Help with my balls.

[Mark E. Prickett]

I purchased two open flintlock pistols at auction. One from 10-ring precision is .45 caliber and says to use patched .440 round ball, no problem with that one. The second one has absolutely no markings anywhere. Has a false muzzle, as best I can measure at the lands it's .375. The false muzzle just before the rifling is. 390. I'm pretty sure it would be. 36 Caliber. So what size ball? Patched or unpatched? Open to your wisdom.

 

[tenngun]

With a false muzzle in could be a conical gun. Check your twist and also mich your bore

 

[Mark E. Prickett]

With a false muzzle in could be a conical gun. Check your twist and also mich your bore

.375 at the bottom of the rifling. looks like 1 in 16 twist.

 

[painter]

I'd probably try a .360, or .358 ball with a .015/.020 patch.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

I'd try to borrow a couple of .350 RB and try them with ten to fifteen thousandths patches. If you need to go bigger, THEN try the .358 - .360... or you could try the larger one first, but most .36 caliber guns are comfortable with .350. Who made the gun? Is it vintage or a modern reproduction?

 

[tenngun]

What’s the twist rate? Generally round ball guns are 1/48 or more.
Then rifeling depth. Conicals tend to be shallow, Patch deep.

 

[Mark E. Prickett]

I'd try to borrow a couple of .350 RB and try them with ten to fifteen thousandths patches. If you need to go bigger, THEN try the .358 - .360... or you could try the larger one first, but most .36 caliber guns are comfortable with .350. Who made the gun? Is it vintage or a modern reproduction?

Reread my post and then look at the photos please.

 

[Mark E. Prickett]

What’s the twist rate? Generally round ball guns are 1/48 or more.
Then rifeling depth. Conicals tend to be shallow, Patch deep.

I get 4in of length on my cleaning rod from one flat to the next. 4x8=16 so 1 in 16? rifleing depth looks like .006

 

[Matt85]

What an odd-looking firearm.

A 1 in 16 twist would lead me to believe the gun is meant to fire conicals. If you wish to try round balls then a .360" ball with a 0.015-0.018 patch

 

[tenngun]

I get 4in of length on my cleaning rod from one flat to the next. 4x8=16 so 1 in 16? rifleing depth looks like .006

That’s pretty fast. Agree you need a conical.
Round ball May do ok but keep the charges light

 

[Stantheman86]

I have never seen such things

 

[Eterry]

I purchased two open flintlock pistols at auction. One from 10-ring precision is .45 caliber and says to use patched .440 round ball, no problem with that one. The second one has absolutely no markings anywhere. Has a false muzzle, as best I can measure at the lands it's .375. The false muzzle just before the rifling is. 390. I'm pretty sure it would be. 36 Caliber. So what size ball? Patched or unpatched? Open to your wisdom.



You won't see those at your local Rondy, I believe they are called "Open Class" in competition.

I'd bet good money it uses .357 lead
"conicals".

 

[TDM]

“Pull the other one”

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I have never seen such things

Something like this showed up at a shoot back in the '70's. We called it a space gun at the time. I don't have any details about it. It was very accurate but just didn't fit in.

 

[Eterry]

I get 4in of length on my cleaning rod from one flat to the next. 4x8=16 so 1 in 16? rifleing depth looks like .006





I'm sorry... but maybe you should check your math.

 

[TDM]

I have never seen such things

Me neither.

 

[TDM]

Something like this showed up at a shoot back in the '70's. We called it a space gun at the time. I don't have any details about it. It was very accurate but just didn't fit in.

I believe you, but.

 

[Stantheman86]

I'm assuming these had or have a very specific Match use

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I believe you, but.

But what?
One detail that came to me is that the space gun had some sort of set trigger mechanism that was set by pulling or pushing a lever at the bottom of the grip frame. Another detail is that the guy who had the pistol was a too serious competitor who wouldn't sit around the campfire and have a drink and tell a few tales with the rest of us buckskinners.

 

[TDM]

But what?
One detail that came to me is that the space gun had some sort of set trigger mechanism that was set by pulling or pushing a lever at the bottom of the grip frame. Another detail is that the guy who had the pistol was a too serious competitor who wouldn't sit around the campfire and have a drink and tell a few tales with the rest of us buckskinners.

My “but” was that I don’t know what to say about such a pistol.