A small review/my opinion on the Model 1855 Springfield from Chiappa and Chiappa muzzleloaders general

[LeadShark]

Hello, my fellow lovers of black powder muzzleloading!

As I have said in another thread, I wanted to buy an 1855 Springfield from Chiappa. After hearing many people say that Chiappa is a bad brand and that their guns suck, I asked people in this forum and people I know personally. All of them said, that Chiappa is a good brand. So with that in mind, I bought one and now I want to share my opinion of the gun itself and Chiappa's guns in general.

Price:

I don't think you can beat Chiappa at the price when you buy a brand new ML. At least here in Europe, they are damn cheap. I paid around 700-800 bucks for the thing, while a Pedersoli would cost me 1200-1300 bucks. Of course this can change depending on what region you are from, but overall Chiappa will have the cheaper price.

Quality:

The quality is good. I don't really see the difference between the Pedersoli manufacture (of the 1861 in this case because they don't sell the 1855) and the Chiappa manufacture. The wood looks and feels great and the steel has a nice polished finish. It is a real looker. Is it 100% historically accurate? Probably not but I am a sports shooter. To me, it kind of looking like the real thing is enough. The rifling is sharp and the fake Maynard tape primer cover just looks super cool.

HOWEVER.....I do have some small complaints.

For one I can't remove the tang screw. It won't move, meaning I cannot take the barrel of for thorough cleaning. (Not that you'd want to take the barrel off of these guns too many times anyway since it screws with the accuracy until it sets again.) This just sucks a bit because there are some small gaps in the fitting. Don't know if this was intentional, but you can find it with a couple of the steel parts that contact wood. Screws on the butt plate were apparently also screwed in by Superman himself. Won't budge and I won't damage them by using excessive force. So just spray your favourite oil in whatever cracks you find. The rifle also had small rust spots in the barrel, since the Italians usually don't really clean the guns after proofing them. Pedersoli does the same thing. But nothing that I wasn't able to clean out. (I have seen all these problems on Pedersoli guns as well. It's just a thing you have to live with if you go repro.)

Handling:

No complaints. It handles and shoots well. Both offhand and from a rest. Sights are good. I don't know the exact weight of the trigger pull, but it doesn't feel too heavy. I have shot way worse. I quite like how this trigger feels. It breaks cleanly. No hang fires. Straight as an arrow. Love it. Some people have said "Chiappa shoots worse than Pedersoli", but once again, I don't see a difference really. A better marksman than me might, but I don't. As per usual, find out your own loads etc.


Chiappa and their guns in general:

You see a lot of people complain about Chiappa guns online. Saying they are the "poor man's Pedersoli", which makes no sense. Saying the quality is bad etc.
Maybe this was the case in the old days, but nowadays Chiappa quality is just as good as Pedersolis. I have seen a bunch of Pedersolis and a bunch of Chiappas. From what I have seen, the quality doesn't differ at all. You might have experienced a bad Chiappa that didn't shoot right or quality wise was just bad and I am not saying that it is because you are a bad shot or whatever. But you might have just gotten a lemon. Or Chiappa was really bad and improved quality from the 2010s to 2021. I can't answer that. I can just say that right now the guns are great and I can recommend the 1855 at least.

If Chiappa ever makes a repro of the Lorenz (be it the Jägerstutzen or the Infantry Rifle), my wallet will be there. Same if they released a Mississippi Rifle with the ladder sights. We should be happy, that there is a second company making some repros or Pedersoli would hold the monopoly over all repros instead of just holding the monopoly over some models.

I just hope that they take the screwdriver away from Superman.

I apologize for the rambling in the latter part and I hope that my opinion on the rifle itself and Chiappa guns in general is still clear enough. Once again I apologize for my bad english. I hope posting this in the percussion section is alright since it is mainly about a percussion rifle.

Powder and lead,

LeadShark

 

[ZUG]

I purchased a new Chiappa 1853 Enfield about 4 years ago and also fine it to be a well made rifle. It certainly beats Pedersoli in the price department. I have no complaints

 

[Gregory Mitchell]

Lay a selection of Pedersoli rifles up next to the same selection of Chiappa rifles. Compare and contrast. Study both in detail. You'll know why Pedersoli costs more.

 

[springfield art]

Hello, my fellow lovers of black powder muzzleloading!

