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Pedersoli Bess with wooden ramrod?

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I made a 1742 Bess with a Getz .77 barrel and a wood ramrod. I’ve been shooting her since 1992. Still have the original rod. I use spit patch pillow tick and a ,745 ball. No issues what so ever.
 
Hi,
The original poster was not worried about whether a wooden rod would work for shooting, but for F&I war period, wooden rods were much more common than steel rammers and he wanted to swap out the steel rod on his Pedersoli for a wooden one to be more HC.

dave
 
Regarding the Long Land Brown Bess with Steel Ram Rods.

1. Several of the older stores of 1740 pattern long Lands were ‘upgraded’ to use steel ram rods with sleeved rod pipes and a very long retaining spoon / spring. These designs were considered poor improvements and most of these muskets were placed in storage for militia use in Canada and the American Colonies.

2. After 1746 contracts Wilets, Smith and Edge did design a ‘transitional’ long land Brown Bess; the muskets had earlier curved locks (banana shaped so the rammer channel would clear the front lock bolt, wood rammera were about 5/16.). The stocks were designed for steel ramrods; this enables the contractors to reduce the forestock size to accomodate the steel rod and pipes. These muskets were not used in F&I War some were sold off to arm the newly acquired Canadian colonies.

3. American Contract Brown Bess Muskets made between 1750-1760 were designed by NY gunmaker Wilson. They were similar to the 1748 transitional Brown Bess but slightly slimmer In size. These muskets had steel rammers and the later funnel front pipe. These muskets were carried by provincial troops that laid siege to fort Carrillon, Montreal and Possibly Other battles. These guns are very rare.

3. The 1756 pattern long land was predominate British Arm throughout the Revolutionary War; it has a steel rammer and straight(Er) lock plate to accommodate the smaller diameter steel rammer. The forestock was also increased to accomodate the lower part of the steel rammer channel.


Regarding changing the Pedersoli; I wouldn’t there’s not enough wood and it will not likely clear the front lock bolt leaving it about 1/2 inch past the muzzle.

The rifle shoppe sells several period correct pattern muskets for F&I.

Pedersolis Bess is more or less a very standardized commercial compilation of the 1756 and 1769 muskets; however neither original pattern had raised lock carvings.

Nick
 
What is involved with converting a Pedersoli brown Bess to a wooden rammrod?
Just a pipe change? Will I need to drill out the stock behind/under the rear pipe?
Reasons I ask are I'd like the better historical accuracy for the F&I period, and the cleaner loading.
Thanks.

To make it work you’d need to drill at an angle that would clear the lock bolt and then slightly under the breech.... note this severely weaken the stock. I would buy a 1740 bess kit from track of the wolf.
 
FWIW, in the Appendices section of “Small Arms of the British Forces in America 1664-1815” by De Witt Bailey, Ph.D. and under the repair parts listed as being shipped with/for Artificers (Armorers) for the repair of small arms in Albany, New York in 1757; there were included:

“Tips, Brass for [wooden] Rammer Rods……..1,000”

These tips were held in place on the Wood Ramrods by a rather ingenious method of a wedge in a groove in the end of the rod. When the Brass Tip was tapped fully home, the wedge expanded the end of the rod so as to grip and retain Brass Tip.

The same list has the following Armorers’ Rods:

“RODS
Wiping Musquets 6

Spring Scraper 6

Do. Boarers 6”

These Rods were made from Iron/Steel. The “Spring Scraper” Rods were special Rods meant to scrape built up fouling out of the bores and an example is listed as “fig. 10” from Diderot’s Encyclopedie, in the following enlargeable link:

http://artflx.uchicago.edu/images/encyclopedie/V18/plate_18_9_4.jpeg

The “Wiping Musquet Rods” and “Boarers” are a little harder to figure out as the British used differing terminology in the period. It is possible that an example of the “Wiping Muskets Rods” may be the same as “Fig. 9” in the link above. If so, then the “Boarers” would have been Rods with a threaded end to use screw on Worms and Ball Screws (Ball Pullers).

Gus
 
Regarding the Long Land Brown Bess with Steel Ram Rods.

1. Several of the older stores of 1740 pattern long Lands were ‘upgraded’ to use steel ram rods with sleeved rod pipes and a very long retaining spoon / spring. These designs were considered poor improvements and most of these muskets were placed in storage for militia use in Canada and the American Colonies.

