.577 Parker Hale Musketoon.

[tim56]

I had a 2 band for many years but let it go last year and have now bought myself a Musketoon. Loved the 2 band
but was struggling with the weight and length.
Would be interested in hearing what loads anyone with one is using. I still have a bullet mold, a few balls, caps
and patches so good to go when i get my ticket sorted and can take delivery. Tim

[TA6319]

I was using somebody elses the other day and they were using 52 grains behind a Parker Hale molded bullet.
I use 55 grains in a P53 3 band

[tacfoley]

I had a 2 band for many years but let it go last year and have now bought myself a Musketoon. Loved the 2 band
but was struggling with the weight and length.
Would be interested in hearing what loads anyone with one is using. I still have a bullet mold, a few balls, caps
and patches so good to go when i get my ticket sorted and can take delivery. Tim

The Musketoon is designed to augment the longer two and three-band rifles of the troops of the day, so it is actually designed to shoot a Minié bullet rather than any kind of a patched ball. It will, of course, but I have no idea about loads for a PRB Musketoon.

I've only ever shot mine - since 1975, that is - with the Lyman #575213AV mould Minié bullet over 55fr of FFg or 50gr of Pyrodex RS.

Let us know how you get on, or log on to the US muzzleloadingforum.com where it was the subject of an extensive thread a couple of months ago.

tac

[gtpkeeper]

Would be interested in hearing what loads anyone with one is using. I still have a bullet mold, a few balls, caps
and patches so good to go when i get my ticket sorted and can take delivery. Tim

bet you cant wait tim

[tim56]

Yep, getting exited. Will be a while until i can take delivery but starting to stock up ready.

Hi tac. I have the Lyman 575213AM mould which didnt shoot well in the 2 band at all. Will try it before
splashing out but im sure iv heard before somewhere that the AV is the one to go for. Used to shoot
60 grns of TS2 in the 2 band so will make 55 my starting point. At home today so have time to look at
the web site you mention and start looking at prices for an AV mould.

Tim

[g3lcs]

HI Y'all
I have a smoothbore Musketoon by Parker Hale. The current production is built in Italy and the one I bought was .56 NOT .58 as marked.
I use a pistol range of 25 metres and 40 grains is enough and accurate (for a smoothbore) any more and you are wasting powder.
I fire .565 dia.spherical ball -- I had to get a mould made. I use patches of .007" thick cotton. so it fits well in .58cal
Gogs

[tacfoley]

HI Y'all
I have a smoothbore Musketoon by Parker Hale. The current production is built in Italy and the one I bought was .56 NOT .58 as marked.
I use a pistol range of 25 metres and 40 grains is enough and accurate (for a smoothbore) any more and you are wasting powder.
I fire .565 dia.spherical ball -- I had to get a mould made. I use patches of .007" thick cotton. so it fits well in .58cal
Gogs

Sir - you have a Euroarms Musketoon, not a Parker-Hale. There were no musketoon barrels transferred in the original take-over deal back in 1995, only long barrels. It's good to read that you are getting some good shooting out of it - they are a heck of a load of fun, that's for sure. Yesterday was a guest day in our club, and six or seven folks who had never fired a big old boomer had a couple of shots each.. The smiles said it all.

tac

[g3lcs]

Sir - you have a Euroarms Musketoon, not a Parker-Hale. There were no musketoon barrels transferred in the original take-over deal back in 1995, only long barrels. It's good to read that you are getting some good shooting out of it - they are a heck of a load of fun, that's for sure. Yesterday was a guest day in our club, and six or seven folks who had never fired a big old boomer had a couple of shots each.. The smiles said it all.

tac

Sorry - I phrased that post badly.
I sent back the mis-sized italian made musketoon and bought a "used" Parker Hale musketoon smoothbore from Henry Krank.
In an email exchange with a gentleman in Euroarms at the time he suggested that my barrel was transferred stock from Parker Hale
at the takeover.
Thanks for your informative reply.I was shooting yesterday and totally agree -- for MORE fun you'd have to take your clothes off.
Gogs

[tacfoley]

Sorry - I phrased that post badly.
I sent back the mis-sized italian made musketoon and bought a "used" Parker Hale musketoon smoothbore from Henry Krank.
In an email exchange with a gentleman in Euroarms at the time he suggested that my barrel was transferred stock from Parker Hale
at the takeover.
Thanks for your informative reply.I was shooting yesterday and totally agree -- for MORE fun you'd have to take your clothes off.
Gogs

According to my records, your .50-ish barrel was a smoothie because it had not been rifled - sold as stock unfinished. It is a legacy gun indeed from Golden Hillock Road. Prolly worth millions to a collector!!

Even a smooth-bore Musketoon is fun - do tell how you load it.

