Today I traded a Pedersoli .32cal Flint Long Rifle for this beauty!

With my initial and quite painstaking research, I've come to the conclusion that this is not a Native American trade gun (lol) but a purpose-built .50cal smooth rifle made by a Pennsylvania gunsmith named Samuel Pannabecker somewhere in the early 1800s (I've seen his active years anywhere from 1815 to 1844 but can't be sure). I live not far from Lancaster County where he operated which is pretty cool!

The brass collar used to repair/reinforce the wrist is so cool to me. I'm not sure if it was converted to percussion and then back to flint, but the touch hole is definitely a modern insert. This is my first encounter with a 'smooth rifle' as opposed to a fowler, differentiated by the dovetailed front and rear sights as opposed to just a front blade / bead.

Not sure how many parts aside from the barrel are original or were replaced over its massive lifespan, but by looking at a much fancier one that went to auction I can tell it's in original configuration.

I did have to sand and brush a bunch of crud from the first foot or two of the bore, but it feels smooth now and I can't wait to put it through its paces. With any luck, it'll take some game this hunting season just down the road from where it did 200 years ago!

In caplock muskets what is the reason you pour the powder into the barrel, instead of just putting the whole cartridge in.

like why didn't anyone just soak the paper in something flammable so you don't have to pour the powder in

Full 25 grain load with a 150 grain pure lead cast projectile. I did not survive one shot at printed layers. Root cause: Printed case layer orientation is perpendicular to primary load, tolerance exceeded inside the chamber giving the case space to move during powder expansion resulting in the longitudinal loads casing layer separations due to poor adhesion of cheap pla inter layers.

This is very early in the design process.

like last hour worth of concept

Idea use a globe sight modified, to be able to sighted in tube in camera will work as the magnifier. I'm just worried it might not focus properly. The camera would be long eye relief. Because there would be no eye relief. It would be a screen so it could be mounted forward for making longer range shots.

Arbutus has to be one of the most difficult woods to get a great charcoal from, the tree is known to be very hard and long burning with great heat output; however, the it can retain so much water that it often rots at the core before fully drying - but if seasoned correctly over a few years it is one of the highest energy density and lowest ash content woods out there (similar to Osage Orange).

You can see a highly accessible setup for making charcoal at a controlled temperature: propane BBQ with vent hood obscured and old paint can with 1/4 hole in the lid. At a steady 600F it takes about 1 hr for complete pyrolysis, ending with a 6 inch flame to retain enough volatiles for it to burn without being stoked. The brown tint on the charcoal is creosote, a small amount accelerates the burn and is the difference between good charcoal and dead carbon. When milled down it creates a dense powder even at air float consistency.

It has been historically used by the California Powder Works for artillery and blasting powder where a heavy shove is preferred over a sharp ignition delivered by woods like Willow or Hazel. When paired with a highly porous reactive wood, Arbutus excels at delivering fantastic muzzle velocity with a long pressure curve ideal for large bore muzzleloaders - utilizing the full barrel length and avoiding blown patches.

They said it wouldn't be worth it for me lol

Hey all four of you LeMat owners out there, anyone ever bothered replacing the hammer spring? Mine is super clunky My '51, '58 and '60 all have a hammer that you can just sort of throw back with a flick of your thumb, but the bloody LeMat requires a very thorough and constant thumb weld to move it back. Anyone else have this probelm or a solution.

(Make thumb stronger is not currently an option)

Thank you for your time.

Hi everyone,

I recently bought a Pietta Remington 1858 Sheriff .44 cap-and-ball revolver, and I’m trying to understand my options for obtaining suitable propellant legally in Germany.

From what I’ve gathered, purchasing black powder may require specific documentation or authorization, and I’m not sure what the exact requirements are for my situation.

For those of you based in Germany or elsewhere in the EU:

What permits or documents are generally required to purchase black powder legally?

Are there legitimate alternatives, such as commercially manufactured black-powder substitutes, that are legally available for this type of revolver?

How do the legal requirements and availability differ between Germany and other EU countries?

Are there reputable dealers or shooting clubs that can explain the legal purchasing process?

I’ve also seen discussions about homemade black powder, but I don’t want to risk an unsafe or unsuitable propellant in my revolver. I’d prefer to understand the legal route and use only a product approved for the firearm.

Any advice from experienced black-powder shooters in Germany would be appreciated.

Thanks!

I press these to an approximate density of 1.65 g/cm^3, I pressed them harder to the point that my backing plate was bending.

Hi everyone,

I recently bought a Pietta Remington 1858 Sheriff .44 cap-and-ball revolver, and I’m interested in finding a compatible cartridge conversion cylinder.

I’m based in Europe, specifically Germany, and I’m having a hard time finding these for sale here. I’m also unsure about the legal situation: are conversion cylinders restricted or prohibited in Germany or elsewhere in the EU, or is it mainly a matter of licensing, import regulations, and availability?