2. After 1746 contracts Wilets, Smith and Edge did design a ‘transitional’ long land Brown Bess; the muskets had earlier curved locks (banana shaped so the rammer channel would clear the front lock bolt, wood rammera were about 5/16.). The stocks were designed for steel ramrods; this enables the contractors to reduce the forestock size to accomodate the steel rod and pipes. These muskets were not used in F&I War some were sold off to arm the newly acquired Canadian colonies.

3. American Contract Brown Bess Muskets made between 1750-1760 were designed by NY gunmaker Wilson. They were similar to the 1748 transitional Brown Bess but slightly slimmer In size. These muskets had steel rammers and the later funnel front pipe. These muskets were carried by provincial troops that laid siege to fort Carrillon, Montreal and Possibly Other battles. These guns are very rare; Tower, Willets, Farmer and Edge produced maybe 10,000 of these, the lowest production of any Brown Bess.

3. The 1756 pattern long land was predominate British Arm throughout the Revolutionary War; it has a steel rammer and straight(Er) lock plate to accommodate the smaller diameter steel rammer. The forestock was also increased to accomodate the lower part of the steel rammer channel.

One thing to consider regarding a F&I War musket is that most of these muskets were 1740-1746 pattern Brown Bess Muskets; these would have been in storage and over the years revamped and upgraded to take a Steel Rammer and Cast Brass nose cap, some have been found with the later funnel shaped upper thimble. The ramrod pipes that were set up for the wooden rod were sleeved or filled and rebored. The steel ramrods were slightly larger than the 1756 Steel Rod in order to compensate for the larger rammer channel. Most of these muskets were also cut down to 44 or 42 inch barrels, by the time the Revolution came, the muzzles were woren down from excessive use.


Regarding changing the Pedersoli; I wouldn’t there’s not enough wood and it will not likely clear the front lock bolt leaving it about 1/2 inch past the muzzle.

The rifle shoppe sells several period correct pattern muskets for F&I.

Pedersolis Bess is more or less a very standardized commercial compilation of the 1756 and 1769 muskets; however neither original pattern had raised lock carvings.


Nick
 
Regarding the Long Land Brown Bess with Steel Ram Rods.

1. Several of the older stores of 1740 pattern long Lands were ‘upgraded’ to use steel ram rods with sleeved rod pipes and a very long retaining spoon / spring. These designs were considered poor improvements and most of these muskets were placed in storage for militia use in Canada and the American Colonies.

2. After 1746 contracts Wilets, Smith and Edge did design a ‘transitional’ long land Brown Bess; the muskets had earlier curved locks (banana shaped so the rammer channel would clear the front lock bolt, wood rammera were about 5/16.). The stocks were designed for steel ramrods; this enables the contractors to reduce the forestock size to accomodate the steel rod and pipes. These muskets were not used in F&I War some were sold off to arm the newly acquired Canadian colonies.

3. American Contract Brown Bess Muskets made between 1750-1760 were designed by NY gunmaker Wilson. They were similar to the 1748 transitional Brown Bess but slightly slimmer In size. These muskets had wooden and some had steel rammers and the later funnel front pipe. These muskets were carried by provincial troops that laid siege to fort Carrillon, Montreal and Possibly Other battles. These guns are very rare; this pattern musket omitted the wrist plate.

3. The 1756 pattern long land was predominate British Arm throughout the Revolutionary War; it has a steel rammer and straight(Er) lock plate to accommodate the smaller diameter steel rammer. The forestock was also increased to accomodate the lower part of the steel rammer channel.


Regarding changing the Pedersoli; I wouldn’t there’s not enough wood and it will not likely clear the front lock bolt leaving it about 1/2 inch past the muzzle.

The rifle shoppe sells several period correct pattern muskets for F&I.

Pedersolis Bess is more or less a very standardized commercial compilation of the 1756 and 1769 muskets; however neither original pattern had raised lock carvings.

Nick
 

Pedersoli barrels are also smaller in the breech with thicker barrel walls than most originals.

Original Brown Bess muskets were .76 - .80 depending on the generation.

The Most accurate Brown Bess repro stocks I’ve seen was a Rifle Shoppe Bess and a track of the Wolf 1742 bess....
 

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