doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com A-Zoom Snap Caps

I just received some 12 gauge A-Zoom's in today's delivery. I am confused.

Part of what I was questioning in my last post/thread about snap caps was the fact that chromed brass caps seemed too heavy for ejectors.

The A-Zooms are WAY heavier than the aforementioned caps. Longer and heavier, yet it seemed that they were the best alternatives to those chromed/brass caps.

Perhaps I completely misunderstood. If you can indulge me, please explain to me why A-Zoom snap caps are the best snap cap to use.

I'd truly appreciate it.

Oh yes! I almost forgot to measure them. The 12 gauge are 2 3/4 inches long. Can they even be used with guns with 2 1/2" chambers? (I don't want to take them out of the packing to test)

Marc,

As I mentioned on the other thread via the links I posted, A-Zooms are THE WORST snap caps you can use.....

1.-they are way too heavy and made of anodized solid full length aluminum, should they fall out they leave nice dents in your gun, especially the wood if they land on it.....

2.-they have silicon primers which harden and crater from the strikers leaving a useless deformed primer pocket...all within short order......

Personally, I never could figure out why anybody would recommend, let alone use, these A-Zoom snap caps......but as is always mentioned and argued (even common sense) on this BBS, "to each his own".........

IMO, the best snap caps are those better quality caps with the mops attached. They are plated brass or anodized aluminum, depending on the brand, ---they don't fall out, ---they have spring loaded steel primers which last forever on the better quality ones, ---they DO NOT tarnish with use of solvents or leave nasty residues in the chamber, ---the mops can be trimmed or removed to suit any application, ---their overall weight is insignificant and they do not damage ejectors....

Thanks, Doug, for illustrating the case in point(!) I certainly don't want to imply that I don't think you know what you're talking about and I don't bother reading your posts - in fact your posts and my regard for your contributions stand out as the complete opposite.

I have no excuse other than I had an impression from others that the zoomers were top of the line. And I must add, that opinion was not just based on this one thread alone. It was already planted before, somehow.

They're all going back tomorrow at any rate. MANY THANKS for taking the time to - once again - setting me straight, especially when all evidence to the fact was NOT there.

I just had to jump back in to thank you for recommending snap caps which actually seem to be top of the line. However elusive, I will seek these out.

For whatever it is worth I had Jack Rowe in Enid Oklahoma do a pre-purchase inspection on a British ejector gun. It was five or six years ago. Jack is an English emmigrant, gunsmith, formerly worked in the Birmingham trade, and has written some articles for the Doublegun Journal and used to teach a one week class on double gunsmithing here in the US. He may still for all I know.

I had AZoom snap caps with the gun when he inspected it. It was the first time he had seen them. He was very complimentary of the AZoom and said it was the only snap cap he had ever seen that he liked. He disliked the coil spring snap caps in particular and maintained that they fatigue stressed the strikers.

I have no idea if he is wrong or right. Just reporting what he said.

I agree with Doug's statement that the snap caps can and do dent wood on occasion.

I like Joe Wood's solution the best.

Best,

Mike

I have A Zooms (and normal chrome/brass and clear plastic spring loaded) snap caps.

I find the A Zooms fine. I don't normally allow the snap caps to 'eject', putting a hand over the caps when ejecting. The silicon rubber 'primers' have lasted fine so far (a few years) and I have never had a damaged ejector (or got a dent in the stock from them).

I can't say I really recommend them as they are relatively expensive, but I do use them (on the relatively rare occasions I use snap caps) and they are far better than the transparent plastic type which crack and loose their rims.

Here you go Marc,

https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/12816

Mike,

I have a real hard time believing any experienced gunsmith would make those statements in faith. Even graduates from "The Acme School of Gunsmithing" in Pago Pago, know how hammers and strikers, firing pins work and what kind of steel they are made from, as well as the springs etc.

Snap caps are only supposed to ABSORB the impact as the hammer/striker/firing pin bottoms out, nothing more, nothing less, thus saving the mechanism, not damaging it. The springs behind the primers are calibrated to absorb the hammers fall, nothing more.....

How could a QUALITY snap cap with springs hurt any part of the firing mechanism...?.... After rebuilding quite a large number of guns over the last 50 years or so, I find this almost impossible to comprehend.

This is very evident by the old spring loaded mop caps pictured that have many, many strikes.

As you can see, the ALSO pictured A-Zooms are useless with their hardened cratered primers. Maybe they only harden in the Southwestern United States or South Africa, but let me tell you they are bricks in hot climates and therefore useless in a very short time.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.......

Best,


QUALITY SPRING LOADED MOP CAPS......NOTICE THE PRIMER...










A-Zooms after less than a year.......

Yep.

That amateur Jack Rowe is full of horsefeathers!

PA24 is the oracle of gunsmithin' wisdom.

(even in Pago Pago)

I don't like to use heavy snap caps for my guns with ejectors. I feel it is too much pressure put on the springs or in the case of my pre-1900 L.C. Smiths, too much pressure on the mainsprings.

I was using the cheap clear plastic ones with the spring in them for my ejector guns, but they started coming apart so I made my own.
This one is for 12 gauge and I also made some for 10 gauge. These are for non-ejector guns.

Mike, you know those Brits have a "different" sense of humor. Are you sure you didn't misunderstand Jack ?