Pedersoli LePage vs. Pedersoli Continental Target

Hi All! I'm all new to this, so maybe you can help

What will be the better one? A used Pedersoli LePage or the new Pedersoli Continental Target?

In the LePage I like the finger guard under the trigger. (Felt one of this grips with metal element for the second finger last week, when shooting my first muzzle loader - it was a rifle tought. Also, I like the nice engravings.
Might find one used around 450-500 Euros. But you never know with second hand....

The new Continental Target I would find brand new for like 680 Euros.

Any ideas which one I should buy? IS there much difference beside the trigger guard and looks?

Also, I read to go caliber .45 for a Beginner, is that true? Or is the smaller calibers really more accurate? I don't want to make my own bullets and stuff, so I read to go "standart" caliber .45 then....

Thank you so mucho in advance !!!

Greetings from Switzerland

I have a flint LePage and shoot it regularly. It is way more accurate than I am. I have found that in mine a .424 ball works best otherwise I have to beat the ball down the barrel with a hammer. A friend who has a Percussion LePage shoots a .435 ball and it loads easily. The recommended load on Pedersoli's website calls for a .435. I think that you will probably want to experiment on your load before you finalize on the ball size. So I'm not sure what a standard size ball is.

Many, thank you so much for the reply. As said, I'm super new to this, just was able to shoot 2 shots from muzzle loader rifles last time at the range. So I don't really know of anything now - But I'm hooked haha I'm more of a handgun shooter, so I wan't a muzzle loader pistol. Anything about the two Pistols in comparison? Thank you!

I don't own either one, but I researched them a few weeks ago. The Le Page has a rear sight that is screw adjustable for elevation, and I think the front sight is drift adjustable for windage. The Continental Target Pistol has standard dovetailed sights... Drift adjustable for windage, but they will need to be filed if you need to adjust the elevation.

I am pretty sure the Le Page has a hooked breech, which makes removal of the barrel easier for cleaning. I believe the Continental Target model has a standard breech plug and tang.

The Le Page has been discussed many times on this forum, and the Continental Target Pistol has been the subject of at least a couple of discussions over the past two or three months. I would recommend that you scroll through past topics on this "Handguns" forum to find more information.

Good luck!

Notchy Bob

Notchy Bob, thank you! I was doin just that. Furthermore, I got an offer for 500 Euros for a custom LePage. The barrel was flutet by Pedersoli Factory themselfes, have a look. This gun is adjusted for shooting 50m the seller said... He sais, it's weight is 1100grams now.
Whit this fluted barrel, which I really like the looks of it, is it a problem for attending for certain matches, since it's not "original design" anymore?

After owning or trying most every factory cap and flint factory replica produced and many custom and originals I have not found any beating or matching my Pedersoli LePage Flint or Caplock in my hands for winning matches...NRA/ NMLRA "USA" Nat. Championship rules. The above gun fits our rules for any/all Caplock matchs. No I don`t mess with the euro events they call "international"over in euro land...c

No second place said:

After owning or trying most every factory cap and flint factory replica produced and many custom and originals I have not found any beating or matching my Pedersoli LePage Flint or Caplock in my hands for winning matches...NRA/ NMLRA "USA" Nat. Championship rules. The above gun fits our rules for any/all Caplock matchs. No I don`t mess with the euro events they call "international"over in euro land...c

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Your parochial attitude does you proud, Sir!!! FYI, the MLAIC - The Muzzle Loaders Associations International Committee - is the WORLD governing body for competition with muzzle-loading firearms. Both originals and replica's thereof.

Americans shooters are also part of that international shooting scene.

And for the OP, you are correct, IF indeed LePage never made a pistol with fluted barrel. Who knows?

As for shooting them - take a look at capandball on Youtube and see how he gets on with the LePage. Ignore for the moment that he is THE national champion, as well as the organising secretary for the MLAIC, and concentrate on what he does and how he does it. note that a lot of beginners start off with the .45 for the simple reason that the hole is bigger, and might touch the next scoring line in, rather than miss it by a millimeter