Pedersoli Flint Pistols

[Bob Riegl]

I am looking to pick up a flintlock pistol and the Pedersoli Kentucky has been the one I have been considering. I wonder if any of you can comment on the lock's reliabilty, good/bad/indifferent. I am growing old and tired of waiting for TVM's finishing a Tennessee pistol and I really want to add a flintlock pistol to my shooting repertoire, before I get any older. :front:

 

I haven't had mine very long, but so far I'm highly impressed with it. It has a very strong, flat mainspring, the frizzen spring isn't pretty, but very functional, and when I use 3Fg in the barrel and keep it clean, it goes off every time I pull the trigger, and ignition is so stinkin' fast you can hardly tell it's a flintlock. Accurate too... it shoots where you aim it. It's a good little pistol... the only complaint I have is the trigger pull is pretty hard, but the more I shoot it, the better it gets, so that might just be the newness wearing off.

 

[2172]

I've had the Pedersoli made Dixie Gun Works Harper's Ferry 1804 pistol for about 20 years...beautifully made, works very well..Hank

 

[oldarmy]

I have one also.
Staticdog convinced me to buy one and I like it. Mine is .50 cal
Works well and is very reliable. Very nice quality for the price.
I loved working on it.
They are a wonderfull small scale project and you will learn alot building it.
I just wish you could find a kit like, for aroung the same price that was American made.

 

Yep, that would be nice.

Hey, OldArmyD00d... I'd still like to see some pics of your finished gun... :redthumb:

My Pedersoli build thread is still around here I think... lemme see if I can find it.

Ah, yes. Here it is: Pedersoli Build Thread

 

G'day,

I have two Pedersoli Flint Pistols - the standard Kentucky and the Le Page. They are like chalk and cheese. The Kentucky has a very heavy trigger and is not that sweet to shoot but it does work. On the otherhand the Le Page is so sweet that I am almost tempted to take it to bed. :kid: (I have found however that a women is far more comfortable to sleep with and even more fun.)

Cheers from down under
Aussie Bob

 

[PaulN/KS]

I got a Pedersoli Kentucky flint pistol and it too had a very hard trigger pull.I stoned the sear and it has gotten lighter.Still a tad harder than some of my others but better than it was. :results:

 

[Bear Rider]

On the otherhand the Le Page is so sweet that I am almost tempted to take it to bed. :kid: (I have found however that a women is far more comfortable to sleep with and even more fun.)
Aussie Bob

That flintlock could give a whole new meaning to "Setting the sheets on fire!" :shocking:

 

[Tahquamenon]

I've got the DP Kentucky 50cal in percussion. I really like it and shoots excellent.

:thumbsup:

 

[CrackStock]

I got one today from Cherry's Fine guns in NC.

$195.00 + $15 to deliver.

No, not the kit -- that is the finished gun.

I figure that I can get that back easily if I do not like it.

CS

 

[Old Charlie]

I ordered the same one yesterday.I under stand that some of these guns are well made and others are not quite as good. For $195 I'll take my chances!
Old Charlie

 

[SquirrelsaurusR]

I under stand that some of these guns are well made and others are not quite as good.

I have one in .54 flint and it's outstanding quality.

 

[Puffer]

I have 2 Pedersoli's.
1. - Kentucy (flint) After honing the action (to lighten the pull) it shoots good
2. - Mortimer( cap lock) A "tac"driver. The BEST pistol I've shot. :front: This gun has won me my share of matches. I am saving for a flinter

 

[CrackStock]

How did you go about honing this?

My trigger pull is awful.

Thanks,
CS

 

[Old Charlie]

I got my Kentucky .50 yesterday. I got it out and cleaned it up and did some shooting this morning. The trigger pull is way to hard! How ever it fires very fast ,no lag time noticeable. I could only get a .490 ball down the barrel with a .10 patch. No way my waly-world pillow ticking was going down! I shot some .495 balls with no patch, couldn

 

[Puffer]

How did you go about honing this?

My trigger pull is awful.

Thanks,
CS [/quote
I take my lock apart (USE a lock vice for the main spring DO NOT use vice grips)IMPORTANT - remember where everything goes ( I'm old so I draw a schematic) Next take all the parts "hone the "flat" serfaces on an oiled "Arkansa" stone,to take of the burrs.(Go light) This alone will make a diff. Infact @ this point I reassemble the lock & try it, many Xs it is enought.
Next I polish the sear & the "catch" it fits in (SORRY I cann't remember it's proper name, maybe someone younger than me can.)Then reassemble & try it (W/ my gun this is all it took)REMEMBER the trigger pull will not be the same as a set trigger target gun, like my Mortimer. :imo:
If it is still not what you want , then LIGHTLY file the nose of the sear Keep doing this ( requires a lot of testing, GO slow)

Puffer

 

[CrackStock]

Puffer,

Thanks for the ideas. I will take a look at these. That other part, I think is the full cock notch in the tumbler.
I also think that the return spring must be a tad heavy.

As to a mainspring vise, try using a crescent wrench. Pull back to full cock, snug the wrench over the spring and then ease the cock/hammer so that the wrench takes the spring tension. The spring should be easily removed at that point. It would be very hard to overtighten with a crescent wrench!

YMHS,
CrackStock

 

[Puffer]

As to the Main spring, I WOULD nor "lighten" it. :imo:

 

[CrackStock]

It is not a problem right now. I did nothing to it but fire 6 shots when the frizzen snapped off at its rather thin base. I looked at it carefully and saw that there were two colors in the broken metal which I thought strange. The vendor advised me to return it and it is on its way back.

Oh well, I had wanted to shoot it a lot tomorrow and then decide whether to work on the trigger or live with it. As an old double action pistol shooter, a heavy trigger does not cause me as much annoyance as it might other shooters. Was actually contemplating just leaving it as is.

CS

 

[CrackStock]

I was refering to lightening the seer return spring rather than the mainspring.

The seer bar is pressed downward by the seer spring and you feel that tension when pulling the trigger.

http://encyclopedia.maksiu.info/wiki/Flintlock_mechanism

CS