Vial rubber tops too hard to pierce
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So are we now going to ask for a USP <381> / EP 3.2.9 Standards: Ensure the manufacturer explicitly certifies compliance with these pharmacopeia standards for elastomeric closures for Butyl rubber stoppers?
@EXTROPIAN or just get yourself better vials and transfer the liquid to it and avoid the headache of piercing poorly made rubber stoppers from China!
Extra ALK or similar good quality sterile vials are not that big an expense.
We can't have it all ways unfortunately.
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I got a syringe guide from etsy, the vial pops in a divit at the top, and then you slide the syringe down the guide so it goes right in the center of the vial and ever since I got that I have stopped having trouble with the stoppers being too thick to pierce, because it always goes dead center. I have a yellow one and an orange one, and I find that the numbers are extremely easy to read on the syringe with the orange one, but with the yellow one I have more difficult time.That being said, my eyes are not the best.
syringe guide from etsy
Whaaa? Search-search-search...
Cool, let's put "peptide" into the search and see...
WHAAAAA?!?!?Down the rabbit hole of things I didn't need but now I need!
3d printed cases, you can have them customize your labels, lil clips to put on pins to ID the peps.
I LUV it!!! -
syringe guide from etsy
Whaaa? Search-search-search...
Cool, let's put "peptide" into the search and see...
WHAAAAA?!?!?Down the rabbit hole of things I didn't need but now I need!
3d printed cases, you can have them customize your labels, lil clips to put on pins to ID the peps.
I LUV it!!!@Stan-Douglas for those wanting to see what Stan is probably printing on his machine
Most popular:
https://makerworld.com/en/models/1763906-syringe-needle-vial-guide?from=search#profileId-1876831Couple other options:
https://makerworld.com/en/models/2616160-peptide-insulin-syringe-guide-for-3ml-vial?from=search#profileId-2887042 -
@Stan-Douglas for those wanting to see what Stan is probably printing on his machine
Most popular:
https://makerworld.com/en/models/1763906-syringe-needle-vial-guide?from=search#profileId-1876831Couple other options:
https://makerworld.com/en/models/2616160-peptide-insulin-syringe-guide-for-3ml-vial?from=search#profileId-2887042 -
I have been noticing they are getting more difficult to pierce as well. If you are not exactly in the middle, and straight down, it easily takes 3 or so times. By then the syringe starts to dull. So, I never heard of the syringe guide, looked them up on Etsy and wow, what a genius idea. For 7 bucks, you cant go wrong. Reusable an infinite amount of times versus transerring pep to different throw away vials or pens was a better solution for me.
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@Stan-Douglas for those wanting to see what Stan is probably printing on his machine
Most popular:
https://makerworld.com/en/models/1763906-syringe-needle-vial-guide?from=search#profileId-1876831Couple other options:
https://makerworld.com/en/models/2616160-peptide-insulin-syringe-guide-for-3ml-vial?from=search#profileId-2887042@hunt_ak lol that's excessive engineering just to keep using a poorly made rubber stopper.
Why not just transfer pep to a better sterile empty vial with good quality rubber top? I posted it here that those have smooth buttery rubber stoppers, no piercing struggles.
But I wanted to hear from the community if they are experiencing this, and looks like they are. I'm not alone.
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@EXTROPIAN or just get yourself better vials and transfer the liquid to it and avoid the headache of piercing poorly made rubber stoppers from China!
Extra ALK or similar good quality sterile vials are not that big an expense.
We can't have it all ways unfortunately.
@pep_researcher If you're going through all that trouble the just do pens/cartridges. Im sure you can still stick a 23-25G in those vials to transfer. If it is a quality issue then there is a chance on leaching, degradation of who knows what these new butyl rubber stoppers quality is today. "Rising costs for butyl and halobutyl rubber increased in early 2026 driven by higher expenses for isobutylene and strong demand from industrial and tire manufacturing sectors."
2M
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@pep_researcher If you're going through all that trouble the just do pens/cartridges. Im sure you can still stick a 23-25G in those vials to transfer. If it is a quality issue then there is a chance on leaching, degradation of who knows what these new butyl rubber stoppers quality is today. "Rising costs for butyl and halobutyl rubber increased in early 2026 driven by higher expenses for isobutylene and strong demand from industrial and tire manufacturing sectors."
@EXTROPIAN I'm sitting on a huge stockpile of ordinary noodles and vials so I'm unwilling to switch right now. Will consider in the future.
But I agree it's a legit good option especially for precise dose measurement.
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FWIW I had got some 2ml ALK vials. I transferred my reconned pep to it. ALK rubber stoppers are smooth like butter.
So it's not about individual skill to pierce the vial. It ain't rocket science and I ain't RUO newb. Been researching for several months now and this problem didn't exist 6 months ago.
FWIW I had got some 2ml ALK vials. I transferred my reconned pep to it. ALK rubber stoppers are smooth like butter.
So it's not about individual skill to pierce the vial. It ain't rocket science and I ain't RUO newb. Been researching for several months now and this problem didn't exist 6 months ago.
The larger ALK vials are not smooth. They can be tough as a leather boot. I have lots of them and struggle getting the 23 through the stopper.
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@EXTROPIAN I'm sitting on a huge stockpile of ordinary noodles and vials so I'm unwilling to switch right now. Will consider in the future.
But I agree it's a legit good option especially for precise dose measurement.
@pep_researcher Or you can sacrifice one needle to punch a few holes in the rubber stopper Target area / Puncture site to soften it up.
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FWIW I had got some 2ml ALK vials. I transferred my reconned pep to it. ALK rubber stoppers are smooth like butter.
So it's not about individual skill to pierce the vial. It ain't rocket science and I ain't RUO newb. Been researching for several months now and this problem didn't exist 6 months ago.
The larger ALK vials are not smooth. They can be tough as a leather boot. I have lots of them and struggle getting the 23 through the stopper.
@Eleanor how much larger? Like 20ml or 5ml?
I actually have Ultra Spec not ALK. Have used 5ml and no issues with rubber stopper. Smooth like butter.
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I have both types of vials and I don't have a problem with smaller needles for injection, only the mixing needles seem difficult.
@Eleanor I'm confused so do you have a problem with the ALK vial rubber tops or not?
If you do I was asking is it for specific vial size? 2ml, 5ml, 10ml, 20ml?
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@Americanchild Got a link to that guide?
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@Americanchild Thanks much! Hoping to find something for 3, 5 & 10ml too. Don't know if they make them, yet.
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I would email the seller because he prints these himself.I would think that he would be able to come up with guides for the larger vials. I have a slight tremor from a medication that I take for neuropathy, and these guides have been a lifesaver.
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I would email the seller because he prints these himself.I would think that he would be able to come up with guides for the larger vials. I have a slight tremor from a medication that I take for neuropathy, and these guides have been a lifesaver.
@Americanchild It's not the caps in my case, it's the size of the needle. My 29G 5/16 goes through all of them like butter, no matter where they land, but the 23G 1.5" is a different matter. This is NOT your case, I get that, just me.
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Sorry I don't have a solution for that, but I understand the frustration.
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