Pedersoli Harper's Ferry

[wwfeatherston]

Finally decided to take the next step and brought a Pedersoli Harper's Ferry.

As soon as I can get all the permits and paperwork sorted, it's off to see if I can make a flintlock go bang!

Got some 4F, spare flints and a new powder flask. The only balls I could find were .562, so I will have to find some thick patches!

Does anyone know if this beast will shoot a minnie? Those I can get.

 

[torn moc]

All the minnies I have will slide right down the bore on my Pedersoli Harpers Ferry pistol.
They should shoot just fine if lubed up...

 

[torn moc]

 

[Enfield1]

Congratulations on getting an exceptional pistol. I am just sorry to hear that you need "permits and paperwork" to get a primitive, muzzleloading, single shot, flintlock pistol. It makes me really appreciate the fact that I can make a phone call and have one or 20 shipped to my front door without issue.

 

[wwfeatherston]

No pictures because I don't have it home yet!

-I have to get an application for a permit to procure a restricted weapon signed off by my club (done)

-Take that to the police Arms Officer and get a permit to Procure.

-Produce the permit to the dealer, who will then hand over the pistol.

-Take the pistol back to the arms Officer, who will then register it against my name.

-THEN I can take the pistol home, where it must reside in a safe (which has to be of a specific specification and inspected by police)

-Any pistol can only be carried in a stout lockup box between my home and an approved pistol club, a gunsmith or firearms dealer or the police arms office.
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[BigL]

Damn, I thought we had it rough. Its worth it in the long run!! Congrats on the gun though.

p.s. I only collected my first 500g of Black today, only took me like 3 months to get this far.

 

[mckutzy]

very simular to canada in our laws. :cursing: :cursing:

 

[Peter A Meyer]

And various Australian states.

 

[wwfeatherston]

Well, I sure got it to go bang!

Next time I take it out I will have to try hitting something!

Having never used a flintlock before, I found its going to take a bit of getting used to that delay and flash in front of your face.

 

[Peter A Meyer]

Shouldn't have much of a noticeable delay between ignition of pan powder and charge if you remember to keep the flash hole clear when loading.

Use a suitable diameter piece of brass wire or a carved stick or round toothpick, etc. poked right through the flash hole. This avoids a powder-filled flash hole having to burn through (= noticeable delay due to acting as a fuse). An open flash hole allows the pan flame to flash straight through to the main charge giving virtually percussion-speed ignition.

Many shooters recommend about a half full pan, and just before firing, tip the pistol (or rifle) to the right (if a right-handed lock) so the pan powder moves away from the touch hole and creates a larger flash.

Pete.

 

[wwfeatherston]

I will give that a try.

The only way I could get the pan to flash was by filling it with powder, instead of part full like has been suggested

I can't post a picture to here, but I think I can do a Link

 

[torn moc]

Your flint looks like it's point is neither up nor down....try another English knapped flint and install it with the bevel down....it will most likely spark much better and allow you to use 1/4
of a pan full....
The locks are referred to as "BASHER" style...which implies that they arent Great sparkers...if you find a good English knapped flint that is short enough to fit back into the jaws you will do fine.
Your flint should not touch the frizzen when the lock is at half cock.......

 

[wwfeatherston]

Thanks- I will try that too!

 

[aap2]

Check out this high-speen video of a HF lock being fired http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpXI3iVDPbk You will see that the frizzen bounces back and hits the flint (fix with a better frizzen spring and the flint will last longer). also, the angle of the hammer jaws is wrong, the flint needs to point into the pan. I cut the front of the hammer throat just below the jaw and bent the hammer jaw downward and welded the cut. The flint then points more or less towards the center of the pan and ignition is more reliable. I didn't understand why this lock sparked so badly until I saw the high speed video. You should not have to fill the pan with powder to get ignition, 1/2 full is plently.

 

[torn moc]

Polish the part of the frizzen that rides on the spring.....that will keep the frizzen fron snapping back to the flint.

 

[Zoar]

featherston---the harper's ferry is a nice pistol although it is hard on flints as others have noted. That said, if you have a new flint in it, it should spark fine resulting in no delay if you only fill that pan half way. Filled or overflowing will cause a definite delay.

I have not cut, bent and resoldered my hammer like others have suggested. I simply lock the flint in the jaws at a more downward angle by having leather that is angled. It works for me. Yes and I do NOT practice hammer falls with this flinter: dry fire it. The life of the flints is pretty short with this gun. Change flints often to get perfect ignition and maximum FUN.

It can be a real hand cannon to shoot for sure. 40 or even 45 grains of 3F behind a .570 round ball is a heck of a stopper load at close range. The lack of a rear site does mean you will need a lot of practice to get good at hitting a bullseye with regularity at almost any range.

It is a 30-40 foot gun in my opinion and with the amount of practice I have had shooting it. But I can hit accurately anything I point at better than I can a WWII issued 45 Caliber US Army issued pistol. Those might be more accurate when thrown at the target.

 

[Zoar]

Oh, and regarding shooting a minnie in that big 'ole 58 caliber bore. I would recommend against it. There is a youtube video where a guy tries out shooting a minnie in a big bore flintlock pistol. The recoil was so large the gun flew back out of his hands and hit him in hise face, scared for life. He used his normal charge for round ball but with the much heavier weight of the minnie it was beyond his abilities. Can you get lead and a Round Ball mould? Then you'll be able to get .570 round ball instead of those .562 you are using.

 

[wwfeatherston]

I'm going to have to mike those ball, because they are a real good fit with my homemade patches. Feels just like my .50 with a .490 ball.

The Harper's Ferry has taken a temporary break, as I've been getting my .45-70 Sharps sighted in for a competition shoot next year.

 

[Zoar]

Since the Harpers Ferry just comes with a front sight when you are taking aim you first have to determine where you want that front sight in relation to the rear of the barrel. The sight plane. Once I got that consistent I was able to achieve acceptable groups. It is like some old hunters I know who deer hunted using slugs with shotguns using just the front bead. These guys could hit almost anything at up to 50 yards. Amazing really. All about consistency and practice. And good luck with your 45-70 shooting. Do you use Black Powder in that?

 

[wwfeatherston]

55 grains of fffg behind a 500 grain lead bullet!