skeettx, I have been staring at the mechanism all afternoon, then rewatching the two videos. I sort of "get it" in the videos and notice they are both afraid of improper ignition. One video puts a No. 11 percussion cap into the musket cap. Then primes the pair. The second video apparently just primes the musket cap and hopes for the best. I guess I'd start with the second scenario first.
The needle length after firing is still a question for me. It is sort of an elaborate design, so I would hate to try and make a shorter one.I'll try to figure out the fired needle length, then go from there. Looking at the diagram of the two types of needle fire designs above makes me believe that the longer needle might give more sure ignition. I'll probably be using #6 or 7 1/2 shot , and of course will not be making a large volume of shots. Just a fun project when a decent gun comes around. Lots of questions to answer.