As I have said in another thread, I wanted to buy an 1855 Springfield from Chiappa. After hearing many people say that Chiappa is a bad brand and that their guns suck, I asked people in this forum and people I know personally. All of them said, that Chiappa is a good brand. So with that in mind, I bought one and now I want to share my opinion of the gun itself and Chiappa's guns in general.

Price:

I don't think you can beat Chiappa at the price when you buy a brand new ML. At least here in Europe, they are damn cheap. I paid around 700-800 bucks for the thing, while a Pedersoli would cost me 1200-1300 bucks. Of course this can change depending on what region you are from, but overall Chiappa will have the cheaper price.

Quality:

The quality is good. I don't really see the difference between the Pedersoli manufacture (of the 1861 in this case because they don't sell the 1855) and the Chiappa manufacture. The wood looks and feels great and the steel has a nice polished finish. It is a real looker. Is it 100% historically accurate? Probably not but I am a sports shooter. To me, it kind of looking like the real thing is enough. The rifling is sharp and the fake Maynard tape primer cover just looks super cool.

HOWEVER.....I do have some small complaints.

For one I can't remove the tang screw. It won't move, meaning I cannot take the barrel of for thorough cleaning. (Not that you'd want to take the barrel off of these guns too many times anyway since it screws with the accuracy until it sets again.) This just sucks a bit because there are some small gaps in the fitting. Don't know if this was intentional, but you can find it with a couple of the steel parts that contact wood. Screws on the butt plate were apparently also screwed in by Superman himself. Won't budge and I won't damage them by using excessive force. So just spray your favourite oil in whatever cracks you find. The rifle also had small rust spots in the barrel, since the Italians usually don't really clean the guns after proofing them. Pedersoli does the same thing. But nothing that I wasn't able to clean out. (I have seen all these problems on Pedersoli guns as well. It's just a thing you have to live with if you go repro.)

Handling:

No complaints. It handles and shoots well. Both offhand and from a rest. Sights are good. I don't know the exact weight of the trigger pull, but it doesn't feel too heavy. I have shot way worse. I quite like how this trigger feels. It breaks cleanly. No hang fires. Straight as an arrow. Love it. Some people have said "Chiappa shoots worse than Pedersoli", but once again, I don't see a difference really. A better marksman than me might, but I don't. As per usual, find out your own loads etc.


Chiappa and their guns in general:

You see a lot of people complain about Chiappa guns online. Saying they are the "poor man's Pedersoli", which makes no sense. Saying the quality is bad etc.
Maybe this was the case in the old days, but nowadays Chiappa quality is just as good as Pedersolis. I have seen a bunch of Pedersolis and a bunch of Chiappas. From what I have seen, the quality doesn't differ at all. You might have experienced a bad Chiappa that didn't shoot right or quality wise was just bad and I am not saying that it is because you are a bad shot or whatever. But you might have just gotten a lemon. Or Chiappa was really bad and improved quality from the 2010s to 2021. I can't answer that. I can just say that right now the guns are great and I can recommend the 1855 at least.

If Chiappa ever makes a repro of the Lorenz (be it the Jägerstutzen or the Infantry Rifle), my wallet will be there. Same if they released a Mississippi Rifle with the ladder sights. We should be happy, that there is a second company making some repros or Pedersoli would hold the monopoly over all repros instead of just holding the monopoly over some models.

I just hope that they take the screwdriver away from Superman.

I apologize for the rambling in the latter part and I hope that my opinion on the rifle itself and Chiappa guns in general is still clear enough. Once again I apologize for my bad english. I hope posting this in the percussion section is alright since it is mainly about a percussion rifle.

Powder and lead,

LeadShark

Your English is better than a lot of native English speaking Americans'!

 

[Trot]

I have two Chiappas, and can't complain about them. I started with a Pedersoli model 1863 that I just never could get to group well. I finally figured out that it had a really oversize bore, I just couldn't find minies large enough to fit the bore. I traded it in on the Armisport 1861.

 

[springfield art]

Hello, my fellow lovers of black powder muzzleloading!

As I have said in another thread, I wanted to buy an 1855 Springfield from Chiappa. After hearing many people say that Chiappa is a bad brand and that their guns suck, I asked people in this forum and people I know personally. All of them said, that Chiappa is a good brand. So with that in mind, I bought one and now I want to share my opinion of the gun itself and Chiappa's guns in general.

