Pedersoli Brown Bess ?’s

CascadeRob · Aug 5, 2024

Howdy folks. I have been wanting to purchase a Pedersoli Brown Bess, I’ve been looking at 1777 charlies also but I think the B.B desire is stronger.

Now this would be my first smoothie, and for those who have one I have some questions.

#1. How do you like it? Fun to shoot? Too heavy? Gripes?

#2. What’s your loadout? I will only be shooting round balls not cartridges. So what size are you using for RB, and patch. Or wadding?

#3. How much more “expensive” is it to shoot than smaller calibers? .735 round balls ain’t cheap in comparison, and a mold is about $150!

#4 Last question. What do I need to maintain it? Anything special? Or just a good ole fashion jag and cleaning patches?

Thank you for your input.

Smokey Plainsman · Aug 5, 2024

Reports are pretty good on them. Not the most historically correct but generally considered reliable and well made.

CascadeRob · Aug 5, 2024

Smokey Plainsman said:
Reports are pretty good on them. Not the most historically correct but generally considered reliable and well made.

I’m not too much of a stickler on it being correct-ish, as long as she is a shooter!

TNGhost · Aug 5, 2024

I have bene looking too, somehow it is difficult to justify the price on something I want to use and won't be just a "safe queen" investment. The $1000 dollar difference between Pedersoli and the Indian guns, doesn't seem justifiable or practical

Flanders · Aug 5, 2024

I like mine. Highest charge I use is 80g ff. Hornet nest, .690 ball, nest on top. Shoots great for 40 yards, havnt done much past that. Water and tow to clean it, oil it up and you’re done.

Aglukan · Aug 5, 2024

Flanders said:
I like mine. Highest charge I use is 80g ff. Hornet nest, .690 ball, nest on top. Shoots great for 40 yards, havnt done much past that. Water and tow to clean it, oil it up and you’re done.

Hornets nest ?

Smokey Plainsman · Aug 5, 2024

Aglukan said:
Hornets nest ?

Yep hornet’s nest works excellent as wadding. Make sure no hornets remain as they generally become aggressive when one tries to cram their home down the bore of a gun (been there done that).

CascadeRob · Aug 5, 2024

TNGhost said:
I have bene looking too, somehow it is difficult to justify the price on something I want to use and won't be just a "safe queen" investment. The $1000 dollar difference between Pedersoli and the Indian guns, doesn't seem justifiable or practical

I hear ya. Especially when you start to think what else you could purchase that’s on a higher level of quality with that money. But I fear, this time next year they will only be more expensive.

CascadeRob · Aug 5, 2024

Flanders said:
I like mine. Highest charge I use is 80g ff. Hornet nest, .690 ball, nest on top. Shoots great for 40 yards, havnt done much past that. Water and tow to clean it, oil it up and you’re done.

Have you ever tried just patch and ball? And why a .690 ball may I ask?

Second-rate Marksman · Aug 5, 2024

I’ve got Pederdoli’s Brown Bess carbine, and I’ve been generally pleased with it. I defarbed mine (removing all markings aside from the serial number, for obvious reasons), blued the lock, and made a couple of alterations to the stock (smoothing the comb’s transition and carving around the tang).

Pedersoli customer service has been good. I broke a mainspring and they sent me a new one free of charge, no questions asked.

It’s a handy little gun and is more accurate than I am with either .735 or .715 ball.

Smokey Plainsman · Aug 5, 2024

I’ve found Pedersoli to have solid customer service as well.

OP, sounds like you won’t be disappointed. I’d order it from someone like Dixie Gun Works who is good about returns just in case there’s an issue.

Are you specifically looking for a Brown Bess for historical reasons or would you be open to a different type of smoothbore gun? Because that opens up a whole new ballgame of worms in regards to trade guns, fowlers, etc. that are not only a hoot, they’re a holler as well!

Juice Jaws · Aug 5, 2024

TNGhost said:
I have bene looking too, somehow it is difficult to justify the price on something I want to use and won't be just a "safe queen" investment. The $1000 dollar difference between Pedersoli and the Indian guns, doesn't seem justifiable or practical

You get what you paid for, most Indian guns junk to me

Juice Jaws · Aug 5, 2024

CascadeRob said:
Howdy folks. I have been wanting to purchase a Pedersoli Brown Bess, I’ve been looking at 1777 charlies also but I think the B.B desire is stronger.

Now this would be my first smoothie, and for those who have one I have some questions.

#1. How do you like it? Fun to shoot? Too heavy? Gripes?

