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Thread: Junk shop pocket pistol

  1. #1
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    Junk shop pocket pistol

    Apropo of the running Junk Shop Finds thread, I am after info on the pocket pistol previously mentioned.

    I'm a tinkerer by nature and have been planning on making a pistol along the lines of the Saloon guns/Pedersoli Guardian derringer. I had even thought about a leigi for conversion.

    The idea is buy the old wreck, repair the stock so the action works, bore out the barrel and fit a .22/.177 machined to fit, using just the cap as propelant and use it in the garden. (Not in the UK, obviously!)

    Now firstly, heres a pic of the nipple and action. It looks pretty solid in there, is it just a case of heat it and hope? Secondly, the barrel appears to have a join in front of the action. Is this the case? If so is it threaded or brazed?

    Any clues, hints or "Don't be so bloody stupid!"'s welcome.

    http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/k...ps3y3xmpyu.jpg
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    The barrel usually have a key ( oblong shaped ) underneath so you can unscrew the barrel and load with bp and ball then rescrew back on.
    Most usually do the old fashion way lol....bear in mind these didn't come with a ram rod hence the unscrewing.
    Cannot get pic to load yet so will comment on nipple later ( ooor errrr missus )
    Edit....I would use penetrating oil first with a little bit of heat but not cherry red type.
    Go easy and it will come out....good fitting nipple key is amust

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    Quote Originally Posted by loiner1965 View Post
    The barrel usually have a key ( oblong shaped ) underneath so you can unscrew the barrel and load with bp and ball then rescrew back on.
    Most usually do the old fashion way lol....bear in mind these didn't come with a ram rod hence the unscrewing.
    Cannot get pic to load yet so will comment on nipple later ( ooor errrr missus )
    Edit....I would use penetrating oil first with a little bit of heat but not cherry red type.
    Go easy and it will come out....good fitting nipple key is amust
    Thanks for that! I'm back over there Thursday, I reckon I'll buy it and give it a nice relaxing oil bath and pop into Helston Gunsmiths for a suitable key.
    God rest ye jelly mental men

  4. #4
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    It is entirely possible that the nipple is nothing but rust under there. If it breaks you can chip out the bits and replace with a modern one - get as good a thread match as you can, slot the nipple thread and it will cut a new thread as you screw it in.

    WRT the barrel - while a lot of pocket pistols have a turn-off barrel, not all do. In your picture it looks too good a fit, and also note the accurate alignment of the flats. Turn off barrels are usually round so that alignment is not a problem. It is entirely possible that this was not intended to be a turn off, just the way it was manufactured. It will be threaded on to the action, but very tightly. If you do get it off then take a look at the shape of the breech. A turn off barrel has a significant constriction ahead of where where the ball would sit and it would take considerable force to push a ball through from the breech end. If approximately parallel then intended for loading via the muzzle. Also with a turn-off, the powder sits in a recess in front of the nipple (about 8 grains capacity) so there is a void there which is larger than needed for a simple pass-fire.

    Dunno if you can see proof marks, but I have a similar looking one with Liege proof, and it is not a turn -off.
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    Some good info here, Turnup raises a good point about the barrel.

    When I saw the first pics I thought "turnoff barrel".

    My plan would be first probe the barrel for length to make sure it's clear to the nipple.

    Then make a T-shaped bore gauge to be a snug fit in the muzzle end.

    Then pass it right down the bore, if the gauge suddenly becomes a pissy-fit at the breech end, then it's a turnoff barrel.

    Repeated kettles of boiling water and cooling should free it if it is.

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