Chiappa M1842 Percussion Musket

[Pokajabba]

I've always liked the idea of a smoothbore muzzleloader as it can shoot round ball and shot making it a multi-purpose gun. These are easy enough to find... in flintlocks. I don't like flinchlocks, they're tough to shoot and shoot accurately. I like percussion guns a lot, but the only percussion smoothbore musket I can find is the model 1842 musket made by Chiappa.

Pedersoli makes double barrel percussion shotguns for not much more money and everybody and they're Pepe knows their quality is top notch, but how is Chiappa's quality when it comes to muzzleloaders? Does anyone know if anybody else makes percussion smoothbores?

 

[Panzerschwein]

Armi Sport is well known to make a very good M1842 .69 caliber smoothbore musket repro. Most of the guys in the N-SSA and reenactors really like them. If you want one as close as possible to the original, buy one from Lodgewood Mfg Ltd. and have them defarb it before sending it to you. You can choose to have a complete defarb for about $200 extra dollars, or pick and choose what you want to have done:

http://www.lodgewood.com/1842-Armisport-Springfield_p_16.html

Either way these are the best M1842 musket repros and are well though of. Like you said, you won't be stuck with firing just Minie balls. You can choose between a single musket ball effective out to 100-150 yards or so or any size of lead shot, plus the wicked buck and ball load.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

A smooth bore might be able to launch a ball 150 yards but the ability to make it hit what you are aiming at will not be there. A knuckle ball just doesn't have that much stability.

 

[4v50 Gary]

The 1842 musket isn't the only game in town and there are repro Lorenz (Austrian) muskets sold to ACW reenactors.

 

[AlexanderA]

Back before reproduction M1842's became available, I assembled my own using an original lock, a new stock (from Dunlap Woodcrafts), and a new barrel (from Whitacre's Machine Shop), and miscellaneous original and reproduction parts. This is still a viable alternative, and would not cost much more than a repro from Armi Sport (Chiappa). All the components are probably available from the sutlers at the twice-annual N-SSA national matches in Winchester, Va., or at the annual Antique Arms show in Timonium, Md.

 

[Pokajabba]

I'm really just looking for a single barrel smoothbore that's percussion, not flintlock.

 

[Panzerschwein]

A smooth bore might be able to launch a ball 150 yards but the ability to make it hit what you are aiming at will not be there. A knuckle ball just doesn't have that much stability.

True, but many have a good time making groups at 50 yards or so. They can be very accurate at that distance, there have been some records achieved with smoothbore muskets at that range that might surprise you.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

Depending on what you want to spend Dixie has several smooth bore muskets that are cap guns.

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_92_186_191&products_id=998

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_92_186_191&products_id=3482

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_92_186_191&products_id=13863
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_92_186_191&products_id=16315

That should get you started.