12 gauge Pedersoli double....

[noelf2]

Coming back home from Roanoke visiting my daughter and grandkids, and decided to stop by an antique store in Stuarts Draft that my wife and I like to browse to break up the trip, and stretch our legs a little. Found a nice surprise there that I just couldn't walk away from. It's a Dixie Gun Works, Pedersoli 12 gauge double that someone tried to give an aged look. Fake aging is not really my thing, but it was marked $265 with a 10% discount. After tax, $251 out the door. I didn't even check it out that well but figured I can work with it at that price. Got it home and find that the bores are bright and shiny, all is tight and working fine. Holy crap. Now I have something better suited for that shot pouch I made...

[Hawg]

If it's a newer one the bores are chrome lined. It's a shame they sanded the checkering off. It's really light so if you're recoil sensitive you may not want to shoot full loads out of it.

[noelf2]

Hawg I just took the barrels off and looked for the date stamp. It's AD (1978). I'm thinking this was a DGW 12 gauge kit gun, so no checkering and would explain the aged look (if not intentional, but I still think it was). Remarkably well done, however, not perfection especially around the trigger guard. If it was ever shot, it wasn't shot much. I haven't measured the bores at the muzzle end, but I think they're cylinder bore. It's growing on me.

[Pahoo]

noelf2

You did quite well, considering what Pedersoli is asking for a new one. The wood is either Turkish or European Walnut and in my book, superior to American Black Walnut. My compliments !! ….

Be Safe !!!

[Hawg]

I haven't measured the bores at the muzzle end, but I think they're cylinder bore.

Most muzzle loaders are cylinder bore. You can regulate the shot pattern with your loads. More powder than shot opens up a pattern, less powder than shot tightens a pattern. The bores on mine aren't chrome but they're highly polished. I'm not sure if it holds for all of them but I think on all the chrome bores the barrels are thick enough to be threaded for chokes. Mine are way too thin for that.

[Hellgate]

Maybe the muzzles could be jug choked.

[Stormson]

Awesome score Noel!! Man you where only two hours away from me and I was out shooting at a friend of mines place the other day, wish Id have known you where that close I would have invited ya to come try it out!

Am I mistaken in thinking that the "Kodiak" barrels swap out with their 12g, or maybe that the Kodiak can take the 12g barrels (depending on the frame I guess)? I would LOVE to have a set up with both 12g and a .50 SxS... Pretty much my dream gun when shopping for meat... If so, you are now half way to that exact set up! Either way, that 12 itself is gonna HAVE to be a LOT of coolness in one package, congrats!

[44 Dave]

Mine of that age has the left choked some.

[jaguarxk120]

My Navy Arms is of 1972 vintage. It too was made by Davide Petersoli, browned barrels
that are chrome lined. The locks and trigger have engraving, stock is walnut, nicely
figured. It has the proper flat style checkering, blued steel butt plate. All parts are well fitted and finished.

[bladesmith 1]

At least you don't have to worry about putting the first nick in it. Looks pretty nice. You got lucky - nice deal.

[noelf2]

Maybe the muzzles could be jug choked.

Not seeing any evidence of that. Is that something one can see, or is a jug choke too subtle for the naked eye? I'm going to get out the calipers tonight and take some measurements at the muzzle. Just looking, they appear to be cylinder bore, without jug chokes cut further in.

Am I mistaken in thinking that the "Kodiak" barrels swap out with their 12g, or maybe that the Kodiak can take the 12g barrels (depending on the frame I guess)? I would LOVE to have a set up with both 12g and a .50 SxS...

Yes that would be an ultimate keeper, but would probably take a bit of fitting. I guess the concerns would be that the hammer/nipple and the barrel wedge alignments would be off by a bit, especially if the barrels have a significant age difference.

If anyone lives near Stuarts Draft Virginia, the same person selling the shotgun had several revolvers. One was a very good condition older Euroarms 1860 clone. Appeared to be like new. It was marked $225, but with the 10% discount, it might not be a bad deal at all. I couldn't convince the opposition that I should have that one too. ... the other two were not in as great shape. An 1851 Navy and an 1858 nma both less than $200. I believe all three are Euroarms, and probably from the '70s.

[jaguarxk120]

Keep your loads lighter and it will perform great.
No heavier then 1 1/8 ounce, better still 1 or 7/8 ounce.
These were not magnum guns but usually upland bird shooting.

[noelf2]

Keep your loads lighter and it will perform great.
No heavier then 1 1/8 ounce, better still 1 or 7/8 ounce.
These were not magnum guns but usually upland bird shooting.

Agreed! Also like light loads for squirrels and sich!

