Newb Here

Are there any other markings on the barrel or the lock? Can you take a picture of the lock?

The jag at the muzzle looks modern. The wood is most likely maple with a bit of stripe.

I'm going to keep it short and say to start off with a precussion caplock. They are cheaper and easier to clean/ manage.

Then if you are still interested, move into flintlocks. (A flintlock to a caplock is like fly fishing to spinning rods).

Best of luck!

basultooutdoors said:

I'm going to keep it short and say to start off with a precussion caplock. They are cheaper and easier to clean/ manage.

Then if you are still interested, move into flintlocks. (A flintlock to a caplock is like fly fishing to spinning rods).

Best of luck!

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Easier to clean! What is easier than plugging a vent?
Some folk must tie themselves in knots cleaning a muzzloader!

In order to properly clean a Muzzleloader, at least caplocks, you must take off the barrel and swab hot soapy water through it, then swab it out until clean with Bolistol.

Most flintlocks cannot have the barrel removed and in trying to clean it you can damage the furnishing.

Questing said:

The store mgr contacted the owner and he said to let me check out the gun. No looseness in action, put a bore light in flash hole and bore looked good w/rifling crisp. Barrel stamped .41. My caliper said .4100"
The burl oak furniture is nice. Have been gently polishing the brass.
My "Expert" said the gun was definitely shootable, but we can wait till Summer when it's finished.
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basultooutdoors said:

In order to properly clean a Muzzleloader, at least caplocks, you must take off the barrel and swab hot soapy water through it, then swab it out until clean with Bolistol.

Most flintlocks cannot have the barrel removed and in trying to clean it you can damage the furnishing.

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No no my friend. Who told you that?
Did they have fancy chemicals in the 1700's? I think not.

Britsmoothy said:

If it's a new barrel it may need running in so don't be disappointed if it don't shoot to well at first. And while your waiting get some bees wax and melt some olive oil into it. Nothing better for keeping the fouling soft.

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Love dat olyve owyl!

Treestalker said:

Love dat olyve owyl!

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Sounds like Popeye

Britsmoothy said:

No no my friend. Who told you that?
Did they have fancy chemicals in the 1700's? I think not.

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Just my preference

I was in the same boat about a year ago and wanted a flintlock for both small and big game. Went with a pedersoli trade gun in .62 cal. Love the gun, it’s nice to be able to hunt squirrels in the morning and deer in the evening. As long as you keep ranges close you can have a do all gun.

Questing said:

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I think you should start a separate thread on this gun. I'd like to see more of it.

I have a Pedersoli Kentucky in 50 cal. It has killed deer and when we used to be allowed it was deadly on squirrels. My only complaint was the lock. It is a flintlock and the half cock notch kept breaking. I finally found a lock that came close to fitting and I am now inletting it.

Furniture 90-95%. Critiques? Did any spots get missed? It looks a lot better than before.................need to replace the barrel end cap, brass tore in a couple spots.
Next is barrel and action.
Since I'm still a BP n00b, receptive to suggestions.........

I'm not an expert, so I have no idea of age or value, but I think i would have left it as is to preserve historical value.

There is little of historical provenance to justify leaving it as is. It could be set up for shooting.

Other than superficial cleaning, I don't think I would do much to the lock and barrel. Repair of the brass nose cap might be more of a task for a new comer than you would feel comfortable doing. I have trouble with installing nose caps.

Loads should be kept light. No more than 35 to 40 grains of 3fg pushing a 0.395 ball wrapped in a thick patch. More likely a charge of 25 grains will prove good enough.

We will be shooting it, but not hunting w/it. You witnessed my local experienced BP expert's instructions. It was more than I expected, but it's turned out worth it. A piece of functioning history.
And like all of our firearms, treasured, cleaned, and occasionally home tuned carefully.
We didn't want a "trailer queen".

Maelin Sav said:

Thanks so much for the advice so far gents. I think I will definitely go with the Blue Ridge as Loyalist Dave suggested for the extra barrel length. Looking to make the purchase sometime in the next week or so. I'm currently doing further research in the meantime and trying to absorb as much info as I can. I will definitely keep this up to date when I get the rifle and post any problems or quirks I may discover.

Thanks again guys for helping set me on the right path.

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I have posted a few pics to try to show the difference in size between the Pedersoli Blue Ridge (percussion) in .54 cal. (Which I just bought), a “Kentuckian” (percussion) in .44 cal., made in 1967 and which was an Italian import and is the same basic size as the Pedersoli Kentucky rifle, and a CVA St. Louis Hawken (percussion) in 50 cal., from 1996. The Blue Ridge has a barrel length of 39” the Kentuckian has a barrel length of 35.5” and the Hawken has a barrel length of 28”

basultooutdoors said:

In order to properly clean a Muzzleloader, at least caplocks, you must take off the barrel and swab hot soapy water through it, then swab it out until clean with Bolistol.

Most flintlocks cannot have the barrel removed and in trying to clean it you can damage the furnishing.

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?????
Plenty of pined caplocks and a few hooked breech flinters. Pulling a barrel is handy but not much. I doubt if you add five min to cleaning a pinned gun

I ALWAYS pull the barrel during cleaning.

Let the fight begin.

Welcome from Indiana. Have fun and enjoy the forum.