I'm glad you had the guts to point out the flaws Cutfinger. I have not shot nearly as many as you, but the ones I have, I completely agree. Pedersoli is a brand that is so close... but just doesn't quite get "it". They are usually just a couple of tweaks from being great guns. They are put together well, they look decent, but they seems to have skipped in the shooting departments. The ramrods are poor, but I'm ok with that, as everyone has their preference. This is the best place to save money as far as manufacturing. I too get a bunch of cap fragments from their guns. You only notice it on the SXS being a right hander, but their right side does it too. Every other brand out there has designed their rifles and shotguns so they don't draw blood. There's no excuse why Pedersoli can't do the same. Besides that, the stocks on their shotguns leave a lot to be desired. They look good, but they really kick your cheek. They might fit some people, so I'll leave that be. Along with the ramrod, they do not have any kind of catch. After you fire 1 barrel, your ramrod is sticking out a few inches. That's not an attribute I want in a SXS. It's a shame because Pedersoli guns usually look good, and are well put together, but functionally I think CVA has them beat in a number of areas.
@mooman76, a few production guns have come with good ramrods. Thompson Center's side locks had decent ramrods. Even today their modern guns come with good rods. It's the Spanish guns, CVA and Traditions that normalized poor quality ramrods. Today Kibler rifles come with top quality hickory rods. Some might not consider them production guns, but they are basically a snap together kit, and really don't cost that much more than a Pedersoli.
It sure would be nice if TC reintroduced their side locks in the $500 range and steam rolled all these garbage guns off the market. I know Pedersoli can make a good gun, but with no competition, they won't.
