ROA and Mag Spark

[Smokerr]

Percussion caps have totally dried up, while I am going to get the cap kit I am wondering if anyone has converted a ROA for the Mag Spark setup and how they liked it or not.

Yes I did some searches and came up with a mix of opinions and am interested in someone with a better logical take on it vs just "I don't Like It" or "It worked Great" but not what primers were tried etc.

 

[saculmot]

Have you considered making your own caps?

 

[wiscoaster]

Have you considered making your own caps?

Met a guy at the range last week who made his own caps from one of those kits, and while he was there shooting a flintlock rifle, so I didn't see them in use, he did let me take a look at them and I thought they looked pretty damn functional, and he said they worked great.

 

[Smokerr]

Have you considered making your own caps?

Yep, but I can cut down on how many I have to make if the Mag Spark would work. I don't get any fun out of small fiddly stuff like that, so the idea is to see if the ROA has an alternative that works. Plenty of 209 primers around, not necessarily the right mfg as I gather they differ in size. That said if the choices are too large I have the tools and skill to open up a Mag Spark cup or my brother has a lathe.

I have the Primer Compound kit on order as well as the mentioned printed caps. I want to see how it works before or if I want to invest in the die tool and I may well just stick with the printed cups and PC will come back at some point.

Bit of a wait on the printed caps at least from the listed timeline.

 

[SDSmlf]

Percussion caps have totally dried up, while I am going to get the cap kit I am wondering if anyone has converted a ROA for the Mag Spark setup and how they liked it or not.

Yes I did some searches and came up with a mix of opinions and am interested in someone with a better logical take on it vs just "I don't Like It" or "It worked Great" but not what primers were tried etc.

Tried a Mag Spark on a long gun. PIA. Don’t know about installing on ROA, but for the money I’d be on the search and stocking up on regular old percussion caps. Even with a Mag Spark for your ROA you will still require 209 primers which they do not seem to be giving away when you can find them.

 

[Smokerr]

Could you describe what the issue was?

There are zero percussion caps to be had and I am resorting to the make em yourself.

Last caps I found were $20 a hundred so a 209s would be less than that.

 

[Tyler L]

There are zero percussion caps to be had and I am resorting to the make em yourself.

Powder Valley still has RWS 1075s in stock:

https://www.powdervalley.com/product/rws-1075-plus-percussion-caps/

 

[Bad Karma]

Tried a Mag Spark on a long gun. PIA. Don’t know about installing on ROA, but for the money I’d be on the search and stocking up on regular old percussion caps. Even with a Mag Spark for your ROA you will still require 209 primers which they do not seem to be giving away when you can find them.

This… for the cost of a set of mag sparks ($95 + shipping) you’ll have 500 RWS which are excellent caps for your Ruger.

https://www.powdervalley.com/product/rws-1075-plus-percussion-caps/

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

When I bought some a few weeks ago, they were limiting sales to 3 tins per customer.

 

[SDSmlf]

Could you describe what the issue was?

There are zero percussion caps to be had and I am resorting to the make em yourself.

Last caps I found were $20 a hundred so a 209s would be less than that.

I didn’t care for the Max Spark multiple piece setup. Drop it in the leaves or snow and you don’t have a spare, you are done hunting. Now if you have never dropped something a little larger than a percussion cap for example while quickly trying to reload, may not be an issue. I tend to drop small objects occasionally, usually at the worst possible time. Also found the 209 primers needed prying out of the adapter after the shot. Then there appeared to be a lot of carbon buildup from the 209s, though carbon shouldn’t be a big issue with ROA.

Personally, I would pay the price and stock up on caps, or get a cap making kit, before relying on a Mag Spark and 209 primers. I was pretty sure before my first range session with the set up was over I wasted my money. The concern over availability and cost of percussion caps is similar to what occurred with primers, including 209s, in 2020. Same problem, just a different boat. https://www.powdervalley.com/reloading-industry/why-is-there-a-primer-supply-shortage/

 

[Smokerr]

This is where I get to do a bit of education on Alaska. We are not connected to the United States, Candada sits between us and you all.

So what? You can't ship by air, ammo, primers, black powder the worst and caps are like primers. Over the road? Yep, special arrangements to do so through Candada. Cost big bucks. Lots of paperwork.

