.58 cal pistol dusn't take .58

[Sharpie44]

My .58 cal pedersoli flintlock pistol doesn't want to take .58 cal round ball (.570)

i went to the range with it for the first time and couldn't get a ball down it. I'm using the right patches and the lead is from Hornady. As far as i know pedersoli only made the Harper's ferry in .58. It's almost impossible to even get the cleaning .58 jig down it with a patch.

It's never been fired before so what could be the problem? I spent $10 to go to the range for nothing.

 

[JayDee Flohr]

Using your calipers, what's the bore measure?

 

[Sharpie44]

I don't have any calipers but it has to be very close to .58 because the .58 cleaning jig is extremity snug in it.

I think it was a kit gun and it's possible that the bore is still rough.

 

[R.M.]

Without being able to measure the bore and the balls, who knows. You can't use the jag as a gauge, it could be anything.
You went to the range with only one gun? :hmm: Consider it a lesson learned.

 

[Sharpie44]

I'll have to take it to the log cabin and have them look at it.

 

[rafterob]

Did you try to drop the bare ball down the barrel?

 

[jimmy82]

Did you try to drop the bare ball down the barrel?

That could get interesting... did that once on a whim. Getting it back out wasn't fun.

 

[Sharpie44]

Ok..... I went out and drooped $10 on some cheep calipers and it's reading just a touch over .570. I mean were talking just a hair like no more than .575 max.

 

[jimmy82]

hmm... probably gonna have to find some .560ish balls then. Or some .005 patches. Gonna be a tight fit. Track sells some .562 balls.

 

[Sharpie44]

aww manure I bought 100 rounds of .570, what the heck am I going to do with all those. I think these is a lesson to be learned here.

 

[Zonie]

sharpie
If it were mine and I had bought a bunch of .570 diameter balls I would look around the house for some old pure cotton tee shirt. The more worn out, the better.
What I really would be looking for was some cotton cloth that was so badly worn that it would only be about .005 thick.

These guns originally were smoothbores and the only thing the patch really does is to seal the bore, center the ball and keep it from moving off of the powder load.

With my .570 balls, a few flints, my worn out tee shirt, some black powder, a short starter and a longer ram to seat the ball I would head for the range to have fun poking great big holes in things.

When your .562 diameter balls get to you, then you can think about thicker patches and doing more accurate shooting although remember, these guns were meant for close up shooting at a man or horse.
Target pistols, they ain't. :grin:

 

[Sharpie44]

Thanks for the reply. You guys are always very helpful.

Is it safe to fire it without a patch if I'm not concerned about accuracy?

I'm going to go to the range with a friend tomorrow. He wants to learn how to shoot a flintlock (he's only fired a Gun once before) so I'll be killing two birds with one stone. :grin:

I'll bring my .50 and H&K just in case the .58 doesn't work out.

 

[MikeChapin]

From what you describe it sounds like you have a tight bore on the .58. It happens. I have a .36 rifle that is that way.


I would try a .562 ball and see if it works a little better. As for the cleaning jag, I would chuck up the jag in an electric drill and lay a file on the jag while the drill is turning. This will take enough off the jag to make it work better. I had to do this on the above mentioned .36 and a standard .54 jag that I use in my .53 Santa Fe.

 

[F.G. Ford]

Very simple fix to the hundred or so .570 balls........... Get another gun! :grin:
That's what we're all doin'
Very easy to justify to the wife :redface:
Wouldn't want to waste all those balls? Would we?

Old Ford

 

[renovato]

You should always slug and measure the bore of any new gun before trying to figure out a load for it. Otherwise, you won't know what size ball and patch to use in it.

Take a cone shaped fishing sinker and tap it into the bore far enough to get an impression on it. The carefully pull it back out. Measure across it with calipers and you'll know your diameter. You can figure out ball size and patch thickness from there.

 

[trent/OH]

It's certainly unusual, but not unheard of, for the balls to have been improperly boxed. If they are .575, and the barrel is .575, then that's a TIGHT fit.

You needed a micrometer anyway. Now you have one.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

My .58 cal pedersoli flintlock pistol doesn't want to take .58 cal round ball (.570)

i went to the range with it for the first time and couldn't get a ball down it. I'm using the right patches and the lead is from Hornady. As far as i know pedersoli only made the Harper's ferry in .58. It's almost impossible to even get the cleaning .58 jig down it with a patch.

It's never been fired before so what could be the problem? I spent $10 to go to the range for nothing.

I know what you're feeling! I have a 10 ga. Pedersoli double that has to use 11 gauge wads, and I also needed to have a custom jag made from a stock one by taking a little "meat" off of it!

All good advice here!

Hope that you have fun making smoke!

Dave

 

[zimmerstutzen]

years back I obtained a HArper's Ferry repro, made in Italy I think that had an odd size bore. I think it was about as you say. I found a 56 ball mols somewhere. You only need enough patch to seal the bore. I would suggest some muslin, very thin stuff, maybe .005