Does anybody shoot a Navy Arms 1803 Harpers Ferry?

[TomFoolerythe3rd]

I have one in .58 cal very non-pc, and was just curious if anybody has had major problems with this model? I believe it was created in the 70s by Zoli. This is the second one I have owned because the first one would not go bang. I love the look of it. :thanks:

 

[[email protected]]

nope.....sigh....but I wish I did!!!
i love the looks of them too.....
Harpers Ferry is bot 3 hrs drive from my cabin....

*** WV SCROUNGER ***

 

[gowestrn]

I bought my used replica 1803 Harpers Ferry in a gun store so I don't know who distributed it in the USA. I had to go get it out and look it over to determine that it is a Euroarms .54 cal. It's been a while since I shot it but it worked just fine on that occasion.

 

[Bear Rider]

TomFoolery,

I have a Zoli Harpers Ferry, with a lock marked Navy Arms. The first thing that I did was take it to a gunsmith friend of mine and had him drill out the original, offcenter vent and replace it with a liner in the right place. It's a pretty good shooter. I use 70g of ffG with ffffG for priming. The wierd part is, it seems to like thin patches, such as the scraps from my calico shirts.

I recently talked another friend of mine into tapping the end of the ramrod for 10-32 threads, so that I don't have to carry a second rod in the field.

I don't worry if the caliber is PC or not. I figure that if someone is examining the muzzle of my weapon that minutely, he's too close.

 

[thomas]

I have one just like yours, same 58. cal. & made by Zoli. Your right not pc, but I've shot mine alot & had no probems what so ever, so have just kept it around.

Thomas

 

[OTHERN]

I have one of the euroarms ones in 54 cal. It is my primitive gun and I love it.

 

[TomFoolerythe3rd]

nope.....sigh....but I wish I did!!!
i love the looks of them too.....
Harpers Ferry is bot 3 hrs drive from my cabin....

*** WV SCROUNGER ***

Apparently there is a guy out that way named John Zimmerman, who makes Euroarms and Armi-sports into PC rifles. I believe the 1803 is one of his products.

 

[wulf]

You'll like this one Tom...I bought a 58 way long ago and wuz very disappointed.. In a short while I remade the cock to give more angle. That greatly improved the sparking. Then I cut some off the breech end and re-plugged it,,that got rid of the thread too deep problem. With that done I made a new stock from measurements off an origional and fit a new trigger guard and butt plate and better sights.
Now it feels good [as it should] and shoots wonderful..I doubt if you could believe my group off hand....Now I have what I should have gotten when i bought it.

 

[Bob J]

I have one in .58 cal very non-pc

1803 Harpers Ferry not PC in .58? :hmm: Well, maybe technically. Have read that the originals were very sturdy rifles. And, in fact, there were Indians that came onto the reservations in the 1880s carrying old 1803s! Bores were shot almost smooth, some wrapped in leather, beaded up, etc. And weren't more than a few barrels re-bored as they were shot out?

 

[TomFoolerythe3rd]

Wulf, I would love to do that to mine if I only had the shop tools and time. Currently, I am sitting on attempting to put together the Track of the Wolf Contract Rifle kit which is basically a full stocked 1803. As of right now mine (zoli) shoots about 5 to 6 times before needing a good cleaning, but it doesn't spark like my Brown Bess. :front:

 

[TomFoolerythe3rd]

Dixie I did not know that. This summer my plan is to read more about the 1803 rifle and its use. I currently have the book by Reilly titled United States Martial Flintlocks as a starter but I am looking for more info.

 

[Wes/Tex]

In the past the 1803 from Italian makers caused a lot of trouble due to undersized parts and poor hardening of the lock parts. The 1803 is of the type called a "basher" style lock which meant the cock shape made the flint straight-on into the frizzen. When the repos were made, the parts were cast from original parts which caused them to come out of the mold undersized. Add to this that the lock parts were hardened poorly and had such a thin hardened surface thickness that any attempt to do any file work cut through the hardened thickness. Unfortunately, the parts from Track will not interchange with the parts of the imported guns. The Italian makers decided to "improve" some of the lock features which changed the lock shape and added gutters to make the lock more waterproof. At one time Track had several articles on their site about using Siler parts to replace those in the imported lock to improve ignition. These instructions included moving screw hole locations that make the process a job for an experienced locksmith. Haven't checked recently to see if these instructions are still posted but a check of their site might prove helpful. Good luck.

 

[Java Man]

I've got one of the .54 cal versions, purchased from Dixie in 1991. Sent the lack back to Dixie right away, and they rehardened the frizzen, and now it sparks pretty good. Does'nt always throw those sparks in the pan though! ::

Also, the rear sight sits about 1/2 way out of the dovetail to the left, to get it to shoot center.

I still like the rifle a lot, and should shoot it more. It balances real nice.

Gregg

 

[thehorn]

I had a Navy Arms 1803 that sparked very poorly and suffered from poor lock geometry/engineering. Solved the problem by adding a drum & nipple and converted the lock to percussion, as could have been done back then w/ surplus guns, keeping it pc. Shot real well as percussion. Traded it for an original 1816 conversion musket. Thinking about making another one again this fall.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

How about opening a new topic on the Smoothbore Forum. I'd like to hear about that conversion musket and maybe see some photos.

 

[thehorn]

I'd like to hear about that conversion musket and maybe see some photos.

Russ,
I don't have the gun anymore, but I will try to get photos of the gun at our next shoot as the fella that now owns it belongs to our club. I also hope to recreate the same gun again later this year and can post photos then. I just need to find a decent used replica of the flint rifle at a good price.