Problems with a Kentucky pistol.

[Jason.45]

I have a Kentucky pistol which my father purchased for me for Christmas a few years back. It’s a beautiful pistol, and it has a Pedersoli marked barrel, brass sights, and an unmarked lock. It was used when he bought it, at a gun-show I think, and I’d had it for a couple years before I got everything together that I needed to shoot it.

Now I didn’t do any research before buying things, so I bought the smooth looking sawn flints, and a BP substitute. I’d been told it was a .45, and it looked about the right size, so I bought some .440 balls for it as well, and I'm using an old cut-up T-shirt for patches.

Well, the flints would spark 4-5 times, and then they just won’t throw sparks, and since I was using BP sub, I wasn’t getting a shot off every time it sparked. So with three flints, I got off maybe 5-6 shots the only time I’ve taken it to the range. Bloody frustrating.

But that isn’t all either. When I went to load the PRB, it wouldn’t fit. I put it on the muzzle, and hammered away and just couldn’t get the durn thing in. So I ended up shooting the balls sans patch. But when I got it home I stuck my calipers in the barrel, and sure enough, I was getting .435-.445 all the way around. Does this mean I need to get smaller bullets? I could get a Lee sizing die that’d get them down to .430 (only about $15-20), but they wouldn’t be round-balls anymore.

So I know I need to get some real black powder, and some decent flints, and probably some .430 RBs. Anyone have any thoughts or advice?

Thanks,
Jason

 

[rafterob]

It looks like you answered all of your own concerns, that should take care of your problems. You have a .44 caliber, which was not terribly uncommon for imports years ago. My guess is .44 must equate to a pretty standard metric round ball caliber. When you get some .430 balls you may need a thicker patch material. T shirt may not hold up real well. Get some fffg black powder, you can use it for both the charge and the priming pan.That should be a good pistol once you are set with the right accoutrements.

 

[Jason.45]

Aye, I suppose I did. But mostly I was simply confused because I've never seen a .44 flintlock advertised, just .45s.
Also, I'm currious as to whether sizing the .440 balls I have to .430 will cause any problems- I wouldn't expect anything except maybe accuracy to be effected, but I'm new to BP so...
Thanks again.

 

[rafterob]

You could certainly size the balls, just make sure they are referenced somehow so they are loaded correctly. But,if you are going to buy a sizing die anyway, maybe you should just buy a .430 mold and melt down and recast those balls. Then you have a mold you can use over and over vs. a sizing die you will use one time.

 

[biliff]

I have one of their flintlock Kentucky's I got as a teenager some 35 years ago as well as a couple of semi recently purchased LePages, all .44's. Pedersoli .44's take a .433 ball and seem to load easily and shoot well with a .010 patch.

As you've already figured out, you need real FFFg blackpowder.

I've been using 5/8"X3/4" English flints in mine. Don't get real good flint life in the Kentucky, especially compared to the LePage but its O.K. for very occassional shooting which is about all I do with it now. They may have improved the lock a bit in 35 years,though.

 

[Jason.45]

Good to know on the ball size.
The reason I was looking at the sizer is that I've already got a .440 mold. Oh well. I'll have to see if I can trade it in.

As far as the age of the pistol...
I'm 95% sure my dad paid $100-125 for it about 3-4 years back, so I doubt if it's near new (though it is in good condition).

Thanks for the help!
Jason