Pedersoli flintlock tuned and trigger weight dropped

[armymedic.2]

I am not a gunsmith, but i'll tell you what i did to fix mine, as it came from the factory wayyyyy horrible.

issues: bashed flints against the frizzen

couldnt open the frizzen at halfcock, had to go full cock because the frizzen opened so hard you couldnt get enough purchase on it

trigger pull plus ten lbs

cock threw so hard it jarred the pistol and made the sights rock off target



what i did:
this procedure is for all of the springs:
used a file, and then stone, and then buffing wheel to reduce the mainspring, frizzen spring, and sear spring to about half of their original width (incorporating a taper), all worked on the side away from the lockplate into the bend, along the long way, not across the short side. contact surfaces of all springs polished as well.

tumbler sides stoned as they were rubbing against the lock plate and the bridle.

stoned the lockplate and bridle to a polish as well

stoned the sear and full cock engagement surfaces, without changing the angle. just to debur and polish

took some of the frizzen shoe off, and changed the angles to provide a smoother roll, and positive stop once open



all of these things made frizzen a pleasure to open, good sparks without bashing the flint and jarring the pistol, and the trigger break clean, but it still had to be about 8 lbs.

I ordered another trigger and trigger plate from track, as well as a 8-32 tang bolt.

ditched the old trigger, and ground away the new one to fit into the old mortice, while moving the trigger plate to sear arm contact closer to the pivot pin. I didnt measure, but i would bet the original setup had the engagement 3/8ths from the pivot or more i fit the new trigger to be about 3/16ths from the pivot. drilled and tapped the trigger plate for the 8-32 bolt (i already had the tap, so i bought a bolt instead of the metric tap pederoli used), and ground down the excess thickness of the plate where the plate curved more than the stock did, not allowing me to reinstall the trigger gaurd until it was reduced or bent.

it now breaks very clean, after just the right amount of take up, around 2-3 lbs id venture to j=guess. the pistol stays on target during the lock movement now as well. and my hand doesnt want to jerk right after breaking that hard trigger and hitting the back wall of the trigger

so anyways, just wanted to put this up to show some newer guys or tinkerers that no matter what was done, the trigger was never really useable until i moved the pivot location.

and sure the lock performs way better now, and i expect a lot more flint life for the lock work i did. but again, without tackling the trigger, wasnt too much i was able to do to change it in the lock itself.

hope this helps someone, and if an expert sees something they would have done differently feel free to chime in i am no expert.)also it should be mentioned i had a lot of time on my hands post medical procedure so my own time wasnt an issue to consider vs paying a pro to knock it out

 

[azmntman]

Good job....i wished I had time. Remember when we was young and wanted OVERtime? Now I take comp time everytime!

cute lil story bout time on yer hands....shortly aftr i bought my dads business he was in the shed "working" and I nneded some info...I went to fetch him and what was he doing ? straightening out his nuts and bolts! (about 15 coffee cans saved over a lifetime!) If I had that time I'd redo a lock or two.

 

[Black Jack]

If I may ask, which Pedersoli model?

 

[armymedic.2]

the kentucky

 

[Idricus]

I live in Italy in Bergamo near Pedersoli and near Investarm (investarm make plain pistol, Lyman bui it from Investarm )
Pedersoli have two quality brand: the one is rifle and pistol over 600 Euro, the secon is rifle an pistol under 600 E.
The frist have very good wood, good double trigger and francais stecker, the second is Very Very low quality BAD gun.
I hah a Pedersoli Continental Duelling Gun ( 390 Euro ) and it is a very dab pistol: Bad wood, too light like plastic, fake photo the Pistol seems have a nice blu barrel but when you open box you try an horrible bad-make brow windows barrel. But this is nothing, the trigger is horrible: it moving too much also in side ( 10 mm ) without touch meccanics. Bad belanced. prings are very very hard and after pull hammer 5 times four finger is red. Too much hard hammer cause too much hard trigger: you can't take an A4 paper at 10 meter.
So i ask for refound.
After a week a've buy Investarm Plain Pistol (290 Euro ) the quality of wood, mecanics, trigger, barrel is withou any doub BETTER than Pedersoli Continental Duelling.
So Pedersoli have some low quality gun that you will never buy. See before buy it.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Good information, thank you. I'ts great to hear from someone who lives that close to the factories and can give a first-hand account. Thank you.

 

[armymedic.2]

I could see that being the case.

some of pedersolis quality is astounding, like at shot show last year stephano pedersoli was showing me a gibbs rifle that made your jaw drop. and then of course there are guns like you describe, and i own :} .