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Problems I have had with, and thoughts on Pedersolis I have owned .

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I'm glad you had the guts to point out the flaws Cutfinger. I have not shot nearly as many as you, but the ones I have, I completely agree. Pedersoli is a brand that is so close... but just doesn't quite get "it". They are usually just a couple of tweaks from being great guns. They are put together well, they look decent, but they seems to have skipped in the shooting departments. The ramrods are poor, but I'm ok with that, as everyone has their preference. This is the best place to save money as far as manufacturing. I too get a bunch of cap fragments from their guns. You only notice it on the SXS being a right hander, but their right side does it too. Every other brand out there has designed their rifles and shotguns so they don't draw blood. There's no excuse why Pedersoli can't do the same. Besides that, the stocks on their shotguns leave a lot to be desired. They look good, but they really kick your cheek. They might fit some people, so I'll leave that be. Along with the ramrod, they do not have any kind of catch. After you fire 1 barrel, your ramrod is sticking out a few inches. That's not an attribute I want in a SXS. It's a shame because Pedersoli guns usually look good, and are well put together, but functionally I think CVA has them beat in a number of areas.

@mooman76, a few production guns have come with good ramrods. Thompson Center's side locks had decent ramrods. Even today their modern guns come with good rods. It's the Spanish guns, CVA and Traditions that normalized poor quality ramrods. Today Kibler rifles come with top quality hickory rods. Some might not consider them production guns, but they are basically a snap together kit, and really don't cost that much more than a Pedersoli.

It sure would be nice if TC reintroduced their side locks in the $500 range and steam rolled all these garbage guns off the market. I know Pedersoli can make a good gun, but with no competition, they won't.

"I too get a bunch of cap fragments from their guns."

IMHO the main problem is that Pedersoli fail to cavity the Hammer deep enough so the percussion cap on impact is shrouded enough to prevent a cap fragmenting anywhere but down and away from the firers face.
 
My first flintlock rifle is a Dixie Pennsylvania made by Pedersoli in 1998. It shoots pretty well, given that the bore has numerous toolmarks perpendicular to the bore axis from the breech almost to the muzzle.

The caliber (.45) is stamped on the left side barrel flat near the breech. Before shooting it for the first time I consulted the Dixie catalogue for recommended ball (.440) and patch (.015) sizes. Tried same and had a very difficult time ramming balls down the bore. Coning the muzzle with a tool from Joe Wood's The Firelock Shop didn't help much either. Measured bore diameter at the muzzle after coning is about .450". The solution to the hard-loading problem was found by using .433" balls with a .015" patch. It is still not the easiest to load, but is doable. Although the rifling lands at the muzzle are no longer there, accuracy was not adversely affected.

The lock itself is no prize. First, it seems Pedersoli used a plate size that is unique to that rifle and I believe, the Dixie Cub series. I can't replace it either. No other lock by any lockmaker I have found will fit, nor can one be modified to fit. Second, the lock likes to eat flints as well. Sometimes I get lucky and shoot as many as 8 or 9 shots before knapping is required, which is only good for 4 to 6 additional shots before a replacement is needed.

I realize manufacturing methods and quality control procedures have (or should have) changed since 1998, but Pedersoli won't be high on my list of desirable manufacturers in the future. It is good that some of you have had positive experiences with their products however.
I had a poodersoli from the 90s and though it was very accurate - the lock was a piece of junk and the metal of the barrel must have come from junked fiats. I would take a jukar any day over one and will not look to buy another in the future.
 
IAM very much staying away from ALL imports ..the perdersoli shotguns are good...but the spanish italian ect imports ive seen are soft steel barrels..The hatfield my bro inlaw had had a imported bbl it got shot out in 1200 rounds. the tradition trapper 800 rounds ..they sure shoot good ...THEN.....DONE
European muzzle loaders tend to have barrels made of low sulfur Gun Barrel quality steel. American barrels are mostly of resulfurized 12L14. Ask n experienced steel metallurgist what he thinks.
 
They have bothered to take responsibility, have you bothered to contact the Pedersoli warranty center in the U.S?
I don't follow you - how have they bothered to take responsibility?

I did write them. I thought that for an expensive item like a ladder rear sight, it would be possible they'd have me send in what I have and after checking it out, either replace it or offer a good one at a discount.

Question : If Persepolis is that poor of a weapon, why buy one :doh:
Pedersolis
Sounds like your auto correct butchered the name. LOL

Hey, I didn't know these guns were mostly finished kits. The old motorcycles I'm into have a similar reputation. There's a joke that they're very high quality, but when it came to the lesser details, parts like gauges, switches, fit/finish, paint quality, they ran out of funds. Some things, like rear view mirrors, were missing entirely.

Coinneach - thank you - I'll check out Soule.
 
Pedersoli is my favorite imported firearm along with Uberti. They give me a great feeling of confidence in quality fit and finish and function. I love American made stuff but these Italian replicas offer the things I like at an affordable price. I feel they make a great effort to satisfy people’s want for historic firearms. More so than any other manufacturer.
 
" don't follow you - how have they bothered to take responsibility?"

They have a service center to take care of problems.
 
Pedersoli is my favorite imported firearm along with Uberti. They give me a great feeling of confidence in quality fit and finish and function. I love American made stuff but these Italian replicas offer the things I like at an affordable price. I feel they make a great effort to satisfy people’s want for historic firearms. More so than any other manufacturer.
It is a pity Uberti don't make their Hawken any more it is a fairly good recreation of the Carson rifle and shoots very well and was a good price .
 
I got a Ped 12 ga SXS Coach gun with double triggers from Dixie. After a few shots , the triggers wouldn’t work . I took the gun apart and the pin on which both triggers pivot was not locked in place and would come loose. It was brand new. I asked Pedersoli to replace the trigger setup and they said contact Dixie who did offer to have me sent it in for repair. I just fixed it myself. Bad quality control & folow up . They should have been embarrassed they they sent it out like that . Nice gun once repaired.
Also, with a new Ped Remington 1858 Target model , one of the ears on the bolt was mangled . The bolt did not retract all the way at 1/2 cock. Pedersoli has still not replaced the bolt after going on months. I got an Uberti bolt & filed it to fit. There were significant burrs inside the frame that made the hand impossible to get in place without a pick. These guns cost about 3 X as much as a Pietta basic NMA and I was shocked once more at the horrible quality control and after sales follow up.
I have a Ped 1859 Sharps Carbine that fires every time & has no gas leaks or significant binding for at least 20 shots. I clean the block throroughly & am happy with it despite the odd sliding chamber sleeve and the difficulty freeing it for cleaning.
On the positive side , Pedersoli does produce these guns and with some effort they are fun.
 
I’m pretty sure that’s how retail works for everything.

If i have an issue with my car I take it to the delearship I don’t call fords head office.
An expensive gun from a reputable manufacturer should not have been sent out without some real level of quality control. The gun was not operable from the factory. .
The OP asked about Pedersoli issues. After interacting with the factory reps & dealers regarding 2 of 3 guns I purchased from them with real but relatively simple problems I no longer trust their quality control or their customer support. You can use the information any way you want.

Midway offers a 90 day inspection period and returns are allowed if gun is unused.
Dixie offered to repair the trigger issue in house but the repair was easy enough and I did not want to wait for shipping. The gunsmith knew of the problem. Dixie has been fine other than very slow shipping at times.
 
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My last production rifle was a 1803 Harper's Ferry by Pedo.
Got 8 shots before the frizzen broke and it took 10 months to have one made for it.
That was the beginning of the misery.
The bright side is the EX took it as a divorce settlement, and I built the one I own now.
 
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