Price:

I don't think you can beat Chiappa at the price when you buy a brand new ML. At least here in Europe, they are damn cheap. I paid around 700-800 bucks for the thing, while a Pedersoli would cost me 1200-1300 bucks. Of course this can change depending on what region you are from, but overall Chiappa will have the cheaper price.

Quality:

The quality is good. I don't really see the difference between the Pedersoli manufacture (of the 1861 in this case because they don't sell the 1855) and the Chiappa manufacture. The wood looks and feels great and the steel has a nice polished finish. It is a real looker. Is it 100% historically accurate? Probably not but I am a sports shooter. To me, it kind of looking like the real thing is enough. The rifling is sharp and the fake Maynard tape primer cover just looks super cool.

HOWEVER.....I do have some small complaints.

For one I can't remove the tang screw. It won't move, meaning I cannot take the barrel of for thorough cleaning. (Not that you'd want to take the barrel off of these guns too many times anyway since it screws with the accuracy until it sets again.) This just sucks a bit because there are some small gaps in the fitting. Don't know if this was intentional, but you can find it with a couple of the steel parts that contact wood. Screws on the butt plate were apparently also screwed in by Superman himself. Won't budge and I won't damage them by using excessive force. So just spray your favourite oil in whatever cracks you find. The rifle also had small rust spots in the barrel, since the Italians usually don't really clean the guns after proofing them. Pedersoli does the same thing. But nothing that I wasn't able to clean out. (I have seen all these problems on Pedersoli guns as well. It's just a thing you have to live with if you go repro.)

Handling:

No complaints. It handles and shoots well. Both offhand and from a rest. Sights are good. I don't know the exact weight of the trigger pull, but it doesn't feel too heavy. I have shot way worse. I quite like how this trigger feels. It breaks cleanly. No hang fires. Straight as an arrow. Love it. Some people have said "Chiappa shoots worse than Pedersoli", but once again, I don't see a difference really. A better marksman than me might, but I don't. As per usual, find out your own loads etc.


Chiappa and their guns in general:

You see a lot of people complain about Chiappa guns online. Saying they are the "poor man's Pedersoli", which makes no sense. Saying the quality is bad etc.
Maybe this was the case in the old days, but nowadays Chiappa quality is just as good as Pedersolis. I have seen a bunch of Pedersolis and a bunch of Chiappas. From what I have seen, the quality doesn't differ at all. You might have experienced a bad Chiappa that didn't shoot right or quality wise was just bad and I am not saying that it is because you are a bad shot or whatever. But you might have just gotten a lemon. Or Chiappa was really bad and improved quality from the 2010s to 2021. I can't answer that. I can just say that right now the guns are great and I can recommend the 1855 at least.

If Chiappa ever makes a repro of the Lorenz (be it the Jägerstutzen or the Infantry Rifle), my wallet will be there. Same if they released a Mississippi Rifle with the ladder sights. We should be happy, that there is a second company making some repros or Pedersoli would hold the monopoly over all repros instead of just holding the monopoly over some models.

I just hope that they take the screwdriver away from Superman.

I apologize for the rambling in the latter part and I hope that my opinion on the rifle itself and Chiappa guns in general is still clear enough. Once again I apologize for my bad english. I hope posting this in the percussion section is alright since it is mainly about a percussion rifle.

Powder and lead,

LeadShark

Don't think they'll be making a Lorenz anytime soon. The Peder-Lorenz was way late coming out, just as many CW enactors are aging out of the hobby; the big demand was long gone. Got to wonder how many of them are actually being sold these days. There was lots of interest in them about 2000 or so; not much nowadays. Anyone have any comments on this?

 

[LeadShark]

Don't think they'll be making a Lorenz anytime soon. The Peder-Lorenz was way late coming out, just as many CW enactors are aging out of the hobby; the big demand was long gone. Got to wonder how many of them are actually being sold these days. There was lots of interest in them about 2000 or so; not much nowadays. Anyone have any comments on this?