Now you can do it by air, but the costs are huge. The only one I knew it was Mil Surplus (CMP) disposal outfit and they had an arrangement with FedEx.

So how do we get stuff? Barge. But the Barge is limited to 1500 lbs or some such. So we are backed into a corner. Mr. Deland can confirm.

I didn’t care for the Max Spark multiple piece setup. Drop it in the leaves or snow and you don’t have a spare, you are done hunting.

That is the kind of detail that helps. I am just shooting off a bench so flubbing stuff (yea my fingers do that as well) is not an issue. Worst case I can put a towel down, SOP taking guns apart to keep from loosing things so would not be a problem.

 

[springfield art]

It's amazing that we're hearing of Cap Non-Existence again! There's simply no reason for it except that some "log jam" is holding them back. I am impressed with the guys that try making their own caps, and have a good experience with them.

 

[Smokerr]

Yea the odd part was last year when I got started in shooting BP revolvers, there were some from two local shops. Now they are simply none. The first ones were $10 per hundred, the last ones $20 and now nothing.

Primers are available, powder as well if not the type I have built up data for. I expect Caps will catch up but who knows how long.

 

[Sam squanch]

Caps will never be plentiful unless the peppers and old retired fools who want to corner the market on them quit their behavior….

 

[Bad Karma]

This is where I get to do a bit of education on Alaska. We are not connected to the United States, Candada sits between us and you all.

So what? You can't ship by air, ammo, primers, black powder the worst and caps are like primers. Over the road? Yep, special arrangements to do so through Candada. Cost big bucks. Lots of paperwork.

Now you can do it by air, but the costs are huge. The only one I knew it was Mil Surplus (CMP) disposal outfit and they had an arrangement with FedEx.

So how do we get stuff? Barge. But the Barge is limited to 1500 lbs or some such. So we are backed into a corner. Mr. Deland can confirm.



That is the kind of detail that helps. I am just shooting off a bench so flubbing stuff (yea my fingers do that as well) is not an issue. Worst case I can put a towel down, SOP taking guns apart to keep from loosing things so would not be a problem.

The mag spark for the Ruger is only one piece nothing to drop really.

 

[rp77469]

Powder Valley still has RWS 1075s in stock:

https://www.powdervalley.com/product/rws-1075-plus-percussion-caps/

As good a deal as you are likely to find. Buying 1000 shipped they cost $19.09 per hundred + tax. Local pick up is $15.20 per hundred + tax, saving ~$40 hazmat and shipping.

 

[Smokerr]

In our case they simply are not in. I deal with a couple of good shops that have a call list. Some I got were the old Remington Gold Foil type. Remington is going through their issues with the break up. Primers are more lucrative than Caps.

 

[Smokerr]

The mag spark for the Ruger is only one piece nothing to drop really.

What is the Primer its supposed to work with?

I seem to recall it needed a specific mfg due to size variance on 209s.

I figure I can open up or close down if needed but would like to know what I would need to do vs what we can get 209 Primer wise (Federal I think up here for the most part for whatever reason)

 

[Bad Karma]

What is the Primer its supposed to work with?

I seem to recall it needed a specific mfg due to size variance on 209s.

I figure I can open up or close down if needed but would like to know what I would need to do vs what we can get 209 Primer wise (Federal I think up here for the most part for whatever reason)

It uses the 209 shot shell primers.

The manufacturer is this company and he’s been responding to emails in a day or two… https://www.warrencustomoutdoor.com/mag-spark.html

 

[SDSmlf]

I seem to recall it needed a specific mfg due to size variance on 209s.

I cannot speak to the Mag Spark for the ROA and how different manufacturers’s 209s fit, but I can tell you with completely different item that we don’t discuss here, I found variations between manufacturers’ primers that went from too small to too large for what I was doing. Also found smaller variations between lots of the same manufacturer. Ultimately found the Goldilocks primer (Federal) and fit, then purchased a couple 1000 from the same lot. Now this is at much higher pressures than you will ever see in a ROA percussion cylinder, so I can’t say with certainty how big of deal it is, nor do I know how the ROA Mag Spark holds the primer. You will just have to experiment.