This is odd. I have a 50 Cal Hatfield, that I purchased in the early 80's through Cabalas (sp?) for approximately $400.00.
It was an American made piece, had a browned barrel. It has Hatfield markings on the lock, and the top of the octagon barrel; for black powder only, in small letters on the side of the barrel two inches in front of the lock. This gun has no visible serial number.
The shape of the stock is a study in classic form, and it is a very good looking weapon. When I first showed the gun to my wife, she ridiculed me for spending that much money on a gun that had been obsolete for more than a hundred years. Then when I started to put it into it's case to stow it away, she asked me what I was doing. I told her it was going into storage with the rest of my guns; and she said "No it is not. I've seen one gun that was better looking than that one, and it was in the Smithsonian , that sucker is going on the wall above the new mantle."
This gun is extremely accurate, a neighbor of my folks, who was a WWII Marine, and an excellent marksman, saw some pictures my dad had taken of me shooting the Hatfield on the rifle range on my farm insisted that I bring the rifle to Mississippi the next time I came home. At the lake club, where my folks lived there was a nicely set up rifle range. He set up a target at 100 yards, and had me shoot from a chair with some sand bags. (I wanted to stand up, but he insisted he wanted to see what the rifle could do).
We got a nice group in eight shots, all within an inch and three quarters of dead center. When we got back to my folks lake house, he showed the target to my Mom (who was a very good shot , and said "Your boy has your eye, and a damn fine rifle; the only way to shoot any better at that range would be to put a scope on it, and that would be a crime."
When I first got the gun I had a lot of ignition issues, until I replaced the machined flints I bought at gun stores with a chunk of flint with a natural sharp edge I found In my gravel driveway. after a rain, the flint looks much darker, and is easy to spot in the crush and run limestone gravel) after replacing the commercial flint with driveway flint I have had a 100% ignition rate. I replaced that first chunk of driveway flint after several years with one that looked better .
My Mom preceded my Dad in death, and after my dad passed away, my son and daughter witnessed my sister's and I dividing up the family heirlooms. which included several guns. My kids started talking about how they would divide up mine and my Wife's stuff. when it came to guns, the Hatfield was first on both kids list, My daughter said may so could have the rest of the arsenal, as long as she got the Hatfield.
I don't know anything about the pedersoli versions, but the American made guns used the same barrel blank to bore for the 50. 45. and 36? caliber versions, so the smaller caliber versions had massively overbuilt barrels.
every Pedersoli weapon I have seen had a boat load of proof marks. I have a Pedersoli Kentucky pistol. It's lock has bad geometry; at half cock the lock is to close to the frizen, and the flint keeps the frizzen from closing all the way on the pan, allowing the charge to escape if the pistol isn't held dead level; I filed some off of the jaws that hold the flint to minimize that issue, but it still is a problem It also had very hard trigger pull, which required some modification of the lock mechanism. the pistol shot way low, My so finally figured out that the blade sight used was way to big, and could bullseye if he used the bottom of the blade sight in the grove instead of the. while the Pedersoli Kentucky pistol has some issues, after modifications the pistol is no longer an embarrassment.
My Hatfield 50 caliber is my favorite gun, and apparently, my daughter's favorite gun
Bill Nelson
