Pedersoli Harpers Ferry Percussion Pistol

[Panzerschwein]

I would say yes in the South, especially if converted to percussion. Not likely up North.
Do research on J. F. Garrett pistols, Read & Watson rifles. We had to use everything that was available.

You say "yes", but is there actual evidence?

 

[Missionary]

Good morning
So back to the Pedersoli... The percussion has the caliber .54 barrel. It appears it has the screw in drum type chamber access. Now I wonder how much work am I getting into to remove the percussion unit and place a flintlock in there ? are the plates the same ? Will the barrel hole line up close enough so a custom (maybe) vent be made ?
Already have the flint model... maybe will have to invest in a percussion also and tinker.
Mike in Peru

 

[bannockburn]

Mike

That's kind of what I am wondering: could the Model 1805 be readily convertible to percussion to make it worth the while for a government armory or small arms manufacturer to build and convert the lockwork. Even more so at a time when revolvers were becoming more and more prevalent in military usage. And would a state like Virginia want to waste their meager arms manufacturing capabilities on converting single shot flintlock pistols when what they desperately needed were rifled muskets.

 

[Mike OTDP]

The conversion would be very straightforward, and many other flintlock arms were converted to percussion. The old-timers would take the barrel, bore out the touchhole, and thread for a drum/nipple. Then take the lock, remove the frizzen and pan, and replace the hammer with one for percussion. Easy. You see quite a few original arms that were converted to percussion.

 

[AlexanderA]

Not only that, but the .58 version is rifled.

The .54 smoothbore model is more historically accurate... but it's a percussion gun!

This is interesting to me -- but not because it's a historically inaccurate percussion conversion. I've been interested in getting a replica Harpers Ferry flint pistol, but the fact that the Pedersoli replica is .58 cal. rifled, instead of the original .54 cal. smooth, has killed that idea. Now, we have a .54 cal. smoothbore gun, albeit a percussion version. It's tempting to purchase this, and retrofit a flint lock. (Replacement Pedersoli flint locks for this gun are apparently available for $180.)

Or, I can wait. I can see Pedersoli going to the .54 cal. smoothbore barrel for its next run of flint guns. It would make a lot of sense for it to do so.

So back to the Pedersoli... The percussion has the caliber .54 barrel. It appears it has the screw in drum type chamber access. Now I wonder how much work am I getting into to remove the percussion unit and place a flintlock in there ? are the plates the same ? Will the barrel hole line up close enough so a custom (maybe) vent be made ?

Exactly. Great minds think alike!

 

[Mike OTDP]

FWIW, I'd bet against any conversions being done on original arms during the Great Unpleasantness. But the pre-war Army did a lot of percussion conversions of flintlock muskets, it's logical that they would convert horse pistols as well.