#2. What’s your loadout? I will only be shooting round balls not cartridges. So what size are you using for RB, and patch. Or wadding?

#3. How much more “expensive” is it to shoot than smaller calibers? .735 round balls ain’t cheap in comparison, and a mold is about $150!

#4 Last question. What do I need to maintain it? Anything special? Or just a good ole fashion jag and cleaning patches?

Thank you for your input.

I am sure you can fine a mold cheaper than $150.00 but even if you can't if you shoot a lot it well be worth buying the mold. I have own several Pedersoli guns and they are all well made

CascadeRob · Aug 5, 2024

TrailWalker said:
I’ve got Pederdoli’s Brown Bess carbine, and I’ve been generally pleased with it. I defarbed mine (removing all markings aside from the serial number, for obvious reasons), blued the lock, and made a couple of alterations to the stock (smoothing the comb’s transition and carving around the tang).

Pedersoli customer service has been good. I broke a mainspring and they sent me a new one free of charge, no questions asked.

It’s a handy little gun and is more accurate than I am with either .735 or .715 ball.

That thing is Purdy! Do you load a patch down with that .735 ball?

TNGhost · Aug 5, 2024

Juice Jaws said:
You get what you paid for, most Indian guns junk to me

Why? They are safe, and reliable, and the consensus is the Pedersolis aren't historically accurate either, so why pay $1000 extra?

If you had to make the choice of the Indian gun pr nothing, what would it be?

CascadeRob · Aug 5, 2024

Smokey Plainsman said:
I’ve found Pedersoli to have solid customer service as well.

OP, sounds like you won’t be disappointed. I’d order it from someone like Dixie Gun Works who is good about returns just in case there’s an issue.

Are you specifically looking for a Brown Bess for historical reasons or would you be open to a different type of smoothbore gun? Because that opens up a whole new ballgame of worms in regards to trade guns, fowlers, etc. that are not only a hoot, they’re a holler as well!

Dixie is a bit cheaper at the moment, than muzzle-loaders.com

I say I'm not too picky on the historical background on it, but here I am kind of about to eat my own words. I like the Bess specifically because of its history, and its time in the Colonies and the whole romanticized history of it is a huge selling point. As far as fowlers, and trade guns are concerned, eh not as exciting to me lol.

TNGhost · Aug 5, 2024

CascadeRob said:
I hear ya. Especially when you start to think what else you could purchase that’s on a higher level of quality with that money. But I fear, this time next year they will only be more expensive.

Agreed but over twice as much, to the tune of a grand? That's a lot of cash even these days.

I just want something that is representative of the era, safe and reliable, that I don't have to feel bad about shooting and getting a ding here or there on it, and I am not in it to impress others.

CascadeRob · Aug 5, 2024

TNGhost said:
Agreed but over twice as much, to the tune of a grand? That's a lot of cash even these days.

I just want something that is representative of the era, safe and reliable, that I don't have to feel bad about shooting and getting a ding here or there on it, and I am not in it to impress others.

Yeah it's tough to say. A grand these days is two months of car payments for the average American, so I reckon some folks gotta figure out what's more important. Freedom to spend money, or their awesome jacked up F150 that nobody cares about

I have the mindset of you get what you pay for, so if it's got a $900 price tag on it vs a $1600 price tag. I'll probably take the latter. I don't mean any offense with this comment by the way.

TNGhost · Aug 5, 2024

CascadeRob said:
Yeah it's tough to say. A grand these days is two months of car payments for the average American, so I reckon some folks gotta figure out what's more important. Freedom to spend money, or their awesome jacked up F150 that nobody cares about

I have the mindset of you get what you pay for, so if it's got a $900 price tag on it vs a $1600 price tag. I'll probably take the latter. I don't mean any offense with this comment by the way.

All good, I am in the same boat you are, looking. I am just looking for some justification for that extra grand. Investment/holding its value, being about all I can come up with, and like I said, I plan to use it, and not worry about beauty. Evan having the money I don't cherish the idea of overspending for virtually the same thing based on brand. and $600 vs. $1600 is significant.

FWIW I am also going back and forth on he 1777 vs the Bess and am leaning Bess as the virtual 12 gauge (I think?) bore size, makes sourcing ball, wads etc easier.

Flanders · Aug 5, 2024

CascadeRob said:
Have you ever tried just patch and ball? And why a .690 ball may I ask?

No I just was with nest. I got a .690 mold so if I ever decide to do paper cartridges.

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