Pedersoli Flint Lock Mortimer Rifle

[Frag Muppet]

I have brought a Pedersoli Flint Lock Mortimer Rifle .54 Cal yesterday from Henry Kranks.
Never owned or shot a Flint Lock before.
The rifle came quite greased up out of the box, when wiped down I fitted a flint with a piece of thin leather I cut from the inside of an old wallet & she sparked first time.
There is no loading data info in the box.
On Pedersolis Website is says to use between 60 & 110 grn of Black Powder, seems excessive for a 535 ball?
I will be shooting at either 25 or 50m with it, I have some of Peter Starleys Medium Black Powder to use and some 10 thou lubed patches.
Online I saw a post where a guy was shooting at 50 yards with 49 gns Swiss No. 3 powder and got good results.
I think I will try some with 40, 45 & 50 gns and see what results I get.
Unless someone out there has the same Flint Lock Rifle & has done the ground work for me.
Is it worth packing the charge out with semolina?
When cleaning it looks like you put the gun in half cock, remove the ram rod & tap out the two wedges to remove the barrel.
Is it always worth while removing the barrel to clean it?

Stuart

[Graysmoke]

Hi Stuart,

110 grain does sound excessive, but I think these rifles are designed to shoot quite a distance, my father has one.

If you're shooting 25/50 yards I think you're wise to keep the load below 60 grains, and medium BP should do just the trick.

I use a thick felt Wad in my .45 Cal kentucky deluxe, in the thought that it will push some of the fouling back down the barrel and make the ball & patch easier to load down the rifling,

Semolina wont have that effect, but it's up to you really though what you want to do. Some people like to put the ball and patch straight on top of the powder.

Barrel removal is always handy, and If it's possible, I usually do it. If you clean with boiling hot water then barrel removal is a good idea to stop the stock from getting hot. (Dont want warped wood)

Just make sure you get a cloth to hold the barrel when you pour the kettle water down it! - Easy mistake to make!

Barrel removal on modern kentuckies requires removing pins, so it's more effort and possibly splintering wood unless you're careful...

I dont bother removing the barrel when cleaning that...

The old antique ones had barrel wedges though!

Oh, and, get plenty of flints!

- Tom

[enfield2band]

I wouldn't bother packing the charge out with semolina. There is no harm using a wad over the powder if you want to but it is probably not necessary.
I use 60 grains of powder to propel a .575" Minnie bullet (560gr) 100 yards so a lower charge at the distance you are shooting would probably be adequate.
I know that in a flintlock pistol firing a .650"patched ball over 38gr of powder at 25 yards is more than enough powder.
Don't fill the flash pan with powder it has to burn through before its sets off the main charge and it causes a delay in ignition.
Use as little powder as possible in the flash pan so ignition of the main charge is quicker.
If you don't get good groups with the intended charges try going up 1/2grain at a time.
The patches and lube can also affect the accuracy. I know someone who took two years to get an antique rifle to shoot tight groups at 100 yards.
I had a Charles Moore percussion pistol by Pedersoli. They recommended .006" patches. The target looked like it had been hit with a shotgun.
I swapped to a thicker softer patch of .010" and it shot well. I tried a .015" patch thinking that the ball being tighter in the bore would make it more accurate, nope, it would not group with the thicker patch, I had to go back to the .010" patch.
Flintlocks are addictive and are good to shoot but they do try your patience sometimes.Some guns like to be swabbed out after each shot. Its all trial and error. All part of the interest I suppose.
Good luck with it.

[tacfoley]

I wouldn't bother packing the charge out with semolina. There is no harm using a wad over the powder if you want to but it is probably not necessary.
I use 60 grains of powder to propel a .575" Minnie bullet (560gr) 100 yards so a lower charge at the distance you are shooting would probably be adequate.
I know that in a flintlock pistol firing a .650"patched ball over 38gr of powder at 25 yards is more than enough powder.
Don't fill the flash pan with powder it has to burn through before its sets off the main charge and it causes a delay in ignition.
Use as little powder as possible in the flash pan so ignition of the main charge is quicker.
If you don't get good groups with the intended charges try going up 1/2grain at a time.
The patches and lube can also affect the accuracy. I know someone who took two years to get an antique rifle to shoot tight groups at 100 yards.
I had a Charles Moore percussion pistol by Pedersoli. They recommended .006" patches. The target looked like it had been hit with a shotgun.
I swapped to a thicker softer patch of .010" and it shot well. I tried a .015" patch thinking that the ball being tighter in the bore would make it more accurate, nope, it would not group with the thicker patch, I had to go back to the .010" patch.
Flintlocks are addictive and are good to shoot but they do try your patience sometimes.Some guns like to be swabbed out after each shot. Its all trial and error. All part of the interest I suppose.
Good luck with it.

Good post, Sir.

As noted, there is absolutely no point in using a filler in a rifle. Also, for the OP, a simple 'clean-up' is really not enough for a new flintlock rifle. It will need a total clean-out with some vigorous elbow motion in the bore - most Pedersolis I've seen from new had very hard-to-see rifling from the gunk used a a preservative grease. YMMV.

Lots of stuff on Youtube, especially from my old pal dungspreader in BC and in particular, Pedersoli's #1 front man in Hungary, the former national champion shot Balász Németh on capandball channel.

Enjoy, and don't forget to wear eye protection.

tac

[Frag Muppet]

Thanks for all the helpful advise guys.
I have brought a small brass flash pan priming tool.
I have some safety glass's.
I will give the barrel another clean, I don't use boiling water when cleaning my other guns just hot water & wads with Muzzle Magic Cleaner on then a wad with Brunox on just to protect the barrel till the next use.
I am hoping to shoot it for the first time next week or the week after,as soon as I get the opportunity.

Stuart

[gtpkeeper]

Is it worth packing the charge out with semolina?

i only pack the revolvers up to bring the ball higher up same as using a wad,
and in single shot and rifles i use so theres no air gap/no moisture from my patch touching the bp load thats my reason s other will be there choice ,
hope it helps