No information on .58 caliber

[Polish-Jack]

I am seriously thinking of buying the "Pedersoli Harper's Ferry Flintlock Pistol" being sold by Marstar (http://www.marstar.ca/gf-pedersoli/Pedersoli-Pistols.shtm), but I can not find any manufactured ball (spherical) ammunition of said caliber. (I am assuming it uses spherical bullets and not conical shaped bullets.)

The closest caliber mold I can find is on the Lee Precision wesite and it is a .575 caliber. Is this the mold I am looking for or is the .58 one of those hard to calibers?

 

[tbloggins]

Round balls have to be a smaller diameter than the bore because they'll be patched. .575 dia for a .58 cal is fine.

 

[bdft]

You can buy round ball, minie bullets, molds etc in .577 cal or .575 or whatever from Track of the Wolf.com, Dixie Gunworks or probably a dozen other websites. Google is your friend.

 

[Skip]

You won't get a .58 ball in a .58 Pedersoli - Its bore is true sized. You need a ball that's 20-30 thou under, which why you are looking for .577, .575. Pistols were not normally patched and the balls were sufficiently out of round that they weren't going to fall out. Use a .010 patch (or thinner) if you're going to patch. .577 ball is a standard manufacture - your local gunshop can order if he doesn't stock, or you can mould your own.

.58 cal is usually used with Minie - the calibre and the Minie went together. If you are going to use Minie, get a good extractor or long drill bit. You WILL short stuff one one day and need to get it out the way it went in (never fire a BP gun with a shortstuffed ball).

Your local dealer can get Hornady 58Cal balls (stock # 6120) which are .570 diam, perfect for the Pedersoli, patched with .010 patch (.015 patch might be too tight in a Pedersoli barrel.)