Brown Bess: I gots me some questions...

[Wawyasto]

Just got from my state muzzleloading association convention with a Pedersoli Brown Bess and a bag full o' balls. I'm looking forward to getting it out in a day or two now that it's warming up but I need some guidance.

1. The balls that came with it are .735" and I only got maybe 25-30. I'm going to need more. Should I stay with .735 or grab some .690 which appears to be more correct for the gun?

2. Load data. I'm going to build paper cartridges for it, what seems to work the best?

3. Did Pedersoli plate the metal on these? If so it appears to be coming off. Is this normal? Any way to clean this up?

4. Where so I find a bayonet for this

 

[Timber Wolf]

I can’t speak to all your questions as I have very limited experience loading and shooting my Pedersoli Bess. But, .735 would be proper for patched ball shooting, .690 for paper cartridge building. I have shot home made paper cartridges made with sale flyer paper wrapping a .69 ball from the Lee mold ahead of 100 grains of Swiss 1.5f powder. I got a couple of pounds of the 1.5f from a fellow at my club that had it for black powder cartridge loading, I figured it would work fine for the Bess and it did. I primed with 3f, just because it was handy. You may be disappointed with the accuracy of the paper wrapped .69 balls, unless you are just really wanting to experience the gun as it was used in the day (I did). I venture to assume that a snug PRB (the .735) will be more accurate. I have some of the larger balls, and a mold but have not shot any yet. Do a search for bayonets, they can be had several places and can get kinda pricey but I have seen some fairly priced as well. I was fortunate to purchase a package deal with a bayonet and cartridge box.

 

[Flint Striker]

When I had my Bess, I split the difference and went with .715 balls from TOTW. They were OK however I decided to load them. I used patches with some, but I usually used the local newspaper for wadding. I don’t recall my charge, but I used FFg powder for the main charge and found it reliable for priming. There’s a noticeable delay from priming with a finer powder though.

 

[pacanis]

I used paper cartridges my first outing. I enjoyed loading them like back in the day.
Like I mentioned in another thread, if it takes a paper cartridge and it's a rifle or musket I always buy a kit from Jefferson Arsenal to get me going. Which includes the balls. Then I use one of their papers and make a pattern from it.

But I have a mold, too for PRB's.

 

[User_Dan]

90gr of 2f with a 690 paper cartridge works great for me with a pedersoli.

 

[Wawyasto]

Thanks for all the replies, I'm definitely going to play with 90 grains of 2F and .690 ball. 90 grains is what I use for all my .54 rifles and seems to work great.

Now about the finish on this musket, what's up with this? There was some minor surface rust on the lock and around the vent but not sure how to go about cleaing up the finish on the barrel.

 

[Britsmoothy]

It's rusted off and someone wire wooled it. It's called patina , don't worry about it.
The bores of Pedersoli guns are chrome plated to aid cleaning and boost protection from corrosive elements. It is not to facilitate the use of steel shot.

Don't use a patch with the .735" balls. Just shoot them bare. Wadding of course top and bottom. Patching a smoothbores gun is like wearing underpants under yer PJ's!

 

[shaman]

I'm fairly new to the 'Bess. I purchased a Pedersoli a year ago and promptly got Cancer. The chemo put me out of action from May on.

So far, I've found the .69 ball under 80 grains of 3F in a paper cartridge works the best of the loads I've tried. I've got .715 and .735 balls to try this year.

Pedersoli delivers the gun in the white-- bare metal. It took some doing to find a method of keeping it from rusting. When I put the piece to bed for the winter, I cleaned it really well and coated lightly with Eezox and it's stayed bright since November.

 

[Rifleman1776]

The Pedersoli Besses bore size can vary. Best you try those you have. If they work, yer fine. If too tight a smaller ball is needed. Mine took a .715" patched ball. I favor more moderate charges. 50 to 70 gr. will kill almost anything. If yer going after grizzly then 100 gr. would be more better.

 

[Grenadier1758]

The 0.715 is a good size for the Bess. I do know some shooters that use the 0.735 in a nest of tow for wadding and have good luck shooting an essentially bare ball.

