Pedersoli Upgrades?

[Nuthatch]

I have a Pedersoli trade gun that I listed for sale here but hasn't got any acceptable offers. So I decided to hang on to it and play with it a bit more.

Among the things I've considered doing is upgrading the lock. I had read somewhere here that TOTW has a drop-in replacement that should fit. The factory lock I have sparks well and gives me reliable ignition. But that ignition just isn't very fast. It's a definitive "ka-BOOM!" rather than a k-BOOM that I've seen on better-made stuff. I've widened the touch hole out to 1/16" when I first got it and that made ignition more reliable but not any faster. I have another vent liner & tried widening that one out to 5/64 with no discernable change in ignition speed.

Is a different lock likely to change any of that? Or would upgrading a lock that already sparks well just be lipstick on a pig?

 

[WetCanvasEnjoyer.]

I have a Pedersoli trade gun that I listed for sale here but hasn't got any acceptable offers. So I decided to hang on to it and play with it a bit more.

Among the things I've considered doing is upgrading the lock. I had read somewhere here that TOTW has a drop-in replacement that should fit. The factory lock I have sparks well and gives me reliable ignition. But that ignition just isn't very fast. It's a definitive "ka-BOOM!" rather than a k-BOOM that I've seen on better-made stuff. I've widened the touch hole out to 1/16" when I first got it and that made ignition more reliable but not any faster. I have another vent liner & tried widening that one out to 5/64 with no discernable change in ignition speed.

Is a different lock likely to change any of that? Or would upgrading a lock that already sparks well just be lipstick on a pig?

I reached out to TOTW on this exact question. I was informed they did not have a replacement and to instead send the lock to Brad Emig of Cabin Creek Muzzleloading for tuning. I'm debating doing the same, or first taking the time to polish my lock up. It's relatively lackluster in performance and honestly I wish I had waited in the hobby for a bit before getting it. Perhaps sell it off to fund maybe a Kibler kit. Or most likely just keep it as a backup.

 

[wiscoaster]

....play with it a bit more.....

Probably the cheapest, and more obviously apparent to a potential buyer, upgrade to a Pedersoli is to strip and refinish the stock.

Sorry because I'm not answering the OP question asked - I'm merely posing a different question that might make the OP question moot.

 

[Phil Coffins]

A hesitation between the flash of the lock and the main charge firing isn’t the lock. There isn’t any speed gained by a different lock so look for how the flash isn’t getting to the main charge. Is the pan in the correct position to the vent, the shape of the pan, the flash channel to the main charge are places I’d look at.

 

[nebraska steve]

I have always primed with the same powder I charged with. If I wanted to get into a competition I would invest in some f4 or flash powder before I spent money on a new lock.

 

[bpd303]

Many times how the lock is primed results in delayed ignition. I've found that too much priming powder and where it is in the pan has a lot to do with instant ignition. Try reducing the amount of powder and don't have it over the flash hole. You may get that K-Boom yet.

 

[Celt5494]

In my opinion what a lot of folks are trying to relay is it's not the speed of the hammer dropping it's the ignition that counts. I'll elaborate. It can take any determined amount of time from when you pull the trigger to when the flint hits the steel. Nothing in between is going to happen until it sparks. When it does if everything isn't set correctly to include the pan charge it's not going to reliably ignite at least as quickly as you describe. Many equate the ignition as being a click, ignition then bang. I would offer up they expect instant ignition upon the hammer dropping which will never happen with a flintlock. There will always be a very short pause due to the mechanics of it all. This is where a properly aligned fint, touch hole and primed pan come into play. There are a lot of other variables that will come into play but I believe that's a simplified jist of it.