Pedersoli Flintlock Kentucky Pistol

[Siringo]

I have the aforementioned pistol in 45 caliber. I have tried loads using .015, .018 and .020 patches with a .440 ball. I am using Old Enysford FFFG powder. Accuracy at 25 yards is dismal with any combinations that I have tried. Group sizes hover around 4 inches and I was hoping for better.

What experiences are any of you having that have this pistol?

 

[rafterob]

Accuracy should be great! If you have just started shooting it, then take the time to find the best load first. Shooting off a rest on a bench. Once you have discovered the best grouping load, and adjusted the sights as necessary, then start shooting offhand. Takes a lot of practice to get good offhand groups, especially if its a flintlock.

 

[Britsmoothy]

How do the patches look after firing? Could you use them again?
How much powder are you using?

 

[BrokenArrow]

Pedersoli recommends balls of the size .445 which would normally require .010 Patches. The load with Swiss Nr.1 may be close to 20 grain for target shooting.

I wouldn't expect to shoot that pistole like a Manton, Le Page or something like that Tatham & Egg neo-classical

balls .445

search Link Best.Nr. Rundkugeln/Geschosse

 

[Siringo]

How do the patches look after firing? Could you use them again?
How much powder are you using?

Patches are perfect.

 

[Siringo]

Accuracy should be great! If you have just started shooting it, then take the time to find the best load first. Shooting off a rest on a bench. Once you have discovered the best grouping load, and adjusted the sights as necessary, then start shooting offhand. Takes a lot of practice to get good offhand groups, especially if its a flintlock.

I did shoot off the bench. I have not tried a .445 ball. This pistol has rifling that looks like marlins micro groove. I believe 12 lands and grooves. Very shallow. So I do swab after each shot.

 

[BrokenArrow]

Well, I have two Pedersoli Le Page Flint Pistols.

The rifled barrels have seven grooves and 6 lands. They are .44 caliber which need a .435 ball with a .001 patch and 20 grain (18 - 23 epending on the day) of Swiss 1. They are not very deep but do not require to swab after each shot.

I have the smooth bore barrels too. They are caliber .45. They require a .457 ball with .001 patch and 30 grain of Swiss 1.

The Pedersoli Rifle, with a caliber. 45 barrel, reuqires likewise .445 balls with .001 patches or a .451 / .452 maxiball.
As we have seven Tryon among our members, five bought at the same time at the same provider, all are different as to load whcih works best in each rifle. I need 60 grain of Swiss 4 behind a 240 grain .452 Maxiball. Another one needs 25 grain of Swiss 2 behind a .445 ball with .001 patch. The thrid needs 35 grain Siss 2 behinde the same Maxiball as I use.

My old international Champion of the club tells me, you need to try different components until you find the best combuination but only change one component at time and even with the most promising patch and ball you need to finde the load which gives you the best groups. A lot of variables to test.

 

[Siringo]

Thanks for the replies. I’m going to get some .445 balls and .010 patches and give that a try.

 

[F.G. Ford]

In reference to Broken Arrow, .001" patches are very thin, a typical piece of computer paper is about .003" thick.
Fred

 

[Grenadier1758]

Well, I have two Pedersoli Le Page Flint Pistols.

The rifled barrels have seven grooves and 6 lands. They are .44 caliber which need a .435 ball with a .001 patch and 20 grain (18 - 23 epending on the day) of Swiss 1. They are not very deep but do not require to swab after each shot.

Count your lands again, There should be the same number of lands and grooves. Or there's one very wide groove.

 

[Zonie]

Pedersoli says in their data sheet, the flintlock Le Page has 7 rifling grooves. Here's a link to that information.

https://www.davide-pedersoli.com/sc...-le-page-target-standard-flintlock-model.html
From a historical standpoint, an odd number of grooves was commonly used. That is because the rifling was formed with a single cutting blade and by using an odd number of grooves, there was always a area directly opposite from the cutter that would be resting on the bore of the barrel to support the blade.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Oh, I wasn't questioning the number of grooves. I was questioning the count of the number of lands. The last time I checked a barrel with seven grooves, it had seven lands too. Having an odd number of lands makes it difficult to measure bore diameter.

 

[Zonie]

I see where your coming from. My mistake and your right, the number of lands is the same as the number of grooves.
Your also right about measuring a barrel with an odd number of lands or grooves being difficult. About the only easy way to do it is to use plug gauges.

 

[BrokenArrow]

Count your lands again, There should be the same number of lands and grooves. Or there's one very wide groove.

You are right and I am wrong.

Seven Grooves and Seven lands. At first counting one land was hidden behind my finger and I did not notice. Sigh.

 

[BrokenArrow]

In reference to Broken Arrow, .001" patches are very thin, a typical piece of computer paper is about .003" thick.
Fred

.001 inch is 0.2 mm. I am aware that I can use thicker patches with a ball with smaller diameter which should be equal to the thinner patch with ball with larger diameter. I prefer the thinner patches with larger balls.

I have an Ardes Pennsylvania Carbine Flint lock in .45. The best combination to my off hand shooting I found is a .445 ball casted with the Lymann .445 round ball double mold, a .001 patch and 40 grain of Swiss Nr. 1. A .440 round ball with .003 patch and 40 grain Swiss sprays the balls more on the target. A 0.004 patch does not better. Never got a 0.0035 patch to test with the .440 round ball. The patches are wetted with a 1:20 solution of boron milk and water.

The .001 patches recovered after shooting show no signs of cutting but black marks of the rifling.

 

[SmokepoleSam]

I'm not being nasty or mean but I think you have your calculations wrong. According to my digital calculator which converts mm to inch, 0.001" is 0.03mm and 0.2mm is 0.008 in. Maybe I am wrong or my calculator is but I don't think so because I have double checked everything.

 

[Grenadier1758]

SmokepoleSam is correct. Broken Arrow, 1" is 25.4 mm. According to the all the measurement converters I use, 0.2 mm is 0.008".

 

[BrokenArrow]

.01 inch = 0,254 mm I typed one zero more than it really is.

Patches over here thickness is given normally in mm.

Not my day.

 

[TFoley]

I was really looking forward to see any woven material that is 1 thousandth of an inch thick.........................

 

[BrokenArrow]

I can offer patches of 0,15 mm which is 0,0059 inch.

Some 15 Minutes ago I went down into the cellar to look at the label of my patches and there is a package of 100 patches in 0,15 mm.

By the way, that is the Flint lock rifle.