Ultimately, the chosen ball should reflect the intended use of the musket and the performance.

Once you have determined the use, then load development will whittle down the choices for ball size and powder charge.

 

[dave_person]

It's rusted off and someone wire wooled it. It's called patina , don't worry about it.
The bores of Pedersoli guns are chrome plated to aid cleaning and boost protection from corrosive elements. It is not to facilitate the use of steel shot.

Don't use a patch with the .735" balls. Just shoot them bare. Wadding of course top and bottom. Patching a smoothbores gun is like wearing underpants under yer PJ's!

Hi Britsmoothy,
When did Pedersoli start chroming their bores? Here is a 1970s-1980s Pedersoli Bess I reworked. No chrome in that bore, just neglectful pitting. I have 2 other barrels from Pedersoli Besses likely from the 1980s and 1990s and they sure are not chromed.

Jaholder, it looks to me that someone tried some method to create "patina", maybe bleach. So you have "aging" on the barrel and lock but the stock is still shiny and new looking.

dave

 

[Britsmoothy]

Hi Britsmoothy,
When did Pedersoli start chroming their bores? Here is a 1970s-1980s Pedersoli Bess I reworked. No chrome in that bore, just neglectful pitting. I have 2 other barrels from Pedersoli Besses likely from the 1980s and 1990s and they sure are not chromed.

Jaholder, it looks to me that someone tried some method to create "patina", maybe bleach. So you have "aging" on the barrel and lock but the stock is still shiny and new looking.

dave

Maybe I'm wrong... wouldn't be the first time.
Some of their smoothbores are and I thought, from somewhere I got it, all their smoothbores are.

I will add that it is very very thin plating and I have had pedersolis that will rust in patches where the plating is missing.
I personally believe they do it to cut down on lapping time!
All I know is all my doubles were and that includes one going back to 78. My trade gun of theirs is and my Bess was.
There maybe a YouTube video of the factory that mentions it but don't quote me on that.

https://www.davide-pedersoli.com/en/product/waterfowl-side-by-side-cal10-cyl-impr-cyl

 

[FlinterNick]

Just got from my state muzzleloading association convention with a Pedersoli Brown Bess and a bag full o' balls. I'm looking forward to getting it out in a day or two now that it's warming up but I need some guidance.

1. The balls that came with it are .735" and I only got maybe 25-30. I'm going to need more. Should I stay with .735 or grab some .690 which appears to be more correct for the gun?

2. Load data. I'm going to build paper cartridges for it, what seems to work the best?

3. Did Pedersoli plate the metal on these? If so it appears to be coming off. Is this normal? Any way to clean this up?

4. Where so I find a bayonet for this

Over the years Pedersoli has used 4140, EN42 steel on their barrels. It’s possible those alloys contain chromium but i don’t believe they chrome plate the bores. I know they’re highly polishing the new ones to nearly 2 micron which leaves a very moisture resistant surface.

The older pedersoli barrels I’m not sure what they’re made of but they’re very good barrels, miroku made an equally if not better quality barrel.

The bright barrel likely has some type of patina on it, as mentioned by Dave and others. You can clean that up by polishing the barrel. Abbrasive pads work well, then steel wool.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Just got from my state muzzleloading association convention with a Pedersoli Brown Bess and a bag full o' balls. I'm looking forward to getting it out in a day or two now that it's warming up but I need some guidance.

1. The balls that came with it are .735" and I only got maybe 25-30. I'm going to need more. Should I stay with .735 or grab some .690 which appears to be more correct for the gun?

The .690 ball are correct for military, combat, speed loading rounds. IF you want best accuracy, you may like a bare .735 ball.
IF you want a rear sight, you go to the local hardware store and get a brass angle bracket 3/4", and either use it like a modern ghost-ring sight, or modify it to be a rear sight. You install it by putting your tang-bolt through one of the holes, and the angle then becomes a sight.

2. Load data. I'm going to build paper cartridges for it, what seems to work the best?

80 to 90 grains of 2Fg should be fine.