Can't say anything about the USA, but the target shooting scene in Europe is bigger than the CW scene here ever was. And target shooters get hot for military firearms, since multiple federations have disciplines for military muzzleloaders. So it's still worth it for Pedersoli at least to keep producing. Lorenz is popular enough for people that enjoy the 1857 Württembergische to shoot the Lorenz by Pedersoli (or any other maker if that ever were to happen) as well.

 

[Stantheman86]

Ok here's my maybe unpopular opinion.....

I just put a bunch of round ball and Minies through my ArmiSport (Chiappa) CS Richmond rifle. I got it as an unfired display gun from a large gun shop for probably $700 , I can't remember exactly. It's very accurate and extremely reliable.

That being said I also own several Pedersoli muskets and rifles. My Pedersoli 1816 percussion conversion is just fitted and finished better, and has a lock that feels more "solid". Pedersoli, overall, is just made better. I have several Pedersoli Flintlocks too, beautiful muskets. They are a League above Chiappa.

However , my Birmingham produced Enfields are light years above any Italian repro. There's certainly a pecking order. I've heard the Romano Arms custom stuff is top notch , but you'll pay $$ to own one.

But my ArmiSport Richmond is probably the muzzleloader I take with me to the range the most. I like it, it works and it looks good. I don't have to care if it gets banged around and it always goes bang. It's fun to shoot . I'd never sell it.

It also depends on the model. I hear Chiappa puts more effort into the 1842 Springfield because of its heavy use by European match shooters.

The Pedersoli stuff like the 1861 Springfield are made on the old Euroarms equipment. They just bought everything from Euroarms when they went under and started making all those rifles again. The Pedersoli Silver Line like the 1857 "Mauser" and Lorenz are a level above their regular guns.

I'm kind of a Uberti snob too but I fired a Pietta today and have a few of them . I just feel Uberti is fitted a little better.

 

[LeadShark]

Ok here's my maybe unpopular opinion.....

I don't think it is unpopular.

Thanks for the report and happy to see that you enjoy your Richmond!

Don't misunderstand me. I think Pedersoli makes great guns. This is not really meant to be Pedersoli bashing, but more my opinion on Chiappa, if you get what I'm saying. I am actually suprised there hasn't been any "Chiappa bad" speak yet, considering that is what you usually find on any Chiappa post.

 

[Stantheman86]

Some people have this idea that Chiappa rifles are junk and are "only good for shooting blanks"

They do make stuff no one else does like the 1855 Springfield with the ladder sight and 1-48" Twist, rifled .69 1842 and smoothbore P53's and 1861's

Once I put a usable rear sight on my Richmond it will be a really accurate shooter with Minies and round ball.

 

[user 48679]

Some people have this idea that Chiappa rifles are junk and are "only good for shooting blanks"

Lots of gun snobs out there...……..

I've had a few Chiappa's over the past decade, and found them to be well made, but no lubrication in the lock parts when issued new.

 

[Stantheman86]

Lots of gun snobs out there...……..

I've had a few Chiappa's over the past decade, and found them to be well made, but no lubrication in the lock parts when issued new.

I haven't even had the lock out yet

 

[LeadShark]

Lots of gun snobs out there...……..

I've had a few Chiappa's over the past decade, and found them to be well made, but no lubrication in the lock parts when issued new.

Snobs are the worst.

I have taken out the lock. Mine was only oiled. No grease.


The 1855 is still going strong. When shooting prone it will kick.

 

[Stantheman86]

I just got done turning my Chiappa Richmond into a Confederate Sharpshooter rifle with a Pedersoli "sniper " front sight and a piece of scrap leather. Some tweaking of the rear sight and I think I'll be happy with it.

It looks "field modified " which is what I wanted

 

[springfield art]

I'm fortunate to have one of the M61 Springfields customized by James River Armory back around the early 2000's. The barrel was a custom job by Mr. Hoyt, at the time these fully-defarbed muskets went for $769. or so. They were set up specifically for competition. (BTW, James River restored a bad condition M-1 Garand returned from Greece; it was a super low SN, and when it came back from JRA, it looked like a new arsenal issue. They did great work!) What ever happened to those guys?

 

[springfield art]

Hello, my fellow lovers of black powder muzzleloading!

As I have said in another thread, I wanted to buy an 1855 Springfield from Chiappa. After hearing many people say that Chiappa is a bad brand and that their guns suck, I asked people in this forum and people I know personally. All of them said, that Chiappa is a good brand. So with that in mind, I bought one and now I want to share my opinion of the gun itself and Chiappa's guns in general.

