Pedersoli owners, speak up

[rusticbob]

Rusticbob, what is your reasoning for stating this?

My Crockett is probably my favorite mz right now. Cheap to shoot and easier to load now that I coned the barrel with a Joe Wood tool. As accurate as I will ever be with open sights. I need no other for fun shooting!

 

[ETipp]

I have a .32 Pedersoli percussion and it operates with no problems. I use round balls with Wonder Bore Butter lubed patches and Pyrodex P grade with #11 caps. No ignition problems. Accuracy is not great in my opinion . I would say not good enough for squirrels past 25 yards. Different loads do not seem to help.

I was at a ML dealer one time when he was doing a shooting demo of a Pedersoli percussion gun for a potential customer. Upon firing, the drum which holds the nipple, blew out from the gun sidewise, not to be found. I know no further details about the loads or powder.

That says a lot. Thank you.

 

[ETipp]

My Crockett is probably my favorite mz right now. Cheap to shoot and easier to load now that I coned the barrel with a Joe Wood tool. As accurate as I will ever be with open sights. I need no other for fun shooting!

My Crockett has never had great accuracy, especially out past 25 yards. It was better than what is now right after I first got it. After maybe 500 rounds or so something has changed and I have not been able to figure it out, yet.

I'm well acclimated to my Crockett and have killed a lot of squirrels with it. However, I know there is more accurate .32's out there.

 

[longcruise]

I think there are enough negative ignition reports on the Pedersolis that, at least for me, would be a deal breaker. I've had quite a bit of experience with Traditions and CVA guns and had no ignition problems with any of them. The breech and ignition channels are substantially the same EXCEPT for the Pedersoli having a smaller ignition channel through the breech plug. It seems probable that the smaller the Pedersoli caliber the smaller the channel will be.

My thought is maybe make up or have made up a drop in barrel starting with a top of the line barrel such as a Rice.

The thing that keeps nagging at the back of my mind is that your Crockett shot with good accuracy but has fallen off. But that's with only 500 shots through it. It makes me think that you are missing something or have changed something that is causing it.

 

[Nuthatch]

I have a Pedersoli Kentucky that I converted from flint to percussion. As a percussion rifle, it's great. I'll shoot 10-12 targets on my woods walk course without swabbing. I just use a well-moistened patch (spit, soapy water, etc.) on the ball & keep shooting. Maybe after 15 shots or so, the ball can get a little more difficult to seat all the way onto the powder. That's when I'll run a wet patch, then dry patch, then snap a couple caps to clear it all out and it's good to go for another dozen or so shots.

As a rock crusher, it's terrible. Ignition is slow, it eats up flints, it only ignites the main charge half the time, etc. That's where that darned chambered breech becomes a serious issue. I'd have no trouble getting another Pedersoli in percussion. But for flintlock, no thanks.

 

[Va Blackpowder Hunter]

I have two Pedersoli rifles, 50 and 54 caliber. The 50 has the flash hole enlarged to .060”. This greatly improved the ignition. The 54 was purchased used and the flash hole is enlarged and chamfered. I never checked the hole size, but ignition is excellent. The key to both is keeping a sharp flint on the hammer.

 

[Va Blackpowder Hunter]

I think there are enough negative ignition reports on the Pedersolis that, at least for me, would be a deal breaker. I've had quite a bit of experience with Traditions and CVA guns and had no ignition problems with any of them. The breech and ignition channels are substantially the same EXCEPT for the Pedersoli having a smaller ignition channel through the breech plug. It seems probable that the smaller the Pedersoli caliber the smaller the channel will be.

My thought is maybe make up or have made up a drop in barrel starting with a top of the line barrel such as a Rice.

The thing that keeps nagging at the back of my mind is that your Crockett shot with good accuracy but has fallen off. But that's with only 500 shots through it. It makes me think that you are missing something or have changed something that is causing it.

 

[Va Blackpowder Hunter]

Exploring options for a specific squirrel rifle, percussion only. I’ve read and heard multiple times of issues with Pedersoli breech systems. I like to take things like this with a grain of salt, however, I also like to know what I’m getting into before hand.

This will be a hard working squirrel rifle that will see lots of action in thick and steep mountains and in all kinds of weather conditions. I do not have the time nor desire to have to fiddle with my ML’s while I’m hunting. I’ll no doubt be running a couple of patches down the bore after a few shots. Thus my concern about the picky breech comments I’ve read about on here. I’ve also read just recently that they require additional cleaning.

For those of you that have Pedersoli ML’s and shoots them multiple times every time you go out, please give your input.

