Pedersoli Scout Carbine .50 Caliber

[ThomasT]

I was playing on Gunbroker today and my playing around won me this rifle. A Pedersoli Scout Carbine .50 caliber with full stock and 28" barrel. I suppose its is not period correct but for me thats OK. I don't do reenacting anyway. I had a Cabelas Blue Ridge rifle made by Pedersoli long ago and remember it as a very good gun. I have a Perdersoli Pennsylvania rifle in 45 caliber listed on GB now. Its a fine rifle but just so blasted long. When I bought it I thought it had the 36" barrel and not the 42" barrel.

Here is a link to my new gun. I would have rather had a .45 but for the price this will be fine for my uses. My total with shipping is $341.00 Half what a new one would have cost.

https://www.gunbroker.com/Item/787386973

 

[paul harm]

Looks like you made a good buy. Too bad they have to stamp all that crap on the barrel. Their name would be ok, the rest someone who buys it could figure out. Just me nit picking - looks like a winner.

 

[ThomasT]

Hi Paul. I don't like the stamping either but they have to use all those high dollar roll stamps they bought on something. I wish they could put all that on a peel off sticker. It is what it is. If this gun is as well put together as the Pedersoli Pennsylvania rifle I have I will be pleased. I really need to stay off GB for a while. I hope some of my own guns I have listed sell. Most have the guns on their watch list so I think they will sell.

I like the shorter barrel full stocks. I would guess that somewhere down the line someone made full stock guns that were not five feet or more long. But I did find in reading the Muzzleloading Caplock Rifle book what may have been part of the reason for the long barrels. Ned Roberts stated that the heavy metal and long barrels of the old guns would absorb some of the noise from the guns being fired and were less likely to alert nearby Indians that frontiersmen were around. It made it a little safer for them. Makes sense.

 

[woodnbow]

Should be a nice little hunting rifle. I had one of the full length Pedersoli rifles, it was a great little ball shooter.

 

[bannockburn]

Ratshooter

Fine looking rifle for a decent price. Hope it's a tack driver for you.

 

[Gordon]

Excellent buy ! .50 caliber works well on deer. 28" barrel is plenty and about right. I like the configuration of that gun !

 

[Loyalist Dave]

FIRST OFF guys, the barrels are stamped because the laws require them to be so..., included in all the stamping are the proof marks for the barrel.

Should be a 1:48 twist, so will work just fine with .490 round ball as well as conicals. Pedersoli sometimes has a run of rifle barrels with sharp edges on the lands, so if you use patched, round ball, check them patches for cutting. Pedersoli also likes to use thick, steel, front sight posts, and one can usually get better accuracy when swapping it out for a thinner post. I like thin, silver myself.

LD

 

[ThomasT]

Hi Dave. The Pedersoli rifle I have now has a thin German silver front straight from the factory. I had bought a Lyman trade rifle a while back and you recommended a new thinner sight from TOW and you were correct. The factory sight on that gun is wider than I like. I have it listed on GB now because I just don't think I want a flinter. But if I end up keeping it, it will get a new front.

This new rifle does have the one piece front and it just might get a new sight or at least I will thin it down like I did the front sight on my GP rifle.

 

[ThomasT]

I got my gun today. What a lightweight beauty it is. I should have bought one of these many years ago when I first spotted them. The bore is perfect as far as I can see with my fishing bobber bore light. the front sight is not a thick blade but comes to a small, fine point at the top. That'll work. If it stops raining around here and the sun comes out I will try to get a couple of pictures. If it not raining and I can get into my buds land I will shoot it this weekend.

 

[ThomasT]

Went shooting the new rifle yesterday. Shot off hand at 45 yards. Had 5 shots in a group just a little to the right and one stand alone hit when I pulled that lightweight set trigger by accident and shot low. I was surprised I even hit the plate. I thought I had shot left and missed. Here are a couple of pictures of the metal RR tie plate and of the gun. I like it.



If you look at the Pedersoli and Dixie sites it shows this rifle to have a 1/32 twist. I measured the bore and it is actually a 1/48 twist. So it must be a misprint. I was using a .490 ball and a .012 patch lubed with water soluble oil (machinist coolant) and 50grs of 3F Goex powder. When I hunt I will use 70grs of 3F powder.