Brown Bess disassembly

Just bought a used Pedersoli Brown Bess that needs cleaned (mostly light surface rust - nothing serious) and a bit of TLC. Perusing around the net there is a lot of people who say not to disassemble. I do not want to work on the metal in the stock. Where is the best place to find advice/instructions on disassembly?
Thanks
Greg

http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/uploads/prodotti/S260-S262.pdf

:wink:

Duh. Why didn't I think of going there.
Thank you for the link.
Greg

Basically, just do it carefully. Observe what is coming apart and put back same way. Do not remove breech plug or dissasemble the lock.
However, I do not see a need but if you do it's your gun.

I do not think I need to disassemble the lock nor do I need to take out the breech plug. A few of the screw heads are a bit rusty and I think I will get replacements from Dixie rather than try to clean them up. The hammer and frizzen have a bit of deep rust in them and I will eventually replace them - however, the location of the rust will not impede operation. Wood is in excellent condition, as is the bore. I have always wanted one of these but was not willing to pay the freight. However, for $225 including a white leather sling and reported buffalo hide soft case, I figure I could not go wrong. I very much appreciate the information and suggestions.
Thanks
Greg

Rifleman1776 said:

Basically, just do it carefully. Observe what is coming apart and put back same way. Do not remove breech plug or dissasemble the lock.
However, I do not see a need but if you do it's your gun.

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Agreed! I have a Brown Bess and have taken it apart and reassembled it several times to clean the metal and/or refinish the stock.

Only thing I would add to Rifleman's advice is to be sure and keep track of the various pins as they are different lengths and not interchangeable. And be VERY careful putting them back in.

Also, for cleaning the barrel and lock, I have had good results with a Scothbrite pad and 3-in-1 oil. You may need to remove the frizzen and frizzen spring to clean the lockplate but that's as far as I would go with taking the lock apart. Hope this helps

Only thing I would add to Rifleman's advice is to be sure and keep track of the various pins as they are different lengths and not interchangeable. And be VERY careful putting them back in.

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Good advice. Reminds me of a bitter experience. I built my BB from a Navy Arms kit. I replaced the factory pins with brazing rod that I taper ground and installed from the right side. I later left the entire gun with a gunsmith to modify the lock slightly so suit my wants. He was a modern gun gunsmith. He got curious about this muzzle gun and dissassembled it without my permisssion. In doing so he drove the pins out the left side and tore wood in the process and bent the pins. :cursing:
He was a disabled Viet Nam veteran and friends begged me to not install the gun up his nether regions so I let the issue go.
Big lesson learned, always find an experienced muzzle loading gunsmith to do your work.

Oh my gosh!! You showed very admirable restraint. :hatsoff:

I would simply have asked him to replace the stock. He is a nebish (disabled vet or not) if he didn't observe on the first pin removed that he blew out wood, and did it to all of the pin locations.

Anyway..., back to the thread..., on the Bess the lock was routinely removed and serviced by soldiers. Don't be afraid of unshipping the lock and removing the parts for rust inspection and cleaning. You don't have to do it every time, but it's a pretty good idea to do it 2x a year. Like the pins..., keep track of where each screw belongs, and a main spring vice is a good tool to have, for the main spring and frizzen spring. Also pay attention to the upper surface of the frizzen spring and the frizzen cam where it contacts the frizzen spring, and the frizzen screw itself. Corrosion in those places can really mess with reliability.

I would first work on rust removal on the bolts rather than replacement, as normally it takes a great deal of rust to render them into the replacement category.

I have found a "green scrubbie" to be a bit harsh for the exterior surface of the barrel, and the yellow colored ones sold for removing carbon from the surface of a ceramic stove-top are less abrasive, and seem to me to give you a result much closer to 18th century brick dust and oil (what the soldiers used). I have also had to use 600 and 1500 grit wet/dry emory paper with baby oil to remove stubborn staining of the steel for folks who wanted that done when overhauling several misused muskets. Some folks like the "patina" and some don't.

LD

I think the spring vice is a must and I am going to pick one up tomorrow. I have seen elsewhere that pins need to be kept track of as to which hole they came from. I am waiting for a new pin punch set as the one I need has walked off the bench at some point. Again guys, I appreciate the information. For the last 45 years or so I have just very occasionally played around with the black powder firearms. However, I have gotten out my old Zouave .58 and Austin & Halleck Mountain rifles and sent a few round balls down the field. I see many more questions coming out in the future.
Greg

I have pulled off the barrel and lock every time I clean my Bess and have never had any problems. Like Mick says, be sure to keep track of where the pins came from as the lengths do vary. I managed to take two tiny chips out the holes for barrel pins and one out of a ramrod thimble hole (when I took the gun apart the first time to refinish the stock) but it is my gun so the only person I could hold responsible is me. They are not even noticeable and I am sure that the average soldier who might have been forced to remove his barrel for whatever reason probably did the same. My musket is 27 years old and has been through a lot being, therefore, well-worn but in perfect operating condition, which I expect of all my military firearms.

I would get a mainspring vice so that if you every need to disassemble the lock you can do so properly.

Just a tip. For keeping track of loose screws and pins during disassembly, or even during a build, a piece of foam insulation or florist foam kept handy gives one a convenient place to stick 'em as you remove 'em....especially on my cluttered bench.

Enjoy, J.D.

One of those magnetic parts trays are good for stripping down fidly things like locks etc .

Yep, use those too. But I like the foam for keeping things lined up in the order they come out. Enjoy, J.D.