3. Did Pedersoli plate the metal on these? If so it appears to be coming off. Is this normal? Any way to clean this up?

So as another reply mentioned, that's patina. You can polish it away with a YELLOW scrubbie from the appliance section of the big box home improvement store, the type used to clean glass cooktops on stoves. If that doesn't work you can submerge parts in Evaporust solution.

4. Where so I find a bayonet for this

Pedersoli still makes them but they are a tad pricey. You should check Dixie Gun Works (DGW)

LD

 

[RicM]

I bought my Pedesoli spring 2022, used in the box w/all the paperwork never fired, the owner a reanactor bought it a while back as a spare, decided to let it go thru referrals for $1,200 with a soft case too. The photo below is the muzzle when I bought it, does look like a steel liner. Anyway I agree with above posts. Used .735, .069 balls. The .735 I shoot with a greased .010 patch, have shot 7 rounds with no need for a clean swipe. I bought the cartridge kit from Jefferson Arms with the .690 balls (See the link). They were easy and quick to order the kit. Im still getting used to it and only shooting at 50 yards until I get comfortable with it. Unsupported I have a bad habit on dropping the barrel on the trigger pull thus shooting low I caught that by videoing myself. Support on a sand bag eliminates it.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Over the years Pedersoli has used 4140, EN42 steel on their barrels. It’s possible those alloys contain chromium but i don’t believe they chrome plate the bores. I know they’re highly polishing the new ones to nearly 2 micron which leaves a very moisture resistant surface.

The older pedersoli barrels I’m not sure what they’re made of but they’re very good barrels, miroku made an equally if not better quality barrel.

The bright barrel likely has some type of patina on it, as mentioned by Dave and others. You can clean that up by polishing the barrel. Abbrasive pads work well, then steel wool.

Maybe I'm wrong... wouldn't be the first time.
Some of their smoothbores are and I thought, from somewhere I got it, all their smoothbores are.

I will add that it is very very thin plating and I have had pedersolis that will rust in patches where the plating is missing.
I personally believe they do it to cut down on lapping time!
All I know is all my doubles were and that includes one going back to 78. My trade gun of theirs is and my Bess was.
There maybe a YouTube video of the factory that mentions it but don't quote me on that.

https://www.davide-pedersoli.com/en/product/waterfowl-side-by-side-cal10-cyl-impr-cyl

 

[TFoley]

Duelist1954 - AKA Mike Beliveau - made a great YouTube article about the use of tow/ball/tow a while back - surprisingly accurate, too.

 

[OldSmoky1967]

I'm fairly new to the 'Bess. I purchased a Pedersoli a year ago and promptly got Cancer. The chemo put me out of action from May on.

So far, I've found the .69 ball under 80 grains of 3F in a paper cartridge works the best of the loads I've tried. I've got .715 and .735 balls to try this year.

Pedersoli delivers the gun in the white-- bare metal. It took some doing to find a method of keeping it from rusting. When I put the piece to bed for the winter, I cleaned it really well and coated lightly with Eezox and it's stayed bright since November.

My original Bee, which is in the white is lightly rubbed with bear grease if I have it, or unsalted lard after cleaning. I mean just a little on a paper towel. Also I use it on a patch after cleaning to keep the bore rust free. Never any problems.

 

[Louisk]

Thanks for the discussion. I've been following this since I bought a Pedersoli Brown Bess carbine which I have yet to shoot. I've heard it isn't apt to remain as shiny as it is now but I'd like to preserve it as best as I can. Were any sort of Bess's ever browned? I'm asking that because it appears Pedersoli also makes a Brown Bess "Trade Gun" which appears to be the same gun as the carbine with a browned finish. Was the Brown Bess Trade Gun a real thing in the past?

 

[shaman]

Duelist1954 - AKA Mike Beliveau - made a great YouTube article about the use of tow/ball/tow a while back - surprisingly accurate, too.

I think this is the video to which you're referring. It's a 2-parter. You're right. It's excellent.