Thank you

Dad gave me a Pedersoli flintlock that had been loaded for several years. Ignition was suspect so I checked the bore and then cleaned it with brass scrapers and brushes. Pics of before and after. Shooting great again.

 

[ETipp]

I think there are enough negative ignition reports on the Pedersolis that, at least for me, would be a deal breaker. I've had quite a bit of experience with Traditions and CVA guns and had no ignition problems with any of them. The breech and ignition channels are substantially the same EXCEPT for the Pedersoli having a smaller ignition channel through the breech plug. It seems probable that the smaller the Pedersoli caliber the smaller the channel will be.

My thought is maybe make up or have made up a drop in barrel starting with a top of the line barrel such as a Rice.

The thing that keeps nagging at the back of my mind is that your Crockett shot with good accuracy but has fallen off. But that's with only 500 shots through it. It makes me think that you are missing something or have changed something that is causing it.

Indeed, it is a deal breaker for me.

My Crockett issue is for another thread.

 

[Blitz]

I don't have a pedersoli nor have I ever shot one, but I've seen a few causing ignition problems at the range. I've also seen some pictures of disassembled pedersoli breech plugs and it appears that the problem may be with the hole in the breech plug being too small. The breaching system seems to be similar to CVA/TRADITIONS but the cva and traditions have a larger hole in the plug.

So some have problems and some don't. It's probably a matter of how the shooter manages the gun and the wiping between shots regimen.

If I had one I'd be tempted to modify the breech so that hole would be more like a funnel but it wouldn't be the first time one of my ideas backfired.

I have a Pedersoli frontier and have also exoerienced a problem that I am quite certain has to do with the patent breach aperature size and the powder used . the only time I hsad a problem was using Swiss and the brand had nothing to do with it . Some may have figured this out as I did after some thinking. The powder used was 1 1/2 Fg, and after thinking it over I realised the f grain size is too large. for this rifle anyway a .50 cal. What I believe is the problem , the large grain size bridged over the breach constriction znd was detected by noting the ramrod markings, I knew how much powder was poured in but the amount appeared to be too full. Therefore the actual chamcer had little or no powder in it and the amount was in barell above the chamber resulting in a void and very possible dangerous condition.
I remedied the situation with the CO2 discharger.
My dilema now is what to do with the 1 1/2 powder .
Has anyopne reduced granual size by rollingpowder on hard flat surface with brass rod or other safe method ?


Thank you Blitz

 

[smokepolehall]

Bet you can use a biscuit rolling pin & crunch the bigger kernels smaller size.

 

[yellowhammer]

Bet you can use a biscuit rolling pin & crunch the bigger kernels smaller size.

Edited to remove offensive explosion:

 

[smokepolehall]

So your saying a wooden rolling pin will cause black powder to ignite !

 

[Leatherbark]

I had a Blue Ridge 50 caliber flintlock back in the early 2000's. The communication hole back to the touch hole liner was maybe a 1/4 inch in diameter. It would bridge with 2f black powder. 3F was pretty reliable when I tapped the breech after pouring the powder. Accuracy was excellent. Later I tried a .54 caliber Blue Ridge. This rifle still had the 7/8ths inch (nominal) barrel. The barrel walls were so thin it really needed the patent breech. But in this case the powder communication hole was much larger than the older 50 caliber and 2F was no problem with bridging. I traded it off because it required a .526 or .527 ball. No way a .530 ball and pillow ticking was going down that barrel.................Bob

 

[yellowhammer]

So your saying a wooden rolling pin will cause black powder to ignite !

Sorry @smokepolehall ; edited out kaboom, ....

 

[Ditt44]

I have a Scout Flint in .50 I built from a kit. Fast lock, hole-on-hole with 60g 3F and a .490 ball and .010 patch. I added a 'Bullseye' rear ramp sight and green fiber front sight... failing eyes and focus issues. I have often considered getting the .32 percussion version for small game but I like my Cherokee too much to make a valid argument for a new Scout.

While I am not a big fan of the nipple/drum combo, I think I would give it a go if I had a "need" for a light weight .32 percussion gun. I personally have no issues with quality issues but that is based on a sample size of "1".

 

[SeaBee133]

Bet you can use a biscuit rolling pin & crunch the bigger kernels smaller size.

I do similar to that when our ambient humidity turns bulk powder into a block of powder in the can. Poplar dowel, plastic can. My Old Army doesn’t care if it is dust or chunks. If it fits in the chamber, that gun will ignite it.