Flintlock pistol caught my interest

T

TruthTellers

New member
I have an interest in a replica .69 caliber Flintlock pistol. The following link to video is not the exact pistol, but it's very similar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y44Ck5Iw3Rs

I don't plan to shoot round balls from it, just birdshot and some buckshot. With that in mind, do you think a no name replica of this type of pistol would be able to handle shooting birdshot and buckshot with a medium charge of FFg?
 
Don't know why not, as long as it's smoothbore you're good to go with shot. I've had a couple in .62 caliber and they are a lot of fun, although they can be a challenge to hit things with using round balls. I still have one that I bought at a flea market for 100 bucks and it works just fine. Mine was missing the front sight and that's probably the reason it was so reasonable...but a few bucks for a replica turtle sight and I was in business.
That fella in the video you referenced was a little long on wind, and short on experience. You will want to use patches with round balls, for one thing.
For shot, there are different techniques for loading and the smoothbores are very versatile and forgiving.
 
That's one of the Tower flintlocks that was likely imported from Japan by the thousands in the 60's and 70's and they're crap. You might get one to shoot by hardening the frizzen but the quality is dismal. If it says Japan or Ultra Hi or Miroku on it leave it be. Yeah Miroku makes fine modern guns but they also make stuff to customers specs or at least they used to and if the customer wanted cheap crap that's what they made.
 
Identify what you actually have.

That's one of the Tower flintlocks that was likely imported from Japan by the thousands in the 60's and 70's and they're crap
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You need to confirm what you have. The one in the video is "likely" to be one of these and as Hawg has stated; They are crap. ....... :rolleyes:

In short, these are not worth your time and money. You need to really look it over and confirm what you have as some of these are actually non-functioning and safety is an issue. .. :rolleyes:

Good Luck and;
Be Safe !!!!
 
Do you think you have the skills to put a kit together?
If so, go to Muzzleloader Builders Supply on line and see their kits.

FAR better quality then the one in the vid.
 
"...just birdshot and some buckshot..." Probably a good idea to re-think that. Don't think there's any load data for bird or buck shot out of a short barrel.
"...manufacturers of these Tower pistols..." Lots of 'em. Dixie Gunworks et al sells Pedersoli stuff.
Don't buy stuff made in India either. May or may not actually work.
 
Depends if I would need tools to complete the kit. If given the supplies, I can pretty well do anything if I have good reference material.
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You will need woodworking tools, inletting tools, stock scrapers and gouges mostly and an aptitude for working wood which I definitely do not have.
 
I've used smoothbore pistols on rendezvous trail walks, where we used round balls and had some targets specifically for shot. 30-40 Gr. of 2f with 3/4 oz of shot works just fine. I've shot them with regular card and cushion wads as well as plain old wasp nests, both over the powder and over the shot. You can just load them the way folks did way back then, using whatever is available.
 
Now, for these Japanese import Tower pistols, would they be safe to shoot? I know others here said leave it, but if I could get one for $40, would that not be worth it?
 
They're safe enough to shoot but they need work and they're ugly, nothing at all like the original Towers. I wouldn't waste 40 bucks on one. That was the original selling price for DGW around 72 and they said for 10 bucks more they would tune the locks so they would spark.
 
+ 1 to Hawg's first post. These were available in kit form as well as finished in the 60s and 70s - frizziness were soft and had to be hardened - quality "iffy" at best. I picked one up a f3w moths ago for very little - I think I gave $10 for it and it was missing several screws, side plate and was poorly put together. I figured I would fix it up when I had time just as a "wall hanger". As a shooter - I wouldn't even both with it as far as my own purposes are concerned.

One to watch out for as far as poor and dangerous are the ones that used to be marketed through "Hy Hunter" if I remember the name correctly. They were sort of a "Buccaneer" type flintlock pistol form the same period as the Tower kits - 60s and 70s and I believer they were sold out of CA. I remember looking at one in the early to mid 60s and I had the opportunity to take it apart to the time. I couldn't believe it when I discovered that the breech plug in it was not threaded at all - it was a pressed in taper plug that was then cross pinned into the breech of the barrel. Not something I'd want my face to be in line with when it went off.
 
He said he wanted a smoothbore to use with shot.
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Yup and the only pistols that I can think of that have a large enough bore to work with would be either the Pedersoli Howdah or the Veteran's Arms French Charleville pistol.

I don't care for the price of the Howdah, but the Veteran's Arms is reasonable for a single shot.
 
The Veteran Arms pistols are made in India out of seamless PIPING.

Shoot if you want, I value my health more than that. The Pedersoli howdah is a quality made firearm made of modern firearm steels and will provide a lifetime of safe and reliable service.
 
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