1855 dragoon pistol cal58

[flibuste]

hello,

Anyone having experience with this Antonio Zoli replica ?

Another one from unknown provenance

http://www.auctionarms.com/closed/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=9051569&printitem=1

and the real stuff :

http://www.antiquearmsinc.com/image...S/springfield-1855-pistol-carbine-US (14).jpg

Thanks

 

[BHP FAN]

Dixie Gunworks carries them,and a shoulder stocked version.Not sure of the maker.

 

[BHP FAN]

now this is a shoulder stocked pistola I'd LOVE to have!

PH1000 1855 US Dragoon Pistol $600.00
This pistol comes with a detachable shoulder stock. It has a ¾ birch stock with satin finish. Barrel is .58 caliber, blued 12” tapered round. 1 in 72” twist. Front sight is one piece blued steel base and blade. Rear sight is blued steel open style w/1 flip up. Percussion, single shot. Using musket size caps. Features brass furniture , color casehardened lock. Overall length is 18 14/” without shoulder stock and 29” w/shoulder stock. Without shoulder stock weighs 3 ¾ lbs and with shoulder stock 5 ½ lbs. Recommended load is 30 grains of 2F black power, .570 round ball with a .015 patch. Manufactured in Italy by Palmetto. THIS PRODUCT CANNOT BE SHIPPED TO NEW JERSEY OR CANADA.

 

[wittzo]

I picked one up a few months ago for $250, it had been fired once and put in the safe. It didn't have any rust in the bore.

I've only shot it a few times. I had to re-install the screws to the brass nose cap on the stock because they had been put in a little crooked. The stock retainer latch is sort of weak, it gives really easily. I don't have any balls of the appropriate size, I've been using .530" balls with a thick patch, but just picked up a couple of boxes of .570" balls to try out. Just like I read about the originals, it's 12" barrel makes it hard to handle without the stock.

I'm curious as to who would put a sling on it and what length would work well?

 

[rocky branch]

I bought one at an estate sale.

They are noted for poor fit of metal to wood.
The rod channel is drilled crooked in mine.

The stock locks up so loose the excessive wobble would make it hard to hit a barn from the inside.

I have stocked lugers and Mausers that lock up pretty tight.

The dragoons look cool and would be much better if the stock mechanism could be fixed.

 

[arcticap]

Zoli is known as a quality maker and I'd be surprised if those guns being mentioned as having problems were made by Zoli.
I once saw a brand new one at a gun show along with a new Zoli Zouave rifle that was a companion piece for it and neither of them were inexpensive.
The Zouave rifle seemed to be first rate and while I didn't examine the pistol I would expect it to also have first rate workmanship on par with a Pedersoli.

 

[rocky branch]

For some reason they dropped the ball on the pistol.

I have a Zouave that has no issues.

The pistols apparently were an afterthought.

The rod channel is so badly drilled tha a small split has started and I don't seat the rod all the way in the stock.
I'm going to fill it and redrill it in a lathe.
I haven't figured how to fix the stock problem.

 

[wittzo]

Mine is a Palmetto, btw, not a Zoli. I've heard that Palmetto replicas aren't that great, which is surprising, since Dixie sells them for so much. I don't think this one is worth $600 because of the "workmanship" on the stock. Mine's steady, but if you shoulder it hard, the stock comes off. Too large a hole or too small of a latch or the hole and latch aren't lined properly. I can imagine they have two production lines, so they just grab a stock and go with it without fitting them properly.

 

[flibuste]

What about loading?

Some info here :


http://musketoon.com/2006/08/1855-pistol-carbine/


The weapon was designed to fire the .58 caliber minie ball. Carried in the pommel holster, like the .44 caliber Dragoon pistol, it came with a readily attachable shoulder-stock. This powerful weapon fired a 500-grain bullet and used a charge of 60 grains of powder. Akin to the Model 1855 rifled musket, the pistol carbine employed the cranky Maynard taped-primer system.


Any personal experience ?

regards

 

[mec]

Palmetto is without honor. A lot of their guns were sold by Dixie for decades but many have disappeared from the catalog over the last year or so. Should have happened long ago as Palmetto replicas seldom function at all.

 

[StrawHat]

I recently sold one, a Zoli. Yes the stock fit loosely and yes, it could be corrected. I used a piece of leather to tighen the fit.

The big problem was the same as with adding a shoulder stock to any handgun. When stocked the recoil impulse is so different from the hand held gun that bullet impact is way off the sight picture. As I recall something on the order of 2 feet high and about the same wide. Without the stock it hit to the sights well enough to take a deer at about 50 yards.

I sold mine to a reenactor. They are not worried about point of aim and such.

Zoli actually did a good job of replicating the original. They did not lock up very solidly either.