.69 cal pistol

[rollingb]

Here's a few pitchers of my new (original) .69 cal. pistol.
The fella I bought it from didn't know much about it, in fact he thought it was a .70 cal.

Anyone recognize the "proof marks" on the barrel,... it looks sort'a "British" and "military" (because of the iron ramrod and musket nipple) to me.
Any information, or insight, about this pistol would be most appreciated.

[Winter Hawk]

Definitely British Birmingham proof marks.  See the attached.

Is the barrel actually .69" diameter, or .66"?  I ask because of the 16, so it may be 16 gauge (.66" diameter).

Hope this helps!

-Kees-

 [ Invalid Attachment ]

[rollingb]

Thanks Winter Hawk,.... looks like the Birmingham proof marks on the barrel date it between 1813 to 1855. 

I've miced the bore at the muzzle, and it's exactly .690 

[ridjrunr]

Thats got some nice patina! Have you fired it yet? Nice grab

[rollingb]

Thats got some nice patina! Have you fired it yet? Nice grab

Dan,... no, I haven't shot it yet, I still gotta find some musket caps for it, and some balls and a ball mould, and maybe some wads for shootin' shot.
It seems as load info and load components for a .69 are a little scarce.
I checked TOTW and they don't have much for a .69, so I might have to get a custom mould.
Or,... I might try double(triple?)-patchin' some .595 balls just to have something to shoot in it. 

[Bigsmoke]

Have you looked for .678 diameter ball?  Or .680?
I was thinking that either Track or Log Cabin stocked it.
Warren Muzzleloading cast .678 but I don't know if with the couple of owner ship changes they have gone through if they are even casting anymore.  I don't even know what they are called this week, but I recollect they wound up in Idaho, (from Ozone, AR). 
You could call up Dixon's in PA.  There was a fellow that was at their Gunmaker's Fair a while back that was casting a bunch of different sizes, both small bore and large bore.
Out of suggestions for now.
John

[rollingb]

Track has ..662,... .672,... .675,... and .678 round balls for $13.00 per 25 balls, so that's why I'm lookin' for a mould to cast my own.

I have a .690 mould, but that's too big.

I haven't "put the word out" yet,.... so I'm hopein' to pick up a used mould when I get serious about lookin'.

I do have some .703 card wads on order from Track, so I can at least use shot-loads. 

[Bigsmoke]

Just checked October Country.  They have .678 for 11.30.
That's the problem with them big chunks of lead.  They do cost $$$$
Hope you find a mould soonly.
I kinda like Jeff Tanner's moulds.
John

[rollingb]

I did some checking with the Civil War re-enacting guys last night, and they recommend usin' .650 or .662 round balls in their .69 Springfields.

So,.... like you say, I'll probably have to go with a Jeff Tanner mould. 

[Ohio Joe]

Rondo, did you ever get this pistol fired/shot to see what it could do?

[Bigsmoke]

In my .69 caliber rifles, I always used 14 gauge wads.  The prelubed cushion wads from Ox Yoke fit just fine.

[Doc Nock]

I did some checking with the Civil War re-enacting guys last night, and they recommend usin' .650 or .662 round balls in their .69 Springfields.

So,.... like you say, I'll probably have to go with a Jeff Tanner mould. 

Since there isn't much activity of late, I'd throw out a dummie statement..I do not know much, but I'd surmise that BP anything would all have differing bore sizes, since it's recommended we "slug" all centerfire bbls to learn their true diameter...

I'm not much on decimals, I admit!! bUT (AFTER the but, comes the truth,) I hope you can find the right diameter ball

Perhaps some of the Bigger Bore shooters who have smaller Big bore molds could each mail you a handful of a Varied size till you found what works with your chosen patching and then buy that mold???I only have a 50 and .36 cal mold, so that suggestion is EASY for me to make...

[rollingb]

As an update on this particular pistol,.... I sold the pistol at a gun show and made a little money. 

As for the exact size of a round ball fitting the bore of a smooth bore proper, there is some leeway, in fact shooters in the past often loaded their smooth bores without a patch. (unlike a "rifled" bore)
Instead, they simply dropped the ball down on the powder charge followed by a wad (of some sort) to keep the ball seated on the powder.
Of course, a shooter loading in that manner needed a ball that wasn't ridiculously smaller than the gun's bore (say greater than 0.020" under-sized), but it does work pretty well otherwise.