Traditions Pioneer Pistol Kit

[CoyoteJoe]

I've always admired the slim lines of this pistol so I finally ordered a kit and slapped it together.
The bore is rather nice. Eight narrow lands mic .451" and the wide grooves mic .461". I don't know the twist but it is pretty quick.
The lock is a POS. Traditions doesn't offer a really good lock and the lock supplied with this kit is their cheapest. No bridal nor fly for the tumbler. It does have a screw to adjust sear engagement but if you adjust it really light the hammer will stop at half-cock. It needs a fly. This issue is compounded by the fact that the trigger is well placed for comfortable handling but is way too far forward to properly engage the sear bar. They had to bend the sear bar forward to reach the trigger blade and it still only reaches the very back of the blade. That makes the leverage all wrong in both places, thus a heavy pull.
I didn't care for the supplied sights, a thin brass blade up front and a tiny V notch rear. I kept the rear but cut a deep U notch. I sorted through my junk boxes to come up with a steel blade for the front.
I also fabricated a belt clip out of spring stock and fitted it to the left side retained by a longer lock bolt.
First time out I got a couple of surprises!
Surprise number one was that the first shot was in the ten ring of the 6 bull rifle target! I had just grabbed a front sight of about the same height as the rear and knocked them both into their dovetails to look about centered. It wasn't a fluke, three more were inside the 9 and 10 rings. I was shooting 15 grains of Goex 3f, some old .440" balls home cast from a LEE mold and .022" cotton canvas patching with spit lube.
Surprise number two came when I looked at the chronograph. Those first four averaged 902 fps! This with just 15 grains of powder. I know it would take at least 25 grains in my .44 C&B revolvers to hit 900 fps.
But then came the fifth shot. It dropped into the 7 ring and the chrono read only 798 fps. No idea why but it sure spoiled my group. Still and all, even including that slow shot the group measured 2 1/4" which shows some potential for a first outing. Next time I'll try a larger ball and thinner patch, that usually seems the better combo bore a shallow groove barrel.

Here is the finished product and the first try target.

Here's the left side with the belt clip. The gun weighs 30.3 ounces.

And here is a "shooters eye view" of the modified sights as I like pistol sights to look.

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[arcticap]

The Traditions Pioneer does have attractive styling for being a type of colonial pistol. That must be due to the schnabeled forend.
I recall complaints about their heavy triggers but not evidence and praise about that fine level of accuracy.
What distance was that target shot at?
Very nice target!

 

[CoyoteJoe]

It's the 6 bull rifle target shot at 25 yards resting over the hood of my pickup, that's about as close to a bench rest as I can easily get. Dixie Gunworks sells those targets for about $6.00 per hundred so about a penny per bull.
I have gotten the trigger down to about four pounds, which wouldn't be too awful on a rifle but it's more than twice the weight of the pistol.
The tumbler is cut for a fly, they just don't provide one. It should be pretty easy to make one if I can just find a good piece of steel of the right thickness.
Accuracy should only improve with more range work. It's generally conceded that it takes at least 100 rounds before a rifle barrel begins to do its best work so I see no reason to think that would not hold true for a pistol as well.

 

[rafterob]

Triggers are cheap, if I was you I would look for a trigger that could be modified to solve your issues,I think with a longer trigger bar that may give you better lift of the sear and solve the half cock issue also. Deer creek sells a lock kit for the CVA locks that includes a bridal,fly, screws etc.. you might look at that and see if it may fit your lock.Possibly not, I know they made a small lock for their pistols and the kit is more than likely for the rifle locks. Might be worth a call.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

One attraction to the Pioneer was the cheap price, you get what you pay for and replacing the lock would certainly take the economy out of the deal. I can and will make a fly for the tumbler. The issue with the trigger is its location relative to the lock, only a set trigger could provide a light pull in that location. Traditions uses the same stock for their Crockett pistol but with a different lock and with the trigger set more to the rear which gives it a better relationship to the lock but also gives it an awkward and cramped appearance. As is, I've managed to get the pull weight down to about three pounds, which isn't too bad. How long that will hold up remains to be seen.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I tried a couple of more loads today. First was a .451" ball with .014" muslin patch over 16 grains of Pyrodex "P". Five shots measured 3" even and one recovered patch was completely blown through. That muslin material is pretty flimsy stuff. But I thought maybe the pyrodex was just too hot so I tried the same with 15 grains of Goex 3f and got about the same result. So much for the oversize ball and thin patch. So I reverted to the first load with the .440" ball and 15 grains of 3f but with an .018" pillow ticking patch. Five of those came in at 1.7", best so far but I'll still keep tinkering and trying.