Question for the guys that know

[hotfxr]

During one of my daily perusals of muzzleloader stuff on the World Wide Web, I found a barrel that I am interested in. It is a NOS Pedersoli .32 cal octagon barrel. 41.5" long, 13/16" diameter, Front & rear sights with a tang. It may or may not have a vent/drum hole, I can't tell from the pictures. At $150 delivered, it seems like a good deal to me. However, I would like an opinion from y'all before I plunk down the bucks for it since in my (humble) experience, what seems like a good deal rarely is. (And Dogshirt, if I get it, it will be a percussion cap. Just thought you should know.) I welcome any and all input.

Thanks folks.

[William]

If it's got the sights, tang and breech plug already in place, that's a pretty good price.

[DandJofAZ]

Should be a sweet barrel....and a good buy...

Doug

[pilgrim]

     http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=5903

[hotfxr]

Went ahead and ordered it. Now I guess I will have to finish the other two rifles I am (sort of) working on just so I can make up a squirrel gun. At 42" and .32 in a 13/16" barrel, I should barely feel it fire.

[hotfxr]

OOPS. 

Forgot that I posted this and therefore failed to post pictures of the barrel. I think it is going to work out fine. This is how it arrived, already browned.















Sorry about the quality of the shots, I have to get a better camera, I just have not been able to find an historically correct one.

[Papa]

HotFxr,
Are you putting this barrel into a Pedersoli stock with a Pedersoli lock? I ask only because the vent "may" not line up properly with an existing stock, lock and trigger if it is either a custom or some other manufacturer that you are working with.
Mark

[William]

I think you got a good deal. So, what do you plan on doing with it?

[flintboomer]

The rear sight is a replacement, but you usually have to do that with the Pedersoli rear sight because the stock sight is too low.
My .32 flint Pedersoli had a powder pocket that demanded a 35 gr load to get it to go off but the recoil was still so light that I could feel more movement from the lock than from recoil. I finally sold it and had Mongrel make me a flint .40 that I love.
That barrel should make a fine pea shooter whether you go flint or percussion, but the powder pocket may not allow you to find the "perfect" load, even so it should make a very good shooter. and the price was a very good price.

[hotfxr]

Papa, William, Flintboomer,

The barrel is NOS that belonged to a gunsmith somewhere in upstate NY according to the guy I got it from, and I have been buying from him for a while. I can say without hesitation that it has never been fired. As fAr as what kind of stock it goes into, that I haven't decided yet. I have two projects ahead of this one and they are going to be 1780's flintlock longrifles, the .45 barrel is going to be kind of Daniel Boone-ish with the bowed comb and the .36 will be a Haines-Lancaster style. I was going to make this one a capper, but since it already has a vent liner installed and I have an extra small Siler lock ( Sorry Dogshirt) I am leaning towards a Lancaster style flinter, more like the .36 capper that I got from Mongrel. And I am also thinking of making the stock out of hickory instead of maple, just for a different look. Of course I don't know if there were any stocks ever made from hickory, probably not but I do so love learning things the hard way.

[pilgrim]