Price:

I don't think you can beat Chiappa at the price when you buy a brand new ML. At least here in Europe, they are damn cheap. I paid around 700-800 bucks for the thing, while a Pedersoli would cost me 1200-1300 bucks. Of course this can change depending on what region you are from, but overall Chiappa will have the cheaper price.

Quality:

The quality is good. I don't really see the difference between the Pedersoli manufacture (of the 1861 in this case because they don't sell the 1855) and the Chiappa manufacture. The wood looks and feels great and the steel has a nice polished finish. It is a real looker. Is it 100% historically accurate? Probably not but I am a sports shooter. To me, it kind of looking like the real thing is enough. The rifling is sharp and the fake Maynard tape primer cover just looks super cool.

HOWEVER.....I do have some small complaints.

For one I can't remove the tang screw. It won't move, meaning I cannot take the barrel of for thorough cleaning. (Not that you'd want to take the barrel off of these guns too many times anyway since it screws with the accuracy until it sets again.) This just sucks a bit because there are some small gaps in the fitting. Don't know if this was intentional, but you can find it with a couple of the steel parts that contact wood. Screws on the butt plate were apparently also screwed in by Superman himself. Won't budge and I won't damage them by using excessive force. So just spray your favourite oil in whatever cracks you find. The rifle also had small rust spots in the barrel, since the Italians usually don't really clean the guns after proofing them. Pedersoli does the same thing. But nothing that I wasn't able to clean out. (I have seen all these problems on Pedersoli guns as well. It's just a thing you have to live with if you go repro.)

Handling:

No complaints. It handles and shoots well. Both offhand and from a rest. Sights are good. I don't know the exact weight of the trigger pull, but it doesn't feel too heavy. I have shot way worse. I quite like how this trigger feels. It breaks cleanly. No hang fires. Straight as an arrow. Love it. Some people have said "Chiappa shoots worse than Pedersoli", but once again, I don't see a difference really. A better marksman than me might, but I don't. As per usual, find out your own loads etc.


Chiappa and their guns in general:

You see a lot of people complain about Chiappa guns online. Saying they are the "poor man's Pedersoli", which makes no sense. Saying the quality is bad etc.
Maybe this was the case in the old days, but nowadays Chiappa quality is just as good as Pedersolis. I have seen a bunch of Pedersolis and a bunch of Chiappas. From what I have seen, the quality doesn't differ at all. You might have experienced a bad Chiappa that didn't shoot right or quality wise was just bad and I am not saying that it is because you are a bad shot or whatever. But you might have just gotten a lemon. Or Chiappa was really bad and improved quality from the 2010s to 2021. I can't answer that. I can just say that right now the guns are great and I can recommend the 1855 at least.

If Chiappa ever makes a repro of the Lorenz (be it the Jägerstutzen or the Infantry Rifle), my wallet will be there. Same if they released a Mississippi Rifle with the ladder sights. We should be happy, that there is a second company making some repros or Pedersoli would hold the monopoly over all repros instead of just holding the monopoly over some models.

I just hope that they take the screwdriver away from Superman.

I apologize for the rambling in the latter part and I hope that my opinion on the rifle itself and Chiappa guns in general is still clear enough. Once again I apologize for my bad english. I hope posting this in the percussion section is alright since it is mainly about a percussion rifle.

Powder and lead,

LeadShark

It's always interesting to read posts from our European friends; USA shooters often forget the interest in muzzleloaders that exists on the Continent.

 

[LeadShark]

It's always interesting to read posts from our European friends; USA shooters often forget the interest in muzzleloaders that exists on the Continent.

Lots of ML lovers here. Muzzleloading is just the best type of shooting in my opinion. Most fun. Sure, I enjoy occasionally shooting my 1859 Sharps repro, but I'd shoot my Springfield any day of the week.

 

[Stantheman86]

Lots of ML lovers here. Muzzleloading is just the best type of shooting in my opinion. Most fun. Sure, I enjoy occasionally shooting my 1859 Sharps repro, but I'd shoot my Springfield any day of the week.

I own more "unmentionables " than a small gun shop but I don't even shoot them anymore