Pedersoli Zouave?

[1861 Springfield]

Anyone here own a Pedersoli Zouave and can tell me if it shoots minnies decently l .was thinking of buying one for N-NSA

 

[Artificer]

Anyone here own a Pedersoli Zouave and can tell me if it shoots minnies decently l .was thinking of buying one for N-NSA

Between the 1974 Spring Nationals of the NSSA and the 2005 Fall Nationals, I was there working for well over 3/4's of them (when the Marine Corps didn't have me stationed too far away) and saw every type of approved Zouave Repro and some Originals shot in that competition. They are one of, if not the most popular and competitive guns to shoot and especially for newcomers.

Here's what the winners did to get the best accuracy out of those guns.

1. First and foremost, you HAVE to size the minie balls to just .001" under the actual bore size of your barrel and no more than .002" undersize. This is THE most important thing to do for accuracy.

2. Don't be afraid to try different amounts (volumes) and kinds of powder to get the smallest groups.

3. Have a taller front site low temp silver soldered to your barrel.

4. Have a trigger job done to the lock.

5. Either work on the rear sight leaves to recut the notches to center your groups or drill a peep sight hole in them for the same thing. That or get some blank rear sight leaves to do the same thing.

6. Get and use a Front Sight protector.

Gus

 

[dave951]

Anyone here own a Pedersoli Zouave and can tell me if it shoots minnies decently l .was thinking of buying one for N-SSA

What team and region?

Ask around on the N-SSA forum about "Zoauve" muskets and you'd be surprised at what pops out of the woodwork.

 

[Artificer]

One thing I forgot to mention is you REALLY need to get a precision measurement of your actual bore size so you can choose the correct sizing die .001" - .002" smaller than that.

I cannot recommend this more highly to find a local machinist with precision pin/plug gauges between .574" and .584" to find the largest one that fits in the muzzle of your barrel.

Gus

 

[Artificer]

Anyone here own a Pedersoli Zouave and can tell me if it shoots minnies decently l .was thinking of buying one for N-NSA

dave951 or Hawkeyes2 might have some other recommendations for sizing dies of which I'm not aware, but this one is made in .001" increments:
https://www.ssfirearms.com/proddetail.asp?prod=SA450
The following one is not available in as many sizes, but if they have the size you need, it is an excellent sizer:
https://www.lodgewood.com/Precision-Sizing-Die-with-Plunger_p_1605.html
BOTH of the above Sutlers are highly regarded in the NSSA community.

YES, these sizers are expensive, but you REALLY NEED to size your minie balls for the best accuracy. I can't even begin to state how important this is for the best accuracy.

Gus

 

[1861 Springfield]

Yes I Am aware of pin gauges,sizing and correct lube for best accuracy. I have done this with my Springfield that I currently own. Thanks

 

[dave951]

Tom Crone makes the best sizing dies I've ever seen, hands down no further questions.

 

[maillemaker]

I agree I highly recommend Tom Crone for his sizing dies.

As for the Zouave. I would hazzard to say it is one of the most commonly offered for-sale guns in the N-SSA. Even now they routinely sell in the $400 range. Just two months ago a pair of Zouaves were for sale on the N-SSA forum for $350 each.

The nice thing about buying a used skirmish gun is generally all the work has been done to it to make it skirmish ready, especially the taller front sight that is generally needed. If you're lucky the owner can tell you the best load to use with it, also, which saves a lot of time in doing load workups.

 

[dave951]

I agree I highly recommend Tom Crone for his sizing dies.

As for the Zouave. I would hazzard to say it is one of the most commonly offered for-sale guns in the N-SSA. Even now they routinely sell in the $400 range. Just two months ago a pair of Zouaves were for sale on the N-SSA forum for $350 each.

The nice thing about buying a used skirmish gun is generally all the work has been done to it to make it skirmish ready, especially the taller front sight that is generally needed. If you're lucky the owner can tell you the best load to use with it, also, which saves a lot of time in doing load workups.

And sometimes the deal will include molds and sizing dies.

 

[hawkeye2]

https://www.northeasttradeco.com/online-store
Tom Crone (no website)
6305 Ed Crone La.
Frederick, MD 21703
(301) 473-5699
If you need an unusual size call him and he might be able to make it for you.

 

[Artificer]

Great Info about Tom Crone's sizing dies. Thanks Guys.

One big thing I forgot to mention for accuracy (and I should be bucked and gagged for it ) is just how hugely important it is to use the VERY BEST Musket Caps you can get.

For years that meant only one choice of winged musket caps and they were RWS caps made by Dynamit Nobel. Now since I've been out of NSSA shooting for quite some time, I don't know if these are still available.

https://guntopia.hu/product/rws-4-wing-1081-musket-caps-pk-200/
Also, I've heard different things about Schuetzen Musket Caps, but have never used them:
https://reloads-supply.com/product/musket-caps-for-sale/
So what do you all think the best Musket Caps are that are available nowadays?

