Pedersoli locks bad?

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HISTORY'S MASTER GUN BUILDERS MAKE THE BEST TEACHERS.
PICK YOUR FAVORITE ERA PERIOD FIREARM & LEARN FROM THE BEST.

I became addicted to shooting & collecting muzzleloaders as a youngster in the late 50s & was very fortunate to have a local gunsmith take me under his wing & educate me on how to detect any safety issues, evaluate quality of workmanship & how to make minors repairs.
As an avid world history buff I collected & shot firearms from the pre revolutionary period to our old west unmentionables.

During this era original firearms were often more available & cost same as replicas firearms.
Any rifles or pistols I could afford needed to be potential good performers as I used them for target practice & hunting big game.

Being raised in new Mexico where hunting deer & elk often exceeded 100 yds I needed to get the best long range accuracy to compete with my father's open sighted Winchester lever action 30-30.

Later in life during the 60's my passion led me to operate retail muzzleloading storefronts for several decades where I sold both replicas & original firearms & supplies & fund many family trips to rendezvous & shoots until I retired about 15 years ago..

The replica firearm industry has made many improvements over the past 70 years.
As many forum members state, some are far better quality than others.
Some forum members including myself prefer to shoot original firearms.
RECOMMENDATION;
Should you become interested in owning & shooting an original firearm & lack the knowledge to evaluate it's safety & accuracy potentials, try to purchase from a seller who has the proper background.
*Most modern firearm gunsmiths lack the experience to evaluate the metallurgy & shooting safety of a flint or percussion era antique firearm.
During my 70 years of firearm experience, 99 + percent of my contacts who also shoot original firearms already have experience with antique firearms, bought from a knowledgeable seller or had it properly evaluated prior to purchase .

If you're new to muzzleloading or firearms in general, I highly recommend you start with a replica & join a club and forum like this to greatly shorten the learning curve & be safe by learning from experienced folks.
Relic shooter
 
Plus another 200 for chisel, sharpening stones, and finishing supplies plus 20hrs of my time and possible frustration, yah no thanks maybe if i already had a gun to shoot id consider it. If an already built one in smoothbore does pop up on the classifieds for around 1300 though I'll definitely jump on it, but I'd much rather learn how to tune up a sub bar lock on a pedersoli, no way to fix the patent breech unfortunately looks like I'd just need to keep it clean
You’ll be fine. Don’t over think it. Don’t listen to the chicken littles. Damned if I’ll spend a bunch on a gun.
 
You are not counting the cost of the mainspring vise, polishing supplies etc for the lock repair? Not to mention gobs of time and frustration trying to tune a sub par lock?
I already have everything needed to tune a lock from working on other projects, so cost is nill, and I'm sure it wouldn't take me more than 4-5hrs to get it working acceptable
 
No matter how good the lock is, you will never get past the Patend breech...which will make you feel like throwing that POS like a golf club when it plugs-up 🤣
That's where I am with my trade gun. I do not ever want another barrel with this breach. It's my understanding that only some of Ped's guns have this. I can't find the thread, but just did a deep dive on the "special" loading tips to help with it.
 
I have 3 flint Pedersolis - Brown Bess, Frontier, and Scout shotgun. Had no problems with the Bess. I replaced the Frontier lock with an L&R because there was a gap between the frizzen and pan on the factory lock. The lock on the Scout is fine but the trigger is so touchy I 'm not happy shooting it.
Have anymore info on the scout shotgun? I see dixie has a left hand percussion version which is perfect since I'm left handed, but a search here essentially pulled up nill on it
 
Have anymore info on the scout shotgun? I see dixie has a left hand percussion version which is perfect since I'm left handed, but a search here essentially pulled up nill on it
I got it used on this forum last September from @dogfood (great fellow to buy from btw...I drove to Ohio to pick up in person). Like you I couldn't find much online about it, with exception of a Youtube video. Pedersoli doesn't include a ramrod with it so I got the add on kit from DGW. Unfortunately there's no friction to keep the rod from sliding out so I took the bracket back off and just use a range rod with a 12ga jag. -
 
.... Unfortunately there's no friction to keep the rod from sliding out so I took the bracket back off and just use a range rod with a 12ga jag.
Could you install a rod retaining spring in the internal cavity? Looks like this, and held in place by a lock plate screw throught the stock:
IMG_4130.JPG


You could probably order it as a "part" for any gun that uses it to retain the ramrod.
 
Could you install a rod retaining spring in the internal cavity? Looks like this, and held in place by a lock plate screw throught the stock:
View attachment 274815

You could probably order it as a "part" for any gun that uses it to retain the ramrod.
Probably, but since I have a percussion sxs that doesn't have a hair trigger like the Scout I just don't bother much with it.
 
Are pedersoli locks really that bad?
I love questions like this.
I bought a 1803 Harpers Ferry from Dixie gun works. '
I got 8 shots out of it and the frizzen went down range.
Pedosorry does not stock spare parts, so Dixie made one for me. It took ten months.
BTW the lock was not bad, the frizzen spring was over 330lbs! We ground it down to under 30lbs. Mighta been 13 too long ago.

Do yourself a favor and get a Kibler. It will las yo the rest of your days.

I build mine before Kibler was around. Paid a tad under a grand for the parts.
When I broke a screw in the Chamber's Lock. I mailed it back to him and less than two weeks it was fixed and its been flawless every since.

Your first rifle may be a production gun, but your last one will not.
 
I love questions like this.
I bought a 1803 Harpers Ferry from Dixie gun works. '
I got 8 shots out of it and the frizzen went down range.
Pedosorry does not stock spare parts, so Dixie made one for me. It took ten months.
BTW the lock was not bad, the frizzen spring was over 330lbs! We ground it down to under 30lbs. Mighta been 13 too long ago.

Do yourself a favor and get a Kibler. It will las yo the rest of your days.

I build mine before Kibler was around. Paid a tad under a grand for the parts.
When I broke a screw in the Chamber's Lock. I mailed it back to him and less than two weeks it was fixed and its been flawless every since.

Your first rifle may be a production gun, but your last one will not.
I really wanna get an 1803 ever since I read undaunted courage you know who has any good kits these days?
 


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