Black Powder shooting

[83nubnEC]

Just a note to those few who haven't switched over to the real fun in shooting muzzleloaders (flintlocks) and are having trouble finding caps for your cap locks, look up Mag-Spark on the net. Available for most nipple sizes and makes it possible to use regular 209 primers in your cap locks and hotter spark for black powders and substitutes. 209 primers seem to be pretty much available anywhere.

[Dphariss]

Just a note to those few who haven't switched over to the real fun in shooting muzzleloaders (flintlocks) and are having trouble finding caps for your cap locks, look up Mag-Spark on the net. Available for most nipple sizes and makes it possible to use regular 209 primers in your cap locks and hotter spark for black powders and substitutes. 209 primers seem to be pretty much available anywhere.

Might work. But someone could make a sealed ignition for a small rifle primer too. This was a common ignition in the late 19th for slug guns and such. But the primers before the advent of smokeless were much “softer”. Just remember that while the substitutes like a hot fire BP may not accuracy wise. And it may not be legal on a traditional ML in some states.

[83nubnEC]

The Mag-Spark is a replacement for the nipple itself on a cap lock type rifle, not for inlines. The rifle nipple is taken out and replaces the original nipple itself. Videos are available on the net showing the replacement and use of the Mag-Spark.

[Daryl]

I turned a small pistol primer firing replacement for a standard nipple on my TC back in the 70's. I used my  poor man's lathe. A file for turning the steel, a drill,  a 1/4" x 28 tap and die and an adjustable electric drill held in a 5" bench vise for the lathe. It worked very well. The "plans" for it were a couple pictures in Musket Blasts, way back in the 70's.

[GersDerk]

That’s a great tip! I switched to using Mag-Spark for my cap locks a while back, and it made a huge difference. Finding regular 209 primers is much easier, and they really improve ignition with black powder and substitutes. It’s amazing how much of a difference that hotter spark can make.

I’ve also had a good experience with large rifle magnum primers for my other reloads. They provide a nice, consistent spark and really help with performance, especially in colder weather. If you’re struggling to find caps, definitely give the Mag-Spark a shot.

[Daryl]

A hotter spark is not needed for black powder.
Pope or some other "accuracy nut" wrote that a weak spark gave better accuracy.

[smokinbuck]

Just remember that a "Mag Spark" is a closed ignition and is not allowed in NMLRA matches. They might work well for hunting as they keep the primer out of the weather.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

As an example of the use of a diminished spark for black powder ignition, black powder cartridges, 45-70 cal for example,employ a paper disc in the case over the primer vent before the powder is poured in.  Alternately, a disc of paper is placed inside the primer cup in the base of the cartridge to accomplish the same thing.  It has to do with increased accuracy.
Sorry for the mention of cartridges, it was meant to be an example of how a reduced flame works better for black powder ignition.  Garbage this post if it offends.

[MuskratMike]

Just switch to flintlock. They were the only choice for 250 years where caplock rifles had a life of only 40-50 years before cartridge rifles came into the scene.

[Bob Roller]

In the long ago past I had to drive to Portsmouth,Ohio to get caps of any kind and I made an adapter for a Berdan primer that was about 1/4 of an inch in diameter and I had about 400 of them.That idea worked fine and when percussion caps became available again I used them.Later on I passed the remaining Berdans to a Canadian,Ted Girodot who later was our host at an International Muzzle Loading Shoot
in Kitchener,Ontario.
Bob Roller