Any problems with Pedersoli SxS?

[jethro224]

I'm thinking about getting a Pedersoli 12ga SxS. Are there any problems with the guns that I should be aware of? How do you like yours? Are they reliable? Are their barrels well regulated? Will they hold up to steel shot if I use a plastic cup?
Thanks.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I have owned three, two were just fine but the third and current one was of 1985 vintage and was not regulated well but I sorted it with the file treatment. The locks are crude but can be tuned somewhat. I had a hammer bend some how but it came back easy too. They are heavy butI do ok with it so it stays. The later ones are better and the 10g is a beauty :hatsoff:

Britsmoothy.

 

[GreyWhiskers]

Jethro,

The 10 ga Pedersoli that I'm using looks to be made very well. The problems I encountered have been getting tight patterns. No choke in the right barrel and maybe a modified choke in the left.Hopefully more experimenting will help with that.

Also, the left barrel shoots the center of the pattern to the left of aim. Probably about 6 inches at 20 yards.

The front trigger is a bit stiff and if I switch from my CF double it takes a bit of gettin used to.

For flying targets at close range it's actually a good gun. If I was gonna hunt turkeys I'd rather have something like an English Fowler. GW

 

[nodakhorseman]

Purchased my first Pedersoli 12 ga S/S last fall and have mostly great things to say.

Mine shoots very well. The gun comes with Improved Cylinder, Modified and Full choke tubes. I picked up another improved for shooting steel shot with shot cups. The modified proved to be too tight a fit w/out damaging the shot cup. The improved tubes allow you to pass the cup by pretty easily.

The ram rod is a piece of manure, but I picked up a rod from Track of the Wolf. I don't recall what it's made of but you can bend it back across itself w/out breaking it. I do a lot of cold weather hunting and found that this rod fits the bill.

The only gun flaw would be that the hammers don't impact evenly across the nipples. The cap goes off just fine, but the nipples are mushrooming on one side.

Otherwise, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another!

--Joel

 

[nodakhorseman]

I never did pattern my 12 ga Pedersoli S/S on paper, but find it to hold a tight pattern hunting speaking from experience in the field.

With my improved cylinder barrel, I had great luck shooting sharptailed grouse and huns in September out to 35 yards. They were getting a full pattern.

I was shooting 80 grains of Triple Seven and a matching volume of 8 shot. Did the trick.

Also have had luck out to that same range with ducks this fall. 80 grains of Triple Seven, matching volume of #3 steel in a multi-metal shot cup from Ballistic Products.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I have an older one (1972 ) and it is a very nice gun, no complaints , except that the stock is a bit short for my arms.I use a one ounce shot charge and 75 grains FF.

 

[DanChamberlain]

Mine is a 2003 or so vintage 12ga. I love it. One barrel shoots a pattern a bit low so it's my first barrel for when the birds are closer. The other barrel shoots a centered pattern. Mine has interchangable choke tubes so right now, both barrels are improved cylinder.

One thing, if you're right handed, you need to have something on your left forearm when you shoot the left barrel! I learned my lesson! Short sleeves don't cut it! If you shoot port side, the same is true of your right arm.

Dan

 

[jethro224]

Thanks to everyone for your comments. I have to wait a couple more days to find out what kind of deal the gun shop will make me before I decide for sure, but I'm sure leaning that direction.

DanC, what's the deal? Cap fragments in your arm?

 

[FishDFly]

My only negative comment on the 10 S/S was the left lock was very difficult to get it to go off, it's designed not to have a good trigger pull, but it was too hard.

Had the trigger worked on, it's okay, but could be better.

All in all, a nice shotgun with removeable chokes which can shoot steel.

RDE

 

[DanChamberlain]

The exposed forearm supporting the gun will take a lot of junk being deflected by the nipple. I don't recall getting any cap frags, but a lot of powder flecks speckled the forearm and they stung like nettles for several hours.

If I'm shooting on a hot day, I still wear a long sleeve shirt.

Dan

 

[paulvallandigham]

Dan: They never did come up with a good designed deflector to protect the forearms, and occasionally, your forehead, from flying fragments of a cap. The skirt around the hammer is pretty good for keeping everything flying away from your face, but if you put a brass cup under the cap to deflect fragments upward, they occasionally come back at your face!

I have been hit in the cheek several times with cap fragments. The occasional burning powder is nothing to having to carefully pull a fragment out of your face, so you don't leave a bigger scar than necessary. I shoot a DB percussion shotgun, so I have fragments coming back at me, as well as heading towards my forearm. Your advise to wear a long sleeve shirt when shooting these is sound advise to new shooters.

BTW, I have an idea for an underhammer, and sidehammer percussion ignition system to keep the fragments and burning powder out of your face, or forearm, but its still to be tested. I just can't get the same idea to work, in principle, with a top action percussion system. Gravity is working against me.

 

[jethro224]

Yep Dan, I can see how that might be uncomfortable. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[MLACAZE]

I have a 20G Pedersoli. Bought it from Cabela's in 1996. Absolutely love this gun. I own many different guns and this is my favorite. Shot Snowshoe hare, cottontails, grouse, dove, quail, and bushytails with it.

Never had any problems. Load 1 ounce of powder and 1 ounce of shot.

Mike

 

[Britsmoothy]

I sure would like to try a 20g, I've never seen one but believe they are scaled down a bit and probably lighter :thumbsup:

Britsmoothy

 

[MLACAZE]

I have never held or shot a 12G, but yes the 20G is very light and quick to the shoulder. Recoil in very light with 1oz/1oz loads. I can carry it all day and it never gets heavy.

I bought it new in 1996 for about $350 and they are over $600 now.

Love this gun.