Besp

tac

[tim56]

Just had a message to say the gun has arrived at my RFDs place. Going over on Friday is there Any definitive way of
being sure its an English Parker Hale and not an Italian made one. i.e.; serial number ??? Tim.

[tacfoley]

Just had a message to say the gun has arrived at my RFDs place. Going over on Friday is there Any definitive way of
being sure its an English Parker Hale and not an Italian made one. i.e.; serial number ??? Tim.

1. The words 'PARKER~HALE LIMITED, BIRMINGHAM' stamped in a line, read from the left-hand side, on the barrel immediately in front of the backsight. Note that the hyphen is not '-', but '~'.

2. The serial number is stamped in 2.5mm-high numbers very close to the wood immediately where the breech meets the wood on the left-hand side of the barrel.

3. Underneath the breech [take it out of the wood], Birmingham proof house stamps of crossed sceptres with date letters and numbers, and the designation .577cal - 3.5 DRAMS.

4. ON the knox form, level with the nipple - Crown over BP - read looking up the barrel.

4. The Parker-Hale cartouche to be found stamped into the rear right-hand side of the stock - 3" from the butt-plate - PARKER-HALE LTD - in a circular stamp that looks like the base of a cartridge.

This is a rough guide to serial numbers, until David Minshall answers email -

0 - 9000 total gun is Parker-Hale manufacture.

90001 - 14000 - Parker-Hale barrels only.

Above 14001 - totally Italian and should therefore have Italian proof marks as usual - GVT, PN, date letters BF onward in a little box, Made in Italy, Gardone val Trompia etc.

Please note - VERY important!!!!

MANY original Parker-Hale Musketoons were actually made and sold as wall-hangers - smooth-bored and with the underneath of the barrel drilled through to render them unfireable. There is NOTHING to show this without taking the barrel out of the wood and looking - the hole can be anything between and 1/8th to a 1/4" diameter into the breech from the six-o'clock position.

Needless to say, trying to shoot one of these is a recipe for disaster - PLEASE ensure that yours is NOT one of them.

tac

[tim56]

ManyThanks for that tac. I will be going over to my RFD on Friday so will print your reply and take it with me.
The story is the owner bought 2. Shot one and kept this one as a keep sake. My RFD confirms the metal work
looks new but the wood has minor handling marks so guess i need to remove the barrel and have a good look
at it. Deal is if i dont want it he will take it back so i have a little breathing space.
Thanks again, Best Wishes, Tim.

[tim56]

Iv been to have a look at the Musketoon this afternoon and she looks good. Serial number is just under the 4000 mark.
Crown over BP is stamped next to the nipple on top of the cylinder, Parker Hale stamp is as tac posted and the cartouche
is stamped into the stock in the right place. Wasn't able to remove the barrel but put my thumb over the nipple and blew
as hard as i could maintaining a steady pressure and couldn't feel any reduction in said pressure. Will remove the barrel
once i get my ticket sorted and get it home to be sure. Rifling looks shallow but crisp and very very clean.
Condition of metalwork is virtually as new and the wood has a few minor scuffs consistent with handling/storage. Wood fit
is excellent and the triggers not too heavy. Feels good in the shoulder, not as front heavy as the 2 band. Priced at £350
including delivery to my RFD i recon its worth the money. Just need to get the required slot now and away we go. Tim

[tacfoley]

Iv been to have a look at the Musketoon this afternoon and she looks good. Serial number is just under the 4000 mark.
Crown over BP is stamped next to the nipple on top of the cylinder, Parker Hale stamp is as tac posted and the cartouche
is stamped into the stock in the right place. Wasn't able to remove the barrel but put my thumb over the nipple and blew
as hard as i could maintaining a steady pressure and couldn't feel any reduction in said pressure. Will remove the barrel
once i get my ticket sorted and get it home to be sure. Rifling looks shallow but crisp and very very clean.
Condition of metalwork is virtually as new and the wood has a few minor scuffs consistent with handling/storage. Wood fit
is excellent and the triggers not too heavy. Feels good in the shoulder, not as front heavy as the 2 band. Priced at £350
including delivery to my RFD i recon its worth the money. Just need to get the required slot now and away we go. Tim

#4000-something is fine. Cogratualtioms.

The rifling IS shallow. That's what it is meant to look like.

tac

[tim56]

Ticket finally returned so been over my RFD today and picked the Muskertoon up. Am about ready to give her a
go and week on sat is looking favourable so got a bit of time to tinker. Minnies are made, powder measure is set
up at 55grns of TS2 and have some top hats. Just need to make a new ram rod out of 1/2" dowel and we are done.
The rifle is noticeably lighter than the 2 band and feels really nice to hold so roll on sat. Tim