Smoothbore Pistol Shooting

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Panzerschwein

Panzerschwein

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Hi everyone. :)

I will soon by the new owner of a Harper Ferry 1807 percussion pistol, made by Pedersoli:

PH0951.jpg

This is a smoothbore .54 caliber pistol. I have never owned a smoothbore black powder weapon, and the only other black powder gun I have is a Cimarron 1851 Navy which is a most excellent revolver let me assure you.

So, I have some questions for you all out there who either own or shoot/have shot smoothbore black powder pistols. What kind of accuracy can I expect with this gun? What types of targets are best to shoot with these? Can I play around with loads to try and increase accuracy? Are these only for reenactments, is it even worth shooting a smoothbore pistol?

Basically, I am very much interested in Civil War history and black powder shooting. I love the looks of this pistol, but I do want to do more than stare at it sitting pretty on shelf. I want to shoot the cotton pickin' thing!! I just need to know weather or not it will be fun and satisfying to do so.

Also, as an aside, can one shoot buck and ball or other shot loads through these guns with success? Could I even use one as a snake gun for practical purposes? That would be so cool!

If any of you shooters out there could help me, any and all input would be tremendously appreciated. Thanks so much all! :D
 
Personally I do not shoot with that type of weapon, they are very good target to shoot at.
I saw him shoot Some Guys with these Pedersoli pistol and they are particularly satisfied with the accuracy and quality of manufacture.
These guns are used MLAIC on target to C50 25m (27yards) Cominazzo discipline.
Last year the champion of France made a very honest 95/100 with a smooth-bore gun and the target is not large, the Belgian champion Mariette discipline (with Roger and Spencer) was 98/100, you can see the difference: 3 points only ...
This shows that your weapon is excellent, only remains to learn how to use this kind of weapon if you do not know ...
The black center of C50 target is 20 cm.

I'll try to give you a picture with the link http://www.cjoint.com/doc/15_10/EJtw00OrBmR_Doeldimensies-C50-MLAIC.png

This weapon is excellent... ;)


Sorry for my bad language: it is not mine...
 
Erwan said:
Personally I do not shoot with that type of weapon, they are very good target to shoot at.
I saw him shoot Some Guys with these Pedersoli pistol and they are particularly satisfied with the accuracy and quality of manufacture.
These guns are used MLAIC on target to C50 25m (27yards) Cominazzo discipline.
Last year the champion of France made a very honest 95/100 with a smooth-bore gun and the target is not large, the Belgian champion Mariette discipline (with Roger and Spencer) was 98/100, you can see the difference: 3 points only ...
This shows that your weapon is excellent, only remains to learn how to use this kind of weapon if you do not know ...
The black center of C50 target is 20 cm.

I'll try to give you a picture with the link http://www.cjoint.com/doc/15_10/EJtw00OrBmR_Doeldimensies-C50-MLAIC.png

This weapon is excellent... ;)


Sorry for my bad language: it is not mine...
Click to expand...
Thanks so much! And your English is not bad at all! :)
 
Cooldill

I can't help with any info on smoothbore black powder shooting but I do like the looks of your percussion version of the Harpers Ferry Model 1807. A very clean, well balanced design that harken back to a bygone era in U.S. history.
 
Nice pistol. No rear sight has to make it a real challenge to get any accuracy. My water pipe cannon, with sights, shot a 10 shot- 13" group at 50 yards.
 
I have a similar pistol but purchased as a kit form Dixie Gun Works and is a flinter rather than a cap gun. Mine is rifled however. The rifling resembles the Marlin Microgroove rifling but it is visible none the less. I enjoy shooting it but the lack of rear sight is a challenge, but it was also good training for when I finished my Brown Bess kit. Those old timers had to be pretty familiar with their arms to shoot without a rear sight.

If it is a smoothbore I can't imagine why you could not shoot buck and ball or shot with the proper wadding. It is very similar in layout to my original Dutch Naval pistol from 1845, except for the bore diameter, and the research I have done on it indicates that all manner of small items were used as a projectile load for them.
 
Back to the OP...

A good smoothbore with the right load will shoot a 2-3 inch group. However, the Harpers Ferry is not a smoothbore dueling pistol. If nothing else, it has no rear sight...and that counts for a lot.

This gun was made up for the new N-SSA smoothbore horse pistol event. They're shooting at 25 and 50 yards on a version of the NRA targets. Loads are still under development...try a .535 round ball, rasped to stipple it. Or .530 with a .010 patch. I'd start with around 20 grains of 3F powder.

Yes, you should be able to work up a shot load.
 
