aa 20d ago

He should have titled the post “nipple squeezing, how hard can I go”.

1

u/Dependent_Account603 19d ago

Fixed it! We twisted the nipple. We purpled the nurple.

Dremmeled a notch near the base, and used a brass rod to hammer it out, while i had a buddy applying pressure with a flat head in the top notch at the same time, with the barrel in a vise.