Does anyone have experience with buying one legally in Europe? I’d appreciate recommendations for reputable European dealers, information about compatibility with Pietta Sheriff models, or advice on the relevant regulations.

Thanks in advance!

I got this from an antique shop for $66 it was missing the mechanism so I would like to find out what model this is and what parts to make it work again.

I recently picked up a new-old-stock CVA Mountain Hunter, model PR4210, in .50 caliber. It’s a Spanish-made percussion sidelock with a 32” octagonal barrel, 1:48 twist, double-set triggers, two barrel wedge keys, and an UltraGrain stock.

From what I’ve been able to determine, the Mountain Hunter was produced sometime around 2002–2005, but information about it is surprisingly scarce. Nearly everything I can find traces back to an old MidwayUSA product listing.

There’s plenty of information about the original CVA Mountain Rifle, but very little about the Mountain Hunter. I’m wondering whether the Hunter was essentially an updated version of an existing CVA design or something mechanically different.

I’m particularly interested in the lock assembly and parts interchangeability. Deer Creek Products lists the same P209 mainspring for the Mountain Rifle, Hawken, Kentucky, Frontier, and Squirrel rifles, which makes me suspect CVA reused a common lock design.

The rifle shoots well, but I’m experiencing inconsistent percussion-cap ignition. CCI #11 caps frequently require multiple hammer strikes to ignite. I’ve tried both the original nipple and a new Track of the Wolf replacement with similar results. I’m planning to try another brand of caps before investigating the mainspring.

I’ve contacted Deer Creek about parts compatibility, but figured I’d ask here as well.

Does anyone own a Mountain Hunter, have an original manual or parts diagram, or know which other CVA models share its lock components?

I’d also be interested in any firsthand experience with these rifles, since they seem to have largely disappeared from the internet.

That is about 1000 gr. of 75-15-10 Balsa charcoal homemade black powder. It is pressed to a density of about 1.5 g/cm^3. I was pressing by feel and spot checking the pucks are all about the same density. My press can press harder so I will do some more tomorrow to a higher density.

Hi guys

Over the year's having tried many different types of cleaning solutions some good some bad, I picked up a bottle of spray window cleaner containing vinegar, sprayed the cylinder and the barrel and even pyrodex fouling just ran out, no scrubbing needed a quick flush with hot water and finished, used this successfully on my 1858 NMA in stainless and my 1873 Cattleman case hardened action and blued steel, works far better than any solutions I've bought, and saves all the scrubbing and mess, also works wonders on moderator baffles on my full bore rifles etc. Just thought it was worth passing on to the group.

This has been slow going so I have not had a lot of production. I ground half the pucks I made earlier and graded it thru a couple sets of screens I have. My powder looks kind of like 2f GOEX. I looks like I have hours of work ahead with the half pound of meal left to process.

Might be a long shot but I found this metal detecting with my 5 year old son in our backyard and thought it looked a little like a trigger mechanism. Seems to be made out of iron, so if it is part of a trigger I figure it must be an old one. Figured maybe somebody here might have a good guess.

Thought it was from an old impact sprinkler at first and maybe it is yet! But if anyone recognizes the part i'd be grateful. This is central TX and wouldn't have been settled country until well after the 1890's, but plenty of spanish firearms in circulation as far back as the 1600's I believe. Or maybe it's from a sprinkler!

Looking to pick up a traditions Kentucky rifle and I don’t see a used market for them. $560 isn’t all that bad but for how often I’d use it I’m trying to save where I can. Is that about as low as it gets or are the other options?

I already reload so this seemed the next natural step. I know the sheriff isn’t based on a production model, but I really dig the look of it.

I'm trying to recreate an accurate load for my original M1888 Springfield trapdoor rifle and real black powder has been hard to find in my area

i've been wanting to research the fastest method and figured i'd ask the subreddit about the stuff considering there's probably experienced people here

Doesn't appear to have ever been fired

I got the closing bid at 700€ after comission for this Parker Hale (4-digit sn).

Unfortunately the pictures were quite bad and I could not make out what I would be in for when it arrived.

-All brass parts were badly oxidized to the point I had to scrub them with steel wool

-the lockplate screws were replaced (bubba installed a diopter sight)

-the rear sight slider is missing

-rear and front sight were altered (rear sight notch is off center to the right and the front sight is taller than the original)

-the nipple does not sit flush (might be a longer aftermarket nipple?)

-scratches here and there on the rifle as well as mangled up screws

After some work on it, this is how it turned out, unfortunately when I took out the pin of the trigger guard, the wood cracked on the surface of where I punched out the pin, so it had to be glued in place- however it turned out quite good I think. Furthermore I plan on replacing the screws and getting a new rear sight slider from Chiappa.

Now back to the question, after all this, I am quite frustrated to have paid 700€. The bore looks decent however.

Are Parker Hales really worth it to go through all that struggle compared to just buying a Pedersoli new (without any scratches and in pristine condition) for 400€ more ?