I'd be interested to know if the bolster is easily removable. Pedersoli makes a threaded steel touchhole insert for certain of their flint guns. If the bolster is removable, and the insert fits, then all you would have to do is get a flint lock (which is available from Pedersoli as a spare part) and you would have a gun with interchangeable ignition systems.

The flintlock version of this gun has been available forever, but it's .58 caliber and rifled. Not authentic at all. This .54 cal. smoothbore version is a step in the right direction (even though it's in percussion). I have a hunch Pedersoli is about to launch a far more authentic Harpers Ferry flint pistol, something many of us have wanted for years.
 
Last edited:
AlexanderA said:
I'd be interested to know if the bolster is easily removable. Pedersoli makes a treaded steel touchhole insert for certain of their flint guns. If the bolster is removable, and the insert fits, then all you would have to do is get a flint lock (which is available from Pedersoli as a spare part) and you would have a gun with interchangeable ignition systems.

The flintlock version of this gun has been available forever, but it's .58 caliber and rifled. Not authentic at all. This .54 cal. smoothbore version is a step in the right direction (even though it's in percussion). I have a hunch Pedersoli is about to launch a far more authentic Harpers Ferry flint pistol, something many of us have wanted for years.
Click to expand...
After some research, it does appear that percussion conversion of these Harpers Ferry pistols were done, at least by local gunsmiths, for weapons stored in the armories of local militias at the start of the Civil War.

This percussion model was accepted by the N-SSA as being historically authentic, and this was verified by speaking with John Holland on the N-SSA forum.
 
My only experience with a smooth bore pistol has been my 1842 Lancer pistol. 62 caliber. I was playing with loads and got to a 5 inch group at 25 yds. Good enough for deer with a heavy load. Some one decided they needed the gun more than I did, so load development ceased.
 
I picked up a .62 smoothbore flinter at a swap meet a while back for 100 bucks. Don't really know who built it, but it seems fairly well made. I had to put a new front sight on it as the original was missing, so I soldered on a turtle sight.They are a hoot to play with with either ball or shot. At 15 yds, I can sort of hold it on a 6" shoot and see target.....but I think the big flint hitting bottom is causing me some grief. I'm sure others can shoot them better.
A friend of mine shot one a lot and used his thumbnail as a sort of refrence point like a rear sight....seemed to work for him.
 
If the guys I shoot rifles with are anything to go by you'll want to try it with a good stout charge, from a pistol persepective, and a snug but not too tight patch. That's how the smoothbore folks in my group shoot and I'm shocked at how accurate they can be. For a .54 cal pistol like this? I'd work my way up towards a max of 60gns and see where the sweet spot turns out to be.

And do try different patches and round ball size. There's likely a sweet spot there as well.
 
Awesome! I am really wanting to get this gun, just looking for all the input I can since I'm going to shoot the thing a lot.
 
Try some #4 buckshot or a .530 roundball with four #4 buckshot on top ala buck and ball load.
40 grains of 2F should be plenty, any heavier a charge and you will begin dreading pulling the trigger in fairly short order.

These old "Horse Pistols" were exactly that.
Close quarter last ditch firearms made for dropping men and horses at ranges measured in feet, not yards.

I have hunted many years with a 24 gauge (.58 caliber) flintlock smoothbored Trade Gun I made myself with a barrel from the late great Curly Gostomski of Dayton Ohio.

I have killed deer, small game and turkey with the weapon but I have a MAXIMUM of 50 yards when using this gun.
It is killing accurate to that distance using shot for small critters and turkeys and solid .562 roundballs for deer over 80 grains of 2F.

I am in the process of rebuilding the gun and installing a new lock so it will miss blackpowder deer season this year.
I will be using a .58 Zoli Buffalo Hunter rifled caplock instead.
 
For maximum accuracy, use a tight fitting patch. Smoothbores are reasonably accurate and for handguns it depends on the shoooter. Benchrested it should be able to hit an 8" plate at 25 yards and a man size (torso) target at 50 yards. I see though that zimmerstutzen was able to get a 5" group at 25 yards (kudos).
 
Very nice guys. I've been looking at this gun for the best week or more, and it keep calling my name.

I don't think it's an impulse. I WANT this gun.

BAD.

Next paycheck, it'll be mine... ALL MINE!!!! :D
 
I have a custom made 62 cal smoothbore flint pistol with a 12" bbl. Using 50 gr of fffg and a like volume of shot separated by wads, I do a reasonable job on the closer skeet birds (station 1 and 7 as well as 8). Really have to focus on your follow through though. A 54 smoothbore with a shot load should make a good short range snake gun. With a tight patch and solid rest, they can be surprisingly accurate at 50 ft or so. You just have to experiment to find that magic combination of powder, patch, and ball.
 
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