Need INFO to bring French percussion musket back to life

[SlowShooter]

I just bought a french musket, Civil war era Mle 1842 percussion musket with .69 bore. After disassembled the gun for cleaning, I am glad to find down that it is all original and beautifully crafted. Fit and finish are supper. The walnut stock is still solid even though there are wormholes all over (I will freeze it for a couple of days to eliminate all worms/beetles before wax the holes up with Crayons.) After spending a lot of time to clean out the bore, now it is smooth enough to be loaded up and shot again.

The problem here is, I never shot/own a smoothbore percussion musket before in my life (did try the rifle musket using Minnies ball at AGC) so I don't know what to get for the gun (ball size, patch thickness, black powder grade, black powder amount, percussion cap size...) I also need advice on cleaning up the long gun the easy and less messy way without upsetting the wife.

Thanks.

 

[smoothebore]

I've dealt with this company for round balls before. They seem very knowledgeable and might be able to advise you. Your gun should be inspected by a good black powder gunsmith.

www.stonewallcreekoutfitters.com

 

[SlowShooter]

Thanks smoothebore for the link. For some reasons, the search engine never led me to this excellent website before. They seem to carry everything musket shooters need. Again thanks.

 

[SlowShooter]

If this is all I have from the Black Powder community, Please be advised:

If you see the below rifle shown up in the near future at AGC with a funny asian man in the "driver seat" please keep calm and a safe distance (a grenade safe distance). I am poor and I don't have insurance for any accident incurred by me at any shooting range.

Thanks for paying very close attention!

 

[yellowsled]

Beautiful rifle

 

[epps1919]

I shoot Smoothbore in the N-SSA team competition and most shooters use a round 60 gr. of 3f goex Bp. or 2f in there loads and Musket caps not #11 caps, to small. My guns barrel are .69 cal and I use a .678 round ball with no patch. In the N-SSA you are not aloud to use patches, they set the grass on fire in the dry whether. We shoot 25 and 50yds for competition. for loading smear some bore butter on the balls or we use rubber loading tubes with a pre-measured charge of 60gr and I dip the ball in a mix of hot besswax and Cisco. the ball are first used as plugs for the rubber tubes and then dipped in the lube. They look like little Ice cream cones.

 

[epps1919]

Here are some picks of my Original Confederate Macon 1842 Springfield .69cal. that I shoot in compaction. It was made at Harper Ferry in 1850. it was cut down by the Confederates during the war of northern aggregation to a 30" barrel.

 

[smoothebore]

Pics of my British collection from Nepal.
Pattern-1842 .75 cal.
Smoothbore Brunswick .69 cal.
Pattern-1853 .58 cal.
Martini-Henry 1878 .577-.450 cal.

 

[Bootknife]

I Enjoyed this Thread and the Pictures for Sure!

 

[epps1919]

Pics of my British collection from Nepal.
Pattern-1842 .75 cal.
Smoothbore Brunswick .69 cal.
Pattern-1853 .58 cal.
Martini-Henry 1878 .577-.450 cal.

SWEET, Love the 1842 with a rear site

 

[SlowShooter]

I shoot Smoothbore in the N-SSA team competition and most shooters use a round 60 gr. of 3f goex Bp. or 2f in there loads and Musket caps not #11 caps, to small. My guns barrel are .69 cal and I use a .678 round ball with no patch. In the N-SSA you are not aloud to use patches, they set the grass on fire in the dry whether. We shoot 25 and 50yds for competition. for loading smear some bore butter on the balls or we use rubber loading tubes with a pre-measured charge of 60gr and I dip the ball in a mix of hot besswax and Cisco. the ball are first used as plugs for the rubber tubes and then dipped in the lube. They look like little Ice cream cones.

This one of the techniques I am looking for. I never heard of loading a smooth bore without a patch, but if I can do it away, it 's just great. I will try epps1919 loading technique first. Thanks.

 

[SlowShooter]

Here are some picks of my Original Confederate Macon 1842 Springfield .69cal. that I shoot in compaction. It was made at Harper Ferry in 1850. it was cut down by the Confederates during the war of northern aggregation to a 30" barrel.

For awhile, I thought the French made the right decision by putting the front sight directly onto the barrel for more stable sighting; but now I really that putting the front sight on the front barrel band helps the owner cutting/mod the gun to their liking length much easier, and almost every body can do it. However, The french changed the lock to rearward position did made sense. It makes the stock much stronger at the tang.

 

[SlowShooter]

Pics of my British collection from Nepal.
Pattern-1842 .75 cal.
Smoothbore Brunswick .69 cal.
Pattern-1853 .58 cal.
Martini-Henry 1878 .577-.450 cal.

Lovely! Lovely!

 

[Mike OTDP]

One trick that is popular is to stipple the ball with coarse files. If you aren't shooting for speed (like N-SSA team competitions), try about 50 grains (equivalent) of Cream of Wheat over the powder.

 

[SlowShooter]

One trick that is popular is to stipple the ball with coarse files. If you aren't shooting for speed (like N-SSA team competitions), try about 50 grains (equivalent) of Cream of Wheat over the powder.

I use cream of wheat when I load black powder cartridges for my Gras and my Martini Henry rifles for reduced load, reliable powder burn and safety. I never thought we need this for muzzle loading rifles; but it makes a lot of sense to use it as a cushion (wad) as in shotgun shell. I will try this great idea. Thanks.

 

[SlowShooter]

I just order a regular nipple to replace the "reenactment nipple", 100 ".69 minie" balls ($.50/each, delivered), 3# Pyrodex, feeding tube and a cleaning rod with bore scraper . I will post the results of the first shoot out as soon as the shooting supply come. Thanks for keeping an eye on this thread.

 

[SlowShooter]

I got my minie balls. I think they're factory second. Ugly and weighted 700gr. I plan to use a charge of 75gr of pyrodex for start. Is it too hot?

Thanks for your inputs.

 

[Brickman301]

I got my minie balls. I think they're factory second. Ugly and weighted 700gr. I plan to use a charge of 75gr of pyrodex for start. Is it too hot?

Thanks for your inputs.

No, that's not to hot. I have shot my 1816 conversion .69 Harpers Ferry rifle with 100 grains goex ffg before. Talk about recoil, Lol.
I also shoot in the NSSA, and I roll the round balls with a file to "fatten" them up, then did them in Lee liquid allox, and let them dry.

I now use 50 grains of GOEX ffg, but to be honest my gun liked the hotter load, but I didn't , because of the recoil. I think the heavier powder charge helped "bump up" the ball size and made the ball fit the barrel better which helped accuracy.

 

[SlowShooter]

Thanks Brickman301!

 

[SlowShooter]

I shot the old musket today. I was so nervous firing the very first shot. I put the gun on gun rest then reached out to pull the trigger from under the shooting bench. I was so happy to hear the BANG and not the KA-BOOM, and saw the ball hit the 6" doughnut. I then followed up with 9 more shots standing and kneeling. The results were not great but at least I now know my musket is fully functioning (and I came home unscratch.)

I tried 3 different charge 65, 75 and 85gr of Pyrodex. Shots marked #1 were 65gr, #2 were 75gr, and #3 were 85gr. Please see the attached picture. I think 75 gr of Pyrodex is best but I have to learn how to follow through the shots. Musket firing is really slow, aiming must be solid before and after pulling the trigger.

Thanks everyone for today success!