Convert a Toy Flintlock Pistol to Fire Caps

This is pretty simple; I have a couple of Denix diecast flintlock pistols and I thought it would be more fun if they could fire caps. You know, to frighten the grannies at pirate festivals! This should work on any gun that has a fake solid cast 'flint' as part of the hammer.

Making the gun fire caps is very simple; I have included a diagram that hopefully explains the concept. You need a machine screw which will become the pin that the caps sits on. An M3 screw worked for me, but you can substitute whatever suitable size is available in your country. You'll need a matching tap. Here's what I used:

2.5mm drill

M3 tap

4.5mm drill

M3 screw

Small file

The steps are quite easy.

1. File a small flat area onto the tip of the 'fint' of the gun's hammer.
2. Drill an M2.5 hole, about 15mm deep will do.
3. Tap the hole to fit the screw you're going to use. It is soft metal so be careful not to strip the thread!
4. Now you need to drill a shorter hole just large enough for the cap to fit snugly into. Hopefully so snug the cap won't drop out when you load it; 4.5mm worked for me
5. Install the screw tightly and saw off the head.
6. Reinstall the hammer onto the gun.

You should now have a pin inside a hole, perfect for the cap to fit onto. You might need to file off a little extra to ensure the pin protrudes slightly beyond the hole. Load the cap and when it strikes the frizzen you should get a bang!