Chiappa Muzzleloaders

T

TruthTellers

New member
I've had in the deep and vast canyons of my mind an 1842 Springfield Musket replica and Chiappa seems to make one that's the best quality for a decent price of under 900 dollars. Chiappa has other cartridge guns I've been interested in, but their muzzleloaders I've never really looked in to.

Anybody here own or handled one? How are they or how did they look?
 
I've got a P53 Enfield made in IIRC 1980. Don't feel like getting it out to check. It's an excellent shooter but it doesn't match the originals for looks. There are some differences, some glaring and some subtle. The most glaring is the rear sights. They look nothing like an original sight.
 
I shoot an Armisport/Chiappa 1842 smoothbore in N-SSA competition. Aside from having the stock glass bedded, it is bone stock. It is a fantastic shooter. I routinely take medals with it at local competitions and made my way to 10th place at my first ever National competition in Expert class (they make you shoot Expert your first time until you are qualified).

I shoot an RCBS .678 round ball, rasped with my new ball roller (you can also roll them between two files), and then I double-dip them in Xlox (a Lee Alox alternative). I shoot it with 70 grains 3F Goex.

I just ordered another one last week to try and retro-vert into an M1840 conversion. Lodgewood sent me the wrong gun - they sent me a Chiappa P1853 Enfield instead. I opened it up, and it is very nice in appearance. I like the fatter barrel bands better than the Pedersoli. Also they have also adapted the more-correct square-eared lock washers. I forgot to check the sling hardware to see if they fixed that also. But it looked nice to me from my brief inspection. I believe Pedersoli re-tooling their Enfield made Chiappa up their game also.

Steve
 
I did not know that. I thought everyone had copied Parker Hale who copied the Type IV Enfield.

Steve
 
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On mine the barrel bands are good but the sling swivels are wrong, the bolster is shaped wrong, the hammer is too small and not contoured right, lock markings are wrong, the stock contour behind the lock is wrong, the rear sight is wrong, the trigger is wrong. That's all I can think of right now.
 
Hawg,

I don't care if the rear sight isn't faithful to the original. If anything, I've found that sights on 100+ year old guns or reproductions that use sights that remain faithful to the originals are horrible and make shooting them well difficult to accomplish. To me, looks are irrelevant because what makes me interested in the M1842 is that it's the only percussion fired single barrel smoothbore that I can find that's currently produced by major manufacturers. If the Chiappa is a nice shooter and is quality, then that's all I need to hear.
 
M1842 is that it's the only percussion fired single barrel smoothbore that I can find that's currently produced by major manufacturers.
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Pedersoli also makes a so-called Colt Conversion of the M1816. However, as I understand it is not a very historically-accurate copy. The stock is from a 1777 Charleville.

Steve
 
I've found that sights on 100+ year old guns or reproductions that use sights that remain faithful to the originals are horrible and make shooting them well difficult to accomplish.
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They will make you a better shot.
 
I also have the M1842 by Chiappa, and it is a very nice gun. Also I have a Armi Sport/Chiappa 1858 Naval Pattern Enfield which is my second ML gun I ever bought. The price was good, look is nice, although not completely authentic, but it shoots horribly. I have tired different minie ball variations and loads, but I'm not able to hit target consistently with it. So I got later Pedersoli 1858 Enfield which is damn accurate.
 
I haven't heard anyone say anything negative about Chiappa muzzleloaders, so my confidence of them has gone up.

Now I just have to decide whether the smoothbore 1842 is better than the Pedersoli double barrel 12 gauge.
 
Now I just have to decide whether the smoothbore 1842 is better than the Pedersoli double barrel 12 gauge.
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It depends on what you want to do with it. The Pedersoli is very light. At least mine is but it's a pre choke. IMO the newer ones with the choke aren't going to handle round balls well.
 
Hawg said:
It depends on what you want to do with it. The Pedersoli is very light. At least mine is but it's a pre choke. IMO the newer ones with the choke aren't going to handle round balls well.
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That solves that question then. My goal is to find a percussion smoothbore that can handle shot and fire a round ball fairly well out to 75-100 yards.

The Pedersoli appeals to me because it has two barrels and is more common, but the Chiappa has a rear sight, so further out it will be easier to hit targets with round ball.

I could saw the barrel on the Pedersoli back to where the choke is removed and turn it into a cylinder bore, but even then I'd still be stuck with no rear sight.
 
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