Shooting the percussion Harper's Ferry pistol

[Stantheman86]

Thanks to a wonderful forum member I was able to buy this pistol, and finally shoot it.

I wanted to do it right , so I used Hornady .495 round balls and 40 grains of 2f to make choked ball cartridges.

Accuracy was actually astounding at about 20 yards , some at about 30. I let my Dad take a few shots with it and I was kinda messing around, hiding behind the CAS barriers pretending I was shooting it out with some (insert appropriate bad guys) . I did all shooting one handed.

I think if I really rested the gun or used two hands I could have put up a softball sized group but that's not how these were used. This is a "fighting pistol " not a target pistol..

I would expect maybe slightly less accuracy with more commonly available .490 balls but maybe not.

Made 20 cartridges and all of them glided right down the bore.

I did attempt to use a T/C musket cap nipple but it didn't work very well.....Thankfully I brought the factory #11 nipple and a tin of caps, I can thank myself for saving the day on that one .

 

[SPQR70AD]

Thanks to a wonderful forum member I was able to buy this pistol, and finally shoot it.

I wanted to do it right , so I used Hornady .495 round balls and 40 grains of 2f to make choked ball cartridges. View attachment 26493
View attachment 26494

Accuracy was actually astounding at about 20 yards , some at about 30. I let my Dad take a few shots with it and I was kinda messing around, hiding behind the CAS barriers pretending I was shooting it out with some (insert appropriate bad guys) . I did all shooting one handed.

I think if I really rested the gun or used two hands I could have put up a softball sized group but that's not how these were used. This is a "fighting pistol " not a target pistol..

I would expect maybe slightly less accuracy with more commonly available .490 balls but maybe not.

Made 20 cartridges and all of them glided right down the bore.

I did attempt to use a T/C musket cap nipple but it didn't work very well.....Thankfully I brought the factory #11 nipple and a tin of caps, I can thank myself for saving the day on that one .

that is a beautiful pistol and good shooting

 

[Lbrown]

I just put one of these together from a kit and it's really fun to shoot. I was surprised by how quick it is to load and how accurate it is. Good shooting there; enjoy.

 

[Stantheman86]

Thank you both
Lots of fun and quick loading with cartridges.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Looks familiar.

Glad you are enjoying that pistol, so happy to see it put to good use!