Gus

 

[Artificer]

And sometimes the deal will include molds and sizing dies.

And sometimes the trigger job will already be done.

Gus

 

[Artificer]

https://www.northeasttradeco.com/online-store
Tom Crone (no website)
6305 Ed Crone La.
Frederick, MD 21703
(301) 473-5699
If you need an unusual size call him and he might be able to make it for you.

Hawkeye,

Are the sizing dies listed in your link above made by Tom Crone or by someone else? Sorry if I'm a bit thick this morning.

Gus

 

[dave951]

Hawkeye,

Are the sizing dies listed in your link above made by Tom Crone or by someone else? Sorry if I'm a bit thick this morning.

Gus

No, Tom makes and sells his own. The ones from NE Trader work, but I prefer Tom's.

 

[Artificer]

No, Tom makes and sells his own. The ones from NE Trader work, but I prefer Tom's.

Thanks Dave,

Do you prefer the ones you push through or the ones that screw into a reloading press? Most shooters I knew preferred the ones for a loading press.

Oh and if I may, what minie ball molds are the most popular nowadays for zouaves, springfields and enfields?

These questions come up so often I decided to gather information into a file I'm saving and can cut and paste in the future to save us all some typing.

Gus

 

[maillemaker]

No, Tom makes and sells his own. The ones from NE Trader work, but I prefer Tom's.

I do not recommend the ones from NE Trading Company. I bought 2. Both had a very harsh transition from freebore to sizing bore. Basically a chamfer, like a drill point transition. They mangled bullets.

Tom Crone's dies are like the old Lee dies. Very smooth and gradual transition from freebore to sizing bore. They are perfect.

Do you prefer the ones you push through or the ones that screw into a reloading press? Most shooters I knew preferred the ones for a loading press.

I have only ever used ones that fit in a loading press. It is nice to have a perfectly aligned ram with compound action to push.

So what do you all think the best Musket Caps are that are available nowadays?

Dynamite Nobels are the best musket caps, hands down. Unfortunately they are currently hard to come by.

The Scheutzen caps are OK. But, they are made of steel. Brass plated to look like brass, but they are steel - a magnet will pick them up. Thus the do not always deform onto the nipple under the hammer blow and they don't always go off. When they do go off, I find there is a lot more cap blast peppering your fingers, probably due to the cap not being hammered tightly onto the nipple by the hammer.

CCI caps are the worst and are a waste of money, especially on any kind of musket with a fire channel that is not "straight in". CCI caps are weak.

 

[Artificer]

I do not recommend the ones from NE Trading Company. I bought 2. Both had a very harsh transition from freebore to sizing bore. Basically a chamfer, like a drill point transition. They mangled bullets.

Tom Crone's dies are like the old Lee dies. Very smooth and gradual transition from freebore to sizing bore. They are perfect.

I have only ever used ones that fit in a loading press. It is nice to have a perfectly aligned ram with compound action to push.


Dynamite Nobels are the best musket caps, hands down. Unfortunately they are currently hard to come by.

The Scheutzen caps are OK. But, they are made of steel. Brass plated to look like brass, but they are steel - a magnet will pick them up. Thus the do not always deform onto the nipple under the hammer blow and they don't always go off. When they do go off, I find there is a lot more cap blast peppering your fingers, probably due to the cap not being hammered tightly onto the nipple by the hammer.

CCI caps are the worst and are a waste of money, especially on any kind of musket with a fire channel that is not "straight in". CCI caps are weak.

Great info, thank you!

As bad as CCI musket caps used to be and by your post, still are, there was one worse. It was a non-winged musket cap Navy Arms used to sell in a light blue can and I think the "can" was made of plastic. I bought ONE can to try as a possible lower cost alternative for reenactors and quickly decided I was NEVER going to sell them. I wound up issuing them to use when we cleared the musket nipples before a reenactment as it didn't matter if they sometimes didn't go off, I would just hand them another and sometimes yet another....

Gus

 

[Muley Gil]

Thanks Dave,

Do you prefer the ones you push through or the ones that screw into a reloading press? Most shooters I knew preferred the ones for a loading press.

Oh and if I may, what minie ball molds are the most popular nowadays for zouaves, springfields and enfields?

These questions come up so often I decided to gather information into a file I'm saving and can cut and paste in the future to save us all some typing.

Gus

I use the push-through dies. I have set up a tapered dowel in my drill press that firs the hollow base of the Minie and have a piece of PVC pipe and a large washer that holds the die. I put a box, padded with a rag, under the hole in the press table. I drop a Minie in the die, point down, work the handle and VOILA, I have a sized Minie.

I then load my plastic tubes with powder, put in the Minie, point down, and dip lube the ring in melted MCM lube.

 

[Blackpowder Therapist]

I'm assuming you got the answer you were looking for. I originally started with a Zouave in the N-SSA and it shot Minnis very well.

I have shot the Pedersoli and it is a very good reproduction model.