Kentucky Bounty Pistol Kit

[jdixon]

Got an offer from a guy to buy a Ky Bounty Pistol kit, flintlock .50 for slightly less than what the Possibles Shop is offering here -[url] http://www.possibleshop.com/pistol-kit.htm[/url]

The kit is new, nothing done on it, apparently never taken out of the box.

I am enough of a nut to want another gun so I am tempted to buy. However, I don't know much about this piece, seeking opinions.

 

[Bill Bryan]

I don't know about the kits but I bought a Pedorsoli Kentucky pistol last year and it's been a good shooter ever since. I enlarged the vent liner hole to 1/16" and filed down the front sight a little but other than that no issues. I'm getting 50-70 shots from each 1/2" flint.

 

[torn moc]

If you are wanting to build it ,I would say go for it! There was a seller on gunbroker selling one for quite awhile.....I was seriously lookin!!!
I like the looks of them too! But have you ever looked at the pedersoli 1807 Harpers Ferry pistol?
only 10" barrel and half stock .58. I think they sell around $360 finished and there are a few on the auctions $250.
I wouldnt wait too long....somebody else might snatch it up....make yer mind up real QUICK!
I just bought a Harpers Ferry....shoots every time , but ya gotta trim the flints short...
great to make smoke with....
let us know what ya decide!!!

 

[Toomuch_36]

The price is right and Pedersoli's kits, or finished firearms, are of exceptional quality. From the description it looks like this one would also make a great competition shooter.
Sounds like a good deal to me.

Toomuch
..............
Shoot Flint

 

[jdixon]

Thanks for the replies. I have done a liitle research on this pistol, appears that it is a new offer by Pedersoli. A cataloge that I have of theirs that is two years old doesn't have this pistol in it, kit form or otherwise. I can only find two on the net offering this kit for sale - Possibles Shop and J. Starr, Possibles has a far better price by the way. Sure would like to hear from someone who already has one of these but, such a person may not be out there yet.

 

I guess the Italians have decided to rewrite U.S. history again!

??"Bounty pistol"??

Just looking at this amalgumation of parts I would suspect that it would be one of the most unwieldy and bad handling pistols you will ever pick up.

This does not meet my criteria for a desirable firearm, But that is just my wierd little opinion.

It's your money, to each his own.
:hatsoff:

All of that nose weight on a birds head Kentucky style grip!

I have a pistol with a barrel that long, but it is only used in conjunction with the skeleton buttstock that snaps into a slot in the grip.

 

[arcticap]

That may be a model that was made available in Europe before it was introduced here.
Conversely, Ardessa continues to sell some Traditions marked guns in Europe long after they have been discontinued here, according to what Traditions has said.
I believe that there are stable and comfortable ways to hold such a long pistol using a modified style of offhand target rifle hold, using the ribs for support.
Even if it's only shot from a rest, it should have good accuracy potential.
From the pictures of the finished ones that I've seen, it's a nice looking pistol. :hatsoff:

 

[mec]

I've shot two pedersoli Kentucky flints in 50 and 54 caliber. the later had a light trigger from the box and we lightned the 50. both are (factory finished) very well done pistols with fine accuracy.

A long barreled pistol of this sort is historically feasible whether or not it actually apes a known arm. There were so many flintlocks made by a huge number of makers that it would be hard to call anything "unoriginal."

 

[jdixon]

I called the guy today and told him to hold it, I'll pick it up next week when I get a chance. Since it doesn't seem that anyone on here has first hand knowledge of it, I will give it the field test, what the heck. It looks like it would be a hoot to shoot.

The one that I will be getting is a kit, so I gots a little time to put it together. The first thing that I am going to look into is replacing that single trigger with a double set Davis. I'll see if that will work when I get a chance to look it over more.

You are probably correct in it being offered in Europe before. I have found exploded view drawings on the net of this gun in German.

Thanks for your opinions and insight. I will get post some reports about at a later date.

 

[Pittsburghunter]

Instinct, you know you want it, buy it. I love that type of purchase.

 

[patch knife]

I'll be eager to see your results . I think Pedersoli makes a good gun . I your kit is as good as the Queen Anne kit I got from them , it should fit together without much trouble :thumbsup: . Have fun building it , and plaese let us know how it shoots !

