Pedersoli 1860 Volunteer

About the Pedersoli 1860 Volunteer

The Pedersoli 1860 Volunteer is a modern Italian reproduction of the British Volunteer-pattern percussion target rifle of the early 1860s. Chambered in .451 caliber and loaded from the muzzle, it fires by a percussion cap on the nipple of a case-hardened side lock. The rifle carries a 33-inch blued barrel with five-groove 1:21 rifling, a full walnut stock, an adjustable Creedmoor (vernier) rear sight and a tunnel front sight, giving it the long sight radius and heavy 4.1 kg mass favored for long-range black-powder competition. Built by Davide Pedersoli in Gardone Val Trompia, it recreates the guns used by the Victorian Volunteer rifle movement in matches at Wimbledon and other ranges.

The original Volunteer rifles arose from Britain's 1859 Volunteer movement, when riflemen bought privately-made .451 target rifles from makers like Whitworth and Rigby to compete at the newly founded National Rifle Association meetings at Wimbledon Common.

Pedersoli 1860 Volunteer specifications

Modern black-powder reproduction (Pedersoli model S182), not an original antique. Manufacturer lists barrel length 838 mm (33 in), overall length 1,230 mm (48 7/16 in), weight about 4.1 kg (8.82 lb), .451 caliber with 5-groove rifling at a 1:21 twist. