Big Bore Smoothbore Pistols

T

TruthTellers

New member
Couple months back I made a thread about a flintlock pistol that interested me that turned out to be a Japanese replica Tower pistol. Thankfully you guys informed me that those have been around for decades and were not good.

I'm still interested in a large bore (basically anything over .62 caliber) flintlock or percussion single shot pistol. Can be newly made or a used replica, but it has to be a shooter and safe to shoot.

What are my options? Would like to keep the costs under $400.
 
Under $400 can be built my yourself.

Barrel will cost about $165
Lock about $125
Stock blank about $30
Breach plug about 20
Trigger is about $18
Trigger Guard about $18
Butt cap is about $12
Side plate about 8
Pips will cost about 20
Rod tip 3
sight about 6
screws and pins about $7
$432 total.
And the hours of work must be done by you as a hobby, but that a big part of the fun.
 
There's just not that many people making good flintlock pistols. Even a decent Harpers Ferry is going to run you about 200 more than your 400 limit and that's the bottom of the scale. The prices do go up accordingly.
 
Like I said, it doesn't have to be a flintlock, percussion is what I'd prefer.

If there's nothing that I can find that is of decent or acceptable quality that's 400 or less, I'd rather get a Pedersoli Howdah from Cabela's when they go on sale for 550.
 
Hawg said:
At least I tried.
Click to expand...
And if I was the OP, I would try to. I love mine:

hf2.jpg


.54 is a pretty big bore as it stands. A .530" 230 grain roundball on top of 50 grains of FFFg recoils like a .44 magnum, 20 grains recoils like a .38 special, and the gun can be loaded with #4 buckshot and any birdshot, it's basically a 28 gauge shotgun, smoothbore but VERY accurate with the right load:

uytre.jpg


Mine has been flawlessly reliable in several hundred rounds fired. Easy to clean, excellent quality replica. This is the percussion version made for NSSA shooters and reenactors. It is modeled after percussion converted Harpers Ferry horse pistols that were used during the Civil War and Mexican American War, in the correct caliber and smoothbore barrel, it's a real peach!

OP, I would personally get past the .62" and above notion. .54" is a BIG HOLE when looking down it and like I said you can do plenty of experimentation with shot loads to turn it into an effective snake gun or to target shoot with roundballs. Versatile, reliable, very impressive at the range. I can't recommend this Pedersoli enough.
 
Unless you want to build it from a kit or from parts, for under $400 seems to be non-existant:

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/490/1/AAN-489

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/490/1/AAQ-646

I think wyosmith (post #2) is spot on. If I were you I would spend $5 on a DGW catalog

https://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=17322

and peruse to your heart's content. Lots of stuff! And, if you have an electrical power failure, you can access it by flashlight or candle instead of the more modern electronic means!

Good luck, sir!

Jim
 
TruthTellers-
I'd like a Hawdah myself, so if that's what your heat desires, by all means go for it. But I will mention I've seen some guns like you're describing several times in the past few years on Gun Broker. I wish I could remember the pattern names now to make it easier to search for 'em. I ruled 'em out because they were beyond my price range, but they were well within yours. So, don't be afraid to look for a used repro on Gun Broker while you're waiting for that Hawdah to go on sale.

Also, I still think one option is to just buy one of the cheaper .54 percussion pistols, and have a local machine shop ream out the rifling. I bet you could still come in well under budget this way.
 
the possum said:
TruthTellers-
I'd like a Hawdah myself, so if that's what your heat desires, by all means go for it. But I will mention I've seen some guns like you're describing several times in the past few years on Gun Broker. I wish I could remember the pattern names now to make it easier to search for 'em. I ruled 'em out because they were beyond my price range, but they were well within yours. So, don't be afraid to look for a used repro on Gun Broker while you're waiting for that Hawdah to go on sale.

Also, I still think one option is to just buy one of the cheaper .54 percussion pistols, and have a local machine shop ream out the rifling. I bet you could still come in well under budget this way.
Click to expand...
I can do the reboring myself. If I were to open up a .54 caliber to a .62 (or .69, which is what I really want) will the barrel be able to hold up under the pressures of black powder? Will it explode if there's not enough steel?
 
4V50 Gary said:
Proof just the barrel. Save the wood!
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Very true.

It SHOULD be safe. Bobby Hoyt can do it the right way. Are you sure you have the tools to PROPERLY ream and polish the bore to .620"?

Not doubting you, but if you call him I'll bet you can get it done cherry for around a Grant's note.
 
I haven't done it, so I can't guarantee anything. But I can't believe it would blow up with reasonable loads. Have you ever really looked at antique muzzle loading shotguns? I've seen some that the barrels hardly looked any thicker than a soup can at the muzzle. Really, they were often quite a bit thinner than what you'd end up with, and they were made out of forge welded steel and iron that was full of impurities. Elmer Keith wrote about all the kids making shotgun pistols out of copper water pipe with one end hammered over to seal the breech, for shooting pigeons. Last time I was in the Missouri capitol, they had some mortars on display that were actually used in some battle. They were made out of bored out logs, with some small barrel hoops to keep 'em from splitting! The plaque said they were good for about 20 shots before the wood burned out too much for accuracy.
 
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