French Mle1822 T pistol

Just a few photos. The ramrod is for the 1822 T bis, but it's what I have and the idea seems quite logical. Enables the use of only one type cartridge for both rifled musket and pistol- the excess powder needed for the rifle is just discarded after filling the cup.

Oh, and a pretty long service life (w/ mods.)-1822 to 1873!

There may be a range report SOMETIME...

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:cheers:

Very nice piece, well marked, definitely looks like a shooter (clear bore at the muzzle). The roundel with MR in the center should have an acceptance date around the rim, if you can read it.

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Originally Posted by jmoore

There may be a range report SOMETIME...

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Yes please!

Patrick
:wave:

Well, IF you MUST know, 1847 is the date in the roundel. If you don't, then you've read too far!:rolleyes::lol:

What is the value on these 1822's, I was helping with some estate items the other day and we found 3.

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Originally Posted by Curt

What is the value on these 1822's, I was helping with some estate items the other day and we found 3.

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Can't help you much there, Curt. I have a grand total experience of precisely one! Perhaps a bit of Google-fu?

Yeah that's what I have been working on.Those are pretty cool little pistols I might buy one if them for myself.

Nice piece :) Wish it were in my vault ;)

Packed up and somewhat ready for a range trip. If the camera isn't frozen up and things work out there will be a range report shortly.

Have found a few more markings and should have the pistol apart for cleaning, so internal shots should be in the works as well.

Painfully cold! At least for the first 45 minutes. Finally got acclimated after zeroing a .22rf rifle, so moved over to the "action pistol" bays to try out this 190 year old close quarters weapon.

The ramrod cup holds roughly 45 grains of powder, but the first shot was loaded with a mere 35 gr of Goex Fg. Had targets set up at 10 and 25 yards, so aim was taken in the center of the closer one and "pop"! Hardly worth calling that load a "shot". But it struck way high and a skosh right. Never mind it's the first round out of the pistol in who knows when!

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...122c581e-1.jpg

Good enough. It works! No kaboom. Trigger's heavy but it breaks cleanly, maybe just a hint of roll off the sear.

Load a 35gr charge of FFg. Same aiming point. Boom! Rather healthier report, but still a wee bit puny. Second impact at 10yds is quite close to the first. Nice. So the charge was upped to 40gr of FFg and another round touched off. That felt about "right"! Will leave the measure set there. Third impact is right with the other two. Who needs rifling???

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...9a6be9eb-1.jpg

So now for the 25yd target. Given the high right POI, it seemed that holding well low and not much left would work, but the first round was almost off paper! Way high and right. Number two shot was held lower but more left. Still high and off enough to shatter the left upright. Dang. Round three was a complete miss. OK, rifling might not be such a bad idea...

So, the target was moved back to 53 feet. (measured later) Holding at about the bottom of the target and centered, once more a paper wadded 0.685" ball was launched. Much better! Four more and here you go:

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...581c0ece-1.jpg
Old Kodak photo bag was used for patch/wad. Worked very well!

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Target is somewhat undersize by modern standards, but there's a pile of 'em to use up yet. Still, it's looking like 20 yards is a little out of max effective range for me. Maybe with lots of practice it could be stretched a little, but probably not greatly. I'm much better off using a 2" barreled revolver! It IS better than could be done with a Taurus Millenium Pro .45 auto! Which is very sad, somehow. Anyway...

At the end one more was let fly hastily at the 10yard target, resulting in a rather more centered hit. Just gotta aim at the belt buckle! Fair enough. One shot and draw sword.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...f3035887-1.jpg

Initial clean up with some 50/50 Ballistol/H20.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...7edfa289-1.jpg

Generally, quite the pleasing outing!

More coming. Detail shots, etc.
:cheers:

Well done JM! And yes, more please!

Looked like lots of fun, Ray

Surprisingly efficient design. Lots of multifunction screws that tie different assemblies together. Markings everywhere! Even on the front of the breech plug. (You have to look down the barrel to see it.)

Trigger reach is a little long.

Detail photos coming.

Will drag this out some more. Photos as they get cropped, cleaned up, etc. If you have specific detail requests put them in straight away! The uplink terminal may be going away, and I haven't figured out what the next step will be.

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Couldn't do better fitting on the most modern equipment! Very complex little insert.

What marks are on the breach? Nice clean pistol JM.

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Originally Posted by gsimmons

What marks are on the breach?

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Dang, the editor in P'bucket quit, so cropping's out for now. Raw photos:

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...f6b9c547-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...c6e9b697-1.jpg

Umph, and haven't uploaded 'em all. This'll have to hold you for a day or so!

One more, that's it for today!:

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...9ca0c888-1.jpg

Thanks, JM.

More barrel details:

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...1d171b93-1.jpg
Not the best shaped front sight for target work, but it is plenty good enough for the platform. Taller would have been nice, though!

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...76cf5b41-1.jpg
Rear sight is quite "modern" in format.

Condition before cleaning:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2e1569dc-1.jpg

Which was one reason it got range time! It needed to come apart anyway, so why not dirty it up some more?

Found a newer (but rather more "experienced") mate to the pistolet above. An Imerial era Mutzig 1822 bis which appears to have built as a percussion variant, rather than a conversion. Unfortunately, the rifled bore is quite rusted out. The muzzle end is worn/rusted to bell mouth almost all the way to the outside. The nipple is pretty well beat up, too. No rammer. Think it will be a great candidate to have the barrel sleeved and made into a regular shooter. The other's just too nice to make into a regular range gun.

Some detail photos:

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Sights are considerably different. The rear sight on the newer one is much less well defined. The front? Well...

Not quite sure of the significance of the "M1860" on the RH side of the barrel under the lockplate. Mfg. date or some sub-model?

Learned a bit about the town of Mutzig Saturday. Not to mention odd little historical facts related to the former owner of the armory building. "Affair of the diamond neckace."

Who's lining barrels these days? Are you going put a rifled sleeve in? Nice pistol JM.

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Originally Posted by gsimmons

Who's lining barrels these days? Are you going put a rifled sleeve in? Nice pistol JM.

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Since it was rifled originally, I think that would be the way to go.

Here's one vendor that's popped up:

http://whitacresmachineshop.com/

Failing sending it out, I might give it a go myself. But it's one of those things that doesn't seem logical to do as a one-off project if there's somebody that has lots of experience available.

Whitacre does a good job. I had a US M1842 barrel lengthened and rifled by Hoyt, but heard he wasn't doing it anymore that's why I wondered. Whit acre has a booth at the N-SSA spring and fall nationals in Winchester,Va. If you ever get a chance to go, it is worth it to see all the guns. There are lots of parts as well.