• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

1974 Euroarms Brescia, Italy 44 cal. Kentucky nipple

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

mik1947

32 Cal.
Joined
Sep 25, 2011
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
I have a 1974 replica Kentucky percussion 44 cal. rifle I bought @ the NATO exchange in Italy while I was in the US Navy. The barrel markings (XXX) indicate 1974 and all the Gardone proof marks match up with those I have seen on this site.

I haven't fired this weapon in years and the nipple is broken off at the threads. I am soaking it in penetrating oil and will attempt to use an "easy-out" to remove the remainder.

My questions are: Did all the Italian made replicas use metric nipples? What would be a recommended powder load for shooting round balls with this gun? Can I use one of the black powder substitutes in this gun?
 
My questions are: Did all the Italian made replicas use metric nipples?
-yes, I believe the majority of the time they used metric.
What would be a recommended powder load for shooting round balls with this gun?
-start with 40 grains of 3f
Can I use one of the black powder substitutes in this gun?
-yes, just don't use smokeless powder in any muzzle loader. When it comes to substitutes, I like Triple 7, but as it is more energetic you must reduce your loads by 15% to equal the same amount of traditional black powder. Starting load of 3f T-7 would be 35 grains. Keep in mind that all substitutes are harder to ignite so using them might require magnum #11 caps.
[/quote]
 
I used a .435 or .437 ball with a .015 patch and 40-50 gr 3f in mine at first, later I found that I was also was able to use a .440 ball with the same patch, it was just a bit tighter both of my gun perc and flint shot well with 50 gr or less, more did not work well for me.I have often wonderd if many of the earlier .44 cals were just changed in name to a .45 to fit in various huntng seasons that required a .45 rifle, I never did mic either one of my .44's but I suspect they were pretty close to the later .45's in bore size
 
tg and bull,

Thanks for sharing your experiences and the quick response! This is very helpful as my memory is not what it used to be!

Mike
 
I got a Investarms 50 cal thats made in Italy, Its got a 6x75 nipple. they also sell a 6x75 nipple for pistols and I dont know for sure if they are the same or not but I havent seen them offered together . always listed seperatley. I was refered to "Track of the Wolf" if I cant find one local. Cabelas offered a kit of 6 with a wrench for about $30.When ya get the threads out , take them with ya to try to match if ya can . good luck...oh ya I started with 50grains T-7 and a lubed patch and built up from there to 80 with out a prob
 
Thanks for the info! I'm still soaking the nipple in penetrating oil - I'll try to remove it this weekend and I hope to be able to tell if the threads are coarse or fine.
 
mik1947 said:
Did all the Italian made replicas use metric nipples?

I'd give Track of the Wolf a call or send them an email to confirm. They seem to have bottomless reference material and really helpful folks.

I was prepared to make the same assumption about a Pietta SxS shotgun I just picked up, but decided to send them an email before trying one of the metric nipples I had on hand. They said the Pietta takes a 1/4" x 28, further pointing out that "the Italian guns were threaded to tighter specs than most US guns, so it will be a tight fit requiring careful alignment."

I got the nipples, and sure enough. It's a hand-in-glove fit and you have to have the nipple absolutely straight before it will screw in.
 
I finally got the old nipple out! Had to progressively drill out until I could run a tap through the threads to remove the last of the old nipple material and install a new nipple with some antiseize on the threads!

Now that I have the nipple replaced, I want to return this gun to shooting condition. It has been sitting for years without firing or cleaning and it feels as if the bottom of the bore is pretty rough. Before I attempt shooting it again, does anyone have a suggestion for "deep" cleaning after such a long period of non-use?
 
YOu can try pouring some penetrating oil, like Break Free, Kroil, Liquid Wrench, etc. down the barrel and let it sit for a few days. That would allow the oil to get under the crud and rust, so that you can clean it out.

But, short of removing the breechplug, both to inspect the barrel, and to check on the depth of pitting there, I don't know how you can return a badly corroded barrel to its "like-new" condition. Being at the back of the barrel, your rusted back end will not adversely affect the accuracy of the barrel, unless the rough bore tears your patches when you seat the PRB down on the powder.

You can consider using OP wads, or fillers, to move the PRB forward of the powder charge, so that it doesn't tear on the rough spots where the PRB used to sit in the gun.

A gunsmith could shorten the barrel, by cutting off the rusted part at the back of the barrel, re-threading it for the breech plug, and then cut new dovetails, to relocate the barrel hangers, and pipes for you ramrod. that work will probably cost more than the gun is worth, but if this is a family heirloom, it might be worth doing, for you.
 
I hesitate to tell anybody what they should do with their gun, but from the sound of it, what I would do if it were mine is to plug the nipple, fill the bore with kerosene and let it sit for a few days.

Then I'd clean as per usual plus I'd use a breech scraper. Then I'd shoot the gun. If the thing shot well, then good. If not I'd have a good look at the patches and see if they look rough.

If I got the impression that the bore is pitted and beat up, I might well try the fire lapping thing which I asked about a couple of days ago over on the General Muzzleloading section in a thread with the title "speed lapping." There's a great link posted there on how to do it. Apparently it can bring really beat barrels back from the dead.

I recently traded for an Italian gun called a Kentuckian which sounds like it's probably the same gun. They apparently have a reputation for being quite accurate.

Good luck.
 
Thanks for the help! I will try soaking, cleaning and shooting to see where I am. Then I'll look at next steps from those results.
 
Back
Top