So after scrimping and saving, I finally saved up enough dough to buy a Pedersoli "Mortimer" shotgun. The gun is a 12 gauge with a flintlock ignition. So technically it is a fowler.

Well as you can imagine I was pretty stoked to get it to the range.

We have all had those days where the last place we should be is at the range-well today was my turn.

The first clue should have been when I realized I forgot a bunch of stuff at home, IE: the powder measure (I used a spare pistol measure). Being that this is a smoothbore, I figured I wouldn't need a range rod. And so that got left at home as well.

According to Pedersoli's web site, this piece is supposed to be a 12 gauge. And yet on the barrel it has "12 caliber." I'm not sure if those are the same diameter, but I get the impression they are not. The 12 gauge wads I had were too big to fit in the barrel.

Unfortunately my short starter was also left at home. So loading was "creative."

Then the fun began. The flintlock ignition worked well and fired each time on the first try. However when I got to the 4th loading, the ram rod broke. It broke above where my hands were no less.

I'm sure it can be expected to have a rod break, but after only the 4th load, that seems a kind of ridiculous. Especially for a gun that cost a thousand bucks!

To add insult to injury, I stepped in gum while walking back to the truck.

What a nice f*ckin' day...

Update: my 12 gauge cleaning jag fits in the barrel quite nicely. So I guess it is a 12 gauge after all.

Are shotgun wads meant to be large enough to require a short starter to load?

12 gauge plastic wads are a little bigger than bore size to seal the gases upon firing. If you want to have easier loading go to wads they flex more and are easier to load than put an an over card wad. You can buy 12 gaguae wonder wads put two down the barrel on top of the powder you pour shot than one on top to hold shot it and see how it patterns.

I agree, a ramrod should last more then four shots. But normally the first thing I do is get a different ramrod for my rifles. I realize you did not get to shoot it a lot but how was the recoil and pattern?

John: Thanks for the suggestion, I will give those a try. Both the powder and card wads were really tough to get in. There was no way they were going in without a short starter.

Cayugad: I was shooting #4 lead shot out to 50 yards, no choke. The gun is going to be used (eventually!) to hunt rabbits. So I was shootingfrom a standing position. Not familiar with where the lock breaks, I was anticipating the recoil and pulling the pattern to the right bya few inches (about 3"). Maybe I should bench shoot it a few times to learn the trigger pull and where the lock breaks. It is a single trigger only, so it is quite a bit different from my double-set triggers.

As for the recoil, I can't give an accurate answer at this point. I was using 80grns of Goex 2F (4F in the pan). But in order to load the over-powder, over-shot wads, I kind of broke them up a bit. So the powder probably didn't build up to full pressure before the wads let go.

The butt is nice and chunky, not slender like the Lyman Great Plains rifle. So what recoil I did feel, felt quite manageable.

The barrel is rust brown, so the gold tone dot sight really stands out-a big plus!

Too bad I don't have a lathe, I could just make a replacement rod!

Further updates to follow.

I use a synthetic rod with a 12 ga tip I got from Log Cabin which Imounted on it.


I did drill & thread the face of the tip to accept standard 10-32 accessories so I could use a ball puller to remove wads if I get the loading sequence wrong. [:@]Or a worm if I loose a patch downbore.
Not 100% sure, but the synthetic rod seem to be made of delrin. Pretty flexible, but tough! (I've used delrin in making game calls, and the rod reacts the same when drilled - long curly ribbon-like strands when drilled or turned on the lathe.)

Wabi: That is a fine idea, however I don't have the lathe or other tools to cut a synthetic rod. Hopefully Pedersoli will be able to send a replacement.

I just bought a range rod and put the tip on it, then cut it to fit.

Wabi:

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

I see that Dixie Gun Works sells rods as well. So something will work out.