Pedersoli Harper's Ferry Pistol Wonky Lock Geometry.

[granth]

Hello! I just got my Harper's Ferry pistol in the mail today from Pedersoli. I have heard that the locks on these guns possibly need a good tuning and some work in order to get the geometry right. When I unboxed the pistol, it became apparent that some lock work has to be done. The cock stops too high, and the flint touches the frizzen on half cock. How do I fix this, or do I have to take it to a smith? Thanks!

Half-cock

Full-cock

Cock all the way down

 

[hawkeye2]

Is the bottom photo of the lock in the fired position? If so you have a major problem involving the tumbler. That one can probably be made to work but if it were mine it would be back in the mail Monday. A simple lock tune isn't going to fix it. You may have noticed the cock does not strike the top of the lock plate, the stop is internal. This pistol has been on the market for around 60 years now, made by more than one different manufacturer and to the best of my knowledge none of them have ever got it right function wise.

Ideally the cock should swing an arc of about 45+ deg. from full cock to the fired position and the half cock should be 35 deg. or so back from the fired position or nearly back to the full cock position to allow the flint to clear the frizzen and still be gripped correctly in the jaws.

 

[granth]

Is the bottom photo of the lock in the fired position? If so you have a major problem involving the tumbler. That one can probably be made to work but if it were mine it would be back in the mail Monday. A simple lock tune isn't going to fix it. You may have noticed the cock does not strike the top of the lock plate, the stop is internal. This pistol has been on the market for around 60 years now, made by more than one different manufacturer and to the best of my knowledge none of them have ever got it right function wise.

Ideally the cock should swing an arc of about 45+ deg. from full cock to the fired position and the half cock should be 35 deg. or so back from the fired position or nearly back to the full cock position to allow the flint to clear the frizzen and still be gripped correctly in the jaws.

Dang, that sucks!

 

[simonbeans]

For what it is worth, I got one of these years ago. And as you are learning, the lock is a mess. Secondly mine came as a .58 with, if I remember right, musket Minnie ball rifling. However this copy of a 1805 Harpers Ferry did resemble one of the most handsome pistol of the US. So, I scrapped the lock, replacing with a Russ Hamm lock with a hammer from the Rifle Shop.
Barrel came from H and H in .50 to match a long rifle I was shooting at the time.

 

[nhmoose]

Send it back it is defective. You bought new expect New and properly working

 

[granth]

Thanks for the advice guys, seems like this is common among these pistols. I'll try my luck but I'm not expecting miracles!