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Pedersoli Kentucky Pistol

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AUGUSTUS

32 Cal.
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Jun 2, 2016
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I was looking at the Pedersoli basic percussion Kentucky pistol with a walnut stock, in .50 caliber.

I was considering it for an 1843-1847 frontier scout sort of impression.

I would be interested in any opinions with regard to the quality, problems, or whatever by anyone familiar with it.

Also, it's available in .54 caliber, but this model seems to have a rather chunky and historically incorrect appearance.

Does anyone know if the .50 caliber version has the same chunky build, or is it the same as the .45 caliber version?

Thank you for your input.
 
I have handled a few of these guns and they are quality firearms.

Not a gun you need to be ashamed of. As for the HC/PC angle, I have no idea.
Such a gun would be for hunting if I had one.
 
Have that in flintlock in 50 cal; no complaints with the quality. Yes, it's not as elegant as the customs I've seen, but it's much less expensive than those and a whole lot better than a bunch of the spanish ones I've seen and also the Traditions ones.
 
Thank you both for your replies.

As an owner, can you tell me what kind of accuracy that you have experienced?

Also, does the frizzen spark well on your flinter?

Also, is the build as slender as the .45 version, that you are aware?
 
I have a pair in 45's (percussion and flintlock)
and have been happy with them. I had my gunsmith do a tune up on the locks and triggers. Accuracy is fine, I have shot them at the national level and won. They function fine and no problems with either of them, nice pistols for the money.

I like them but, moved on to Charles Moore's from Pedersoli to get better triggers and checkered grips.

I am intrigued thought with the Navy Moll from Pedersoli for some reason.

PC/HC, I have no clue.
 
CL looks at pistols for hunting, I look at them as line pistols, both approaches are good.
 
Richard Eames said:
I have a pair in 45's (percussion and flintlock)
and have been happy with them. I had my gunsmith do a tune up on the locks and triggers. Accuracy is fine, I have shot them at the national level and won. They function fine and no problems with either of them, nice pistols for the money.

I like them but, moved on to Charles Moore's from Pedersoli to get better triggers and checkered grips.

I am intrigued thought with the Navy Moll from Pedersoli for some reason.

PC/HC, I have no clue.

Thanks for your reply.

I ran across a video on You-Tube about the .54 version, which would of course translate to the .45 and .50 versions.

The barrel is retained in it's channel by only the tang bolt and the muzzle cap, which fits over a lip on the stock and is screwed to the barrel. No barrel tenons or pins.

While good for cleaning, I guess, it has proven a problem in the .54 version at least. With heavy loads, sometimes that lip on the stock will break.

The video poster reinforced the end of the stock with steel pins, run in from the end.

Sort of makes me shy away from the .54 caliber and heavy loads in general for this pistol.

I thought that others might be interested.
 
Most folks tend to over load pistols which causes problems.

Most folks use a wood loading stand for loading pistols.

Loading, using a wood loading stand can cause cracking in the stock, it is best to take the pistol out of the stand when seating the ball.
 
I have two in .54, a caplock and flintlock, and I used to own a .45. Good quality, nice fit and finish, good shooters, the flinter sparks fine. I have no complaints, except for the overly stiff frizzen spring on the flinter, like my Ped. flintlock rifle.

I'm not sure how one is more chunky than the other, I believe the .54 and .50 are the same size.
 
Hbcfusil said:
...

I ran across a video on You-Tube about the .54 version, which would of course translate to the .45 and .50 versions.

The barrel is retained in it's channel by only the tang bolt and the muzzle cap, which fits over a lip on the stock and is screwed to the barrel. No barrel tenons or pins.

While good for cleaning, I guess, it has proven a problem in the .54 version at least. With heavy loads, sometimes that lip on the stock will break.

The video poster reinforced the end of the stock with steel pins, run in from the end.

Sort of makes me shy away from the .54 caliber and heavy loads in general for this pistol.

I thought that others might be interested.
You are right but the problem also exists on the .45 and .50 pistol as well.

The problem with the weak wood at the front of the stock on any of these pistols can be overcome by just using common judgment and loading reasonable powder loads (and not shooting slugs).

If you want to shoot heavy powder loads or conicals, the best answer is to add a underlug and a cross-pin to the bottom of the barrel like I did when I restocked my Pedersoli Kentucky.
The pin is in the center of the German silver star.

 
I had a Pedersoli Navy Moll a few months ago and it was just awful. It looked great from a few feet away, but it had so many problems such as an off kilter lock and rough bore and poorly fitted drum that I had to return it. Quality control was really bad on the one I got.

But, I do one one Pedersoli pistol which is their .54 Harpers Ferry percussion model and it's a fantastic gun. So, I would recommend you buy from somewhere you are sure has a good return policy if you're not buying it in person. That way if QC is bad you can get a refund. Dixie Gun Works is great and should give you a full refund if needed.
 
The wooden lip brass cap tang screw holding method was?is also a problem with the Spanish models sold by CVA and traditions.

As for weight, is the barrel length and dimension ATF the same? If so the 54 would be lighter. At least less weight clunky. Perhaps not as fore end heavy for balance. I had a Pedersoli kentucky in 44 with a rifled brass barrel that was decades old. It was quite streamlined compared to Spanish kentuckys. There was still some shaving that could have been done.

I would want a patent breech style system with a barrel key, to avoid the tang screw nose cap problems.

As for breaking when loading, some folks just have to bang the manure out of a load combination that is too tight. It is a pistol. Not a 100 yd match rifle. Most folks can't shoot a pistol at 25 yds as well as they shoot a rifle at 100 yds. Unless you have peculiar rifling, there is no need to load such a tight combination. A soft lead ball will obturate slightly to fill the rifling just from the force of ignition suddenly pushing from behind. More so in a rifle, but also in a pistol. Any one who bangs that hard on the patched ball to get it past the muzzle is deforming the ball anyway. I shot a lot of muzzle loading pistols over 40 years always used a stand and never cracked a stock. (Even a TC patriot which is supposed to be prone to breakage)

Another problem with grip breakage comes from the stock blank being cut from an improper cut of the tree. when holding the gun to aim, the grain should be largely a slight angle from vertical. If the grain is close to horizontal that stock will break without any abuse. An acquaintance built a magnificent custom pistol, but because he fancied a certain swirl in the wood grain, he purchased a plank with the grain running the wrong way. Even loading against his thigh broke the grip. He drilled a hole and epoxied it back together with a piece of all thread in it for strength, but he would not have had that problem if he had used a proper grain orientation.
 
It's been years since I put that pistol together and I sold it long ago so I can't look at it now.

The stock was carved from a curly maple blank.
The gripstrap/trigger guard, entry pipe, ramrod pipe and nosecap are all German Silver parts I bought from a company that now goes by the name of Muzzleloader Builder Supply.

The front underlug was made from a piece of 3/32" brass, soldered to the underside of the barrel with low temperature silver solder.
 
Hb, sorry I'm a bit late to the party. I have the Pedersoli Kentucky in 45. It was admittedly a less that satisfactory weapon out of the box. An hour or so on the bench, working over the trigger, Main spring, etc. and it is now one of my favorite one shooters. I actually enjoy it a bit more than my P. Bondini Le Page, and that's saying something.
 
I have one in .54 Flinter. I like it. had it about 2 years now. Frizzen spring is a bit stiff but it goes "bang" when I do my part right.

Heaviest load I have used was 60gr3f, 530rb. You can bet I won't do that again. I now shoot 30gr for practice and 40gr when it goes hunting with me.

For me it is a 25yd shooter.
 
ok I got a picture, now to figure out how to post it.
 

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