[arcticap]

Isn't that the way it often works?
First you make the shot pouch and then you find the gun to use it with.
Great find and deal.

[Hawg]

is a jug choke too subtle for the naked eye? I'm going to get out the calipers tonight and take some measurements at the muzzle. Just looking, they appear to be cylinder bore, without jug chokes cut further in.

I've never had a jug choke but you should be able to see it. The bore would be honed bigger a few inches back from the muzzle. You do owe it to yourself to try a .69 caliber ball with 100 grains of 2F tho. It will be fun.

[reinert]

I had a Navy Arms Magnum double 12 a long time ago. I used it a lot pheasant hunting back when living in MN. FWIW, I used the Gerry, jam/peanut butter (or whatever), soft plastic backpacking tubes with the fold-over bottoms and the pin-locks to pack my 2fg standard GOEX, and #5 shot pellets (lead shot for everything back then; later 70's). I used a 90 grn. measure for the powder and shot both, and it worked very well as a hunting and also for a trap load. I also used the Circle Fly fiber cushion wads over the powder, and a stout card over the shot. Don't know if Circle Fly is still on the fly or not.

That shotgun had cylinder bores, both sides. When pheasant hunting, you had to take the bird fairly quickly, but I had a good dog at the time, and he gave me the head's up I needed for a quick "on bird" shot. That was a lot of fun back then. When shooting trap, we shot at 16 yards all the time, and again, you had to take those "birds" quickly, too. Fun old shotgun, and I wish I still had it.


If your "new" shotgun has the little serpent/dolphin type eyes on the hammers, My Navy had those, too. Kinda looked like an eye on the hammer as I remember just above the nipple on your photo.

Have fun with your new gun!

[noelf2]

I measured the bores at the muzzle at .715, both sides. Light modified?? That's a bit unusual. Definitely not cylinder bores. I took the nipples off, ran a lightly remoil'd mop down the bores, and with a bore light these bores look either chromed, or never been fired. Pristine. I ran a pick into the nipples and no crud or bits. Again, either never fired, or not fired much and cleaned well. Then I rubbed the whole gun with a silicon cloth, and wiped it down with a dry cloth. It really brought out some color in the locks, tang, trigger guard and such. The aged brown barrels are much more interesting looking now also. I think this shotgun was put together well, and hung over a mantle. Can't wait to shoot her.

[jaguarxk120]

You won't know if it is a light modified or cylinder bore until
a bore gauge with a dial indicator is run down the barrel
2-3 inches.
Don't forget choke is bore diameter vs choke dia.

[noelf2]

You won't know if it is a light modified or cylinder bore until
a bore gauge with a dial indicator is run down the barrel
2-3 inches.
Don't forget choke is bore diameter vs choke dia.

Very true! I found that each barrel on mine is stamped with an 18,2, which I think equates to 18.2 mm bore diameter, or .716 inch. So, those would be tight 12 gauge bores. Cylinder bore after all, it seems, if I'm right about the 18,2 stamps on the barrels. The barrels are 28" long as well, and I read that those longer barrels were more often cylinder bore.

:correction: I read that the longer barreled Pedersoli shotguns were cylinder one side, modified on the other. The shorter barreled shotguns were cylinder both sides. Since both of the muzzle diameters are the same, I'm thinking that the 18,2 is just the muzzle diameter on both sides. Weird. I'm just going to have to run some paper wads down it, and see if they get loose down in the bore...

:correction2: The stamps on my barrels are 18,3 ... not 18,2 as stated above. So nominal diameter of the barrels is .720" and muzzles are .715". Slight choke in the skeet range.

[Hawg]

Don't forget choke is bore diameter vs choke dia.

Choke is the bore diameter minus the Choke diameter. You can measure a choke at the muzzle which is how most people do it but you get a better idea of how the choke will perform if you measure the back of it as well as the front.

[reinert]

noelf2,

When you get all your measuring figured out, and you decide you want to shoot your new shotgun, this info might be helpful. I see they're still in business, a good thing. Have fun!

https://circlefly.com/muzzleloaders

[jaguarxk120]

Hawg how right you are. I checked my barrels and on the bottom there are

choke markings *** and **. Checking with my telescoping gauge, yes there is choking on each barrel.

[arcticap]

I found a choke markings guide for different makes that shows most markings of the major brands seem to be fairly universal.--->>> https://trulockchokes.com/choke_iden...tion_tool.html

Full Choke: *
Improved Modified: **
Modified: ***
Improved Cylinder: ****

[Hawg]

Those are screw in chokes.

[jaguarxk120]

I use the choke chart at http://www.hallowellco.com/choke_chart.htm

The chart lists choke designations from many countries and the constriction.