Paul,
I received the MAG-SPARKs™ today and I have to say; WOW, what a difference a 209 primer makes. I am so happy I found it and I installed it on my T/C Big Boar .58 caliber to use in my upcoming Black Bear hunt in Maine this fall. Great product and the service was excellent. Keep up the fine job! I tried it today when it arrived, hell it might burn the hair off the Bear... if he's close. LOL
Jason S. from Ohio
Paul,
First off, I wanted to thank you for your hospitality and great customer service. It's what led me to purchase three units from you and give your products such great reviews out in the field with the guys who turn their noses up at modifying these old guns.
Inside one of the boxes I ordered was a defective MAG-SPARKs™ (1/4x28). I was screwing on the lid for the second or third time when I felt a burr on the thread (which at the time I thought was a piece of sand that may have made its way onto the lid). Upon further inspection, I noticed the piece which screws into the touch hole had some threading that was warped. This cut the caps's threading, misaligning the two, and preventing the lid from being completely attached.
Note from Paul Almashy: "I sent Seth a new MAG-SPARKs™ the day after he called me about the problem and told him I would like to have the faulty one back to examine. Seth promptly sent me the troubled one."
I wanted to write a short testimonial for the website that I think will sway some people in your direction who may otherwise turn away from "modernizing" these relic weapons.
As a veteran traditional muzzleloader hunter and enthusiast I love to keep the spirit of antique weapons alive. Rarely will modern functionality arise to augment an old gun without tampering with its spirit — enter the MAG-SPARKs™.
I purchased a MAG-SPARKs™ to increase the reliability of a finicky .50 cal T/C Hawken and was blown away by the difference it makes.
First of all, the system is fully enclosed so you don't receive powder residue on your weapons. Next, the 209 primer is far more effective than #11 primers in igniting powder even in very inadequate conditions such as barrel humidity or heavily fouled barrels. I've never had a single hang-fire or misfire and regularly have clean instant ignition in my Pedersoli shotgun, a .54 Lyman GPH, and my finicky .50 cal T/C Hawken.
I find the antique feel is still completely alive with a MAG-SPARKs™ attached, because in my eyes you are not drastically modernizing the firearm. You are using the exact same technology of the percussion lock but instead are now using a far more effective primer that is also much easier to find and more importantly, much safer.
Paul, it has been a pleasure. Thank you for your great product and personalized customer service.
Seth Hall
The adapters have been working great using 209 Winchester triple 7 primers and very good accuracy. I no longer hunt with my in-line rifles mainly bacause the Hawken 209 adapters have all the primer fragments and fire blast completely enclosed and I've never had a mis-fire or failure in about 500 rounds!
I use the MAG-SPARKs™ on scoped T/C Hawken and fast twist Green Mountain stainless barrels and use the Hodgdens 2F triple 7 powder in both 45 and 50 cal (70-80g powder) and use the saboted bullets for whitetail deer hunting. The long barrels on the Hawkens (28 inch) also get in the neighborhood of 30/30 velocities!
I seen some of the BP guys were not aware of the 209 adapters side locks so I steered them in your direction!
Thanks,
Bruce Sawyer,
NRA Member
Subject: MAG-SPARKs™ is fantastic!
Greetings,
I recently ordered one of your MAG-SPARKs™ for my old CVA Bobcat muzzleloader after much debate about whether or not I should upgrade to an inline since it's been getting harder and harder to find No. 11 percussion caps locally. Just wanted to say thanks for an awesome product. I've been shooting Winchester 209 Triple 7 muzzleloading primers with Pyrodex RS 90 grains pushing a 250 grain aerolite powerbelt, and it's been turning heads. Ignition is so instant I can't tell the difference between shooting my CVA, and shooting my .30-06.
Thanks,
James C.
Oxford, MS
