1803 Harper's ferry

[Major2hook]

I recently acquired a Euroarms .54 Harper's ferry 1803 reproduction. It was in an estate and had been in storage for quite some time judging from the dust and gunk. Once cleaned it seems to have been shot only a bit ( frizzen's only been lightly used). Very nice piece...super fit and finish and detailed.

The rifle seems to have a long twist and has several (sorry I forgot to count them) deep lands and grooves.

The sights have been worked over and offer a clear sight picture aqnd the front sight has been filed for some specific load...

For those of you who may have or shot a 1803, what loads might you recommend? If the weather holds this weekend, I'm out to see what Lewis& Clark experienced.

many thanks!

 

[David Snellen]

Dear Sir,
I have one and shoot 60 grns. with a 530 round ball. They are really a reproduction of the 1814 model rather than the 1803.
Good luck,
David

 

[LRB]

Friend of mine has one. After a lot of lock tuning, tweaking, ect. It would shoot one ragged hole groups at 50yrds with .535, 90 gr. FFg, and I think a .015 patch. Only problem, it had a bent barrel, so he had a custom barrel made for it. I got to keep the bent one for my Zoli HF. Haven't straightened it yet, or put it in, but maybe one day.

 

[sundog]

I'v got the Navy Arms version of the 1803. Mine is an early Navy Arms so it is a .58
Navy arms made them in .58 so the rifle could not bee passed off as an origional.
I love mine and have hunted with it. The sights are well maby they were thinking of volley fire but once you get used to them it is just fine.

 

[LRB]

That's what mine is. I bought it in the late seventies on sale for $100.oo. Mine shoots very well also. The reason they were made in .58 at that time, is because they were already set up for making the .58 Zouave barrels, and they used the same for their 1841 Mississipi's. All three have the same twist, and lands and grooves also. These guns, although not too badly made in general, could never pass as originals.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

It was my impression that some originals were rebored to .58 by the government when they were desperate for arms in the civil war so either caliber would be correct. But of course there are a million other reasons the Italian 1803 could never be mistaken for an original even from a distance.

 

[LRB]

41's were rebored. Don't know about the 03's.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

There were no 1803/14 rifles in Federal possession by the time of the ACW. That being said, some were issued by the various states to their troops (I know that one Company of the 33rd Virginia used them) but as far as I know, none were enlarged to .58 and rifled for the hollow based Burton bullet. As Wick said earlier, the Navy Arms version was set up as a .58 to use the rifling equipment available for the so-called "Zouave" - it was a cost cutting measure, nothing else..

 

[Rod Lassey]

I have examined an original 1803 that was bored out to around .58, but it was smoothbore--never rerifled. May well have been done after it passed out of military ownership, however.

I did the same to my old Zoli---with it's fast twist and super shallow rifling, I never could get the thing to shoot well with anything more than ridiculously small powder charges--and very tight patching.

Rod

 

[LRB]

That's odd. My Zoli had a very slow twist with the shallow three groove rifling. It shoots well with 90 to 100 gr loads. I used it with 90gr to cut some of the recoil.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Agreed Wick, twist in mine was a standard Minié twist, 1 turn in 72 inches.

 

[Dphar]

I have examined an original 1803 that was bored out to around .58, but it was smoothbore--never rerifled. May well have been done after it passed out of military ownership, however.

I did the same to my old Zoli---with it's fast twist and super shallow rifling, I never could get the thing to shoot well with anything more than ridiculously small powder charges--and very tight patching.



Rod

Lots of rifles/rifle muskets got bored smooth, but not by the gov't.
Dan

 

[Dphar]

It was my impression that some originals were rebored to .58 by the government when they were desperate for arms in the civil war so either caliber would be correct. But of course there are a million other reasons the Italian 1803 could never be mistaken for an original even from a distance.

It would be impossible to mistake a NA 1803 for an original if you had seen even a good picture of an original.

Dan

 

[Rod Lassey]

Yeah, I don't know why mine had a fast twist, but as I recall, I measured it as around 1:40 or so---really oddball for some reason. Been 20 years since I smoothbored it, so I can't tell you the exact twist, but I do know it was fast and non-standard.

Rod

 

[David Snellen]

Dear Va. Manf.,
Please give the reference for the 33rd Va. That is WONDERFUL! I would like to be able to use that when folks think only 3 banders were used.
David

 

[Bushwacker30]

My Harper's eats flint' like a rock crusher ,I hate to say this ,but after I gave the frizzen kasenit treatment,the only rocks that hold-up ,are sawed ones . 60 grains 2f ,530 ball and spit ,pillow ticken is my load .old worn out hickory shirt make up my patchin. it shoots better than I do.The sights must be a copy ,they look like a small horse shoe,just right for volley shots or over the shoulder on run! anyone know where I could find a frizzen ?, it is a euro-arms . Thanks from the Wet- Coast

 

[roger zavoda]

i also have a 1803 i bought it used from a fella he changed it to percussion it ssoots well enough with 90 gr.i rekon needs a new rammer
roger

 

[roger zavoda]

I too shoot a HF but mine was converted to percussion by someone and it shoots well enough 90g only need a new rammer...
roger

 

[roger zavoda]

oops :redface:

 

[buford87]

I'm slightly confused. In the book FIREARMS, TRAPS, AND TOOLS OF THE MOUNTAIN MEN the author states that the model 1803 harpers ferry was a .52 caliber. What was the caliber of the originals?........................................Watch yer top knot