 

[torn moc]

Yea!!
We wnt some pics of that BAD BOY when ya get it built! Take frum me....its alot better to go with the gut feeling than to change yer mind and live with the regret......

~~~~ BOOM~~~

 

[Toomuch_36]

The one that I will be getting is a kit, so I gots a little time to put it together. The first thing that I am going to look into is replacing that single trigger with a double set Davis. I'll see if that will work when I get a chance to look it over more.

As long as you are going to change-up the trigger anyways, you could look into one of Davis's single set triggers as it would probably fit under your existing trigger guard better. From the add description it sound like it will be a real shooter.

Toomuch
.............
Shoot Flint

 

[jdixon]

Yeah, the single set would be my second option if the double is too long. My personal preference is the double but, either one would do the trick. With a target trigger and fast ignition, this could be a real tack driver - we'll see. 1:18 twist on it, would that handle PBR's with a twist that fast, or would something in a short conical or even a sabotted round work better?

 

[Zonie]

Being curious about the 1:18 twist, I just looked at the Pedersoli specs given in the Dixie catalog for some other DP guns.
The .50 caliber Kentucky Pistol has a 1:18 twist.
So does the .45 cal Kentucky, the .44 cal LePage, the .45 cal Charles Moore Dueling Pistol, the .44 cal Mortimer, the .44 cal Kuchenreuter and the .36 cal Carleston Underhammer.

Typically pistols have fast twist rates to make up for their lack of velocity. After all, the rate of spin on the projectile in revolutions per minute (or second) is the bottom line.

I think if you wanted to shoot a short conical in the 250-350 grain weight it would work fine.
I'm still wondering why someone would want to shoot a sssssss..., ssssssss..., sssss..sabot when a good old roundball should work as well and costs a whole lot less?

 

[jdixon]

No - the sabots would only be there if nothing else would work as well. I would have to go out and buy those, I got a boat load of round balls however, glad to hear that those would probably work best.

I knew the revolvers had the high twist rate as well, was not certain if that was due to the slightly oblonged shape they obtain from loading and firing. Those revolvers are not shooting a patched ball either, didn't think the same rules would apply. Now the velocity angle is not one that I thought of, that makes sense - thanks.

 

[Zonie]

The pistols I mentioned above are single shot pistols but as you mentioned revolvers I peeked at them too.
Most of them have either a 1:32 or a 1:48 twist!
Just when things start to make sense, along comes more information to confuse things.

 

[arcticap]

I checked the spec.'s of the .45 Ruger Old Army and it's twist rate is 1 in 16 inches.

http://www.midwayusa.com/technote.exe/technote?SaleItemID=291380

 

[jdixon]

This got me looking - the DGW catalog lists the specifications on a number of blackpowder handguns. It looks like most of the revolvers fall into that 1:32 class that Zonie mentioned, and most of the single shot muzzleloaders the 1:18, but then there are these that don't fit -
Revolvers:
Uberti Remington Navy Revolver in .36 - 1:18
Dixie M1861 Whitney Revolver - .36 - 1:21
Dixie Spiller & Burr Revolver - .36 - 1:56!
Now the Walker Pistols really throw things off-
Uberti's Walker - 1:48
Dixie's Walker - 1:60
Remingtons seem to be all over the map:
Dixie Remington New Model Army "Shooter's" Revolver - .44 - 1:32
Pedersoli Remington Pattern - .44 - 1:18 (from DP's web sight)
Dixie Remington New Model Army Revolver (Kit - Brass Frame) - .44 - 1:56
The front stuffers seem to be more consistent but, there are these -
Pedersoli Model 1805 Harper's Ferry - .58 - 1:56!
Lyman GPP - .50 or .54 - 1:30
Traditions Kentucky Pistol - .50 - 1:48

If velocity is the determiner on what rate of barrel twist would be best - it may help to look at a modern revolver or auto-loader's specifications:
Ruger P345 - .45 auto - 1:16
Ruger KGP revolver - .357 - 1:18

So the rate of twist on a modern .357 is the same as the front stuffers shooting a patched round ball of a far greater diameter.

All of this begs the question; Which twist rate is most accurate in a muzzleloading handgun? I don't know if finding that out would really be possible testing what is listed here, there are so many other variables. For instance in the Remington's listed the retail price runs from under $200 to over $900 for the Pedersoli. Since it is the same gun, one would have to assume that quality is the difference driving the price.
I am curious also as to what the originals of some these that seem out of the norm actually were.

There seems to be something we are missing here. Interesting discussion. :thumbsup:

 

[arcticap]

Here's more pistol twist rates from the Deer Creek Catalog:

Traditions .50 caliber Kentucky, Trapper, William Parker pistols - 1 in 20"
Pioneer .45 - 1 in 16"
Crockett .32 - 1 in 16"
BuckHunter Pro .50 - 1 in 28"
BuckHunter Pro .45 - 1 in 20"
Prospector .44 - 1 in 22"