If anyone could get the Banana Shaped P1740 Lock Plate into the Pedersoli Lock Panel on the stock, it would be Dave Person, but there is just not enough wood to handle the downward curve on the rear of lock plate and still have a correct wood finial behind the rear of the lock plate.
So I have to politely disagree that one cannot upgrade the Pedersoli Musket to an upgraded P1742, unless one fits a new/replacement stock.
Loyalist Dave made a neat point about the trigger guard not being correct on the Pedersoli. I had to break out the books to see what he was referring to. The P1740 Trigger Guard that was used until the end of the 18th century had a little more brass protruding at the top of the front of the Trigger Bow. This was no doubt meant to reinforce the Trigger Guard around the Rear Sling Swivel Hole. With a Leather Sling in place, it would be VERY hard to notice the difference unless you are looking for it, though, as Loyalist Dave mentioned.
To the best of my knowledge, the late Kit Ravenshear sort of pioneered modifying the Pedersoli Musket to make it look like a
shortened P1756 Long Land Pattern (LLP) Musket, that did not require changing the flatter bottomed P1755 Lock Plate on the Pedersoli Musket. Kit made the modifications mentioned earlier, PLUS he weld filled the last two Date Numbers on the Lock Plate and re-engraved them to make an earlier/correct date of 1755. Below is a link showing a Musket that Kit so modified.
http://www.middlesexvillagetrading.com/KRB2.shtml
HOWEVER (and this may once again put me on the spot), the more I have learned, the more I have come to believe that while a Pedersoli so modified like Kit Ravenshear did them, makes the Pedersoli MORE correct for AWI ”“
it is not correct for FIW. I seem to recall Kit did these modifications to make the Pedersoli more correct for AWI, though I may be mistaken. Please allow me to explain.
In Dr. DeWitt Bailey’s more recent works, he points out time and again that British Ordnance made a concerted Policy NOT to send Muskets with Steel Rammers to North America during the FIW. He even mentions that Regular British Regiments who had been armed with the then “new” P1756 LLP Muskets with Steel Rammers were deliberately rearmed with Wood Rammer Muskets before being sent here in the FIW. The reason for that was there was a MUCH greater threat to the British Home Islands from the Continent in the Seven Years War and Steel Rammer Muskets were saved for that threat. So they saved their Steel Rammer Muskets for use on the Continent. Thus, the chances of a Steel Rammer LLP Musket coming here during the FIW were downright miniscule to nonexistent, with the notable exceptions of the steel rammer P1756 .66 cal. CARBINES that were documented to have come here during the FIW.
HOWEVER, things were completely different in the AWI. Britain was not fighting a World War when the AWI broke out, so they sent their “First Line” Steel Rammer LLP and even some SLP Muskets to retain the Colonies. So a Kit Ravenshear or other maker’s modification of the Pedersoli Musket, is really only correct for the AWI.
I wanted to point these things out to SAVE you from the expense of modifications to the Pedersoli, in case you are thinking of using it at FIW events and we may have confused you into thinking these modifications would make the Musket correct for FIW. Again, you don’t have to do anything to the Pedersoli as it comes from the factory, for it to be approved to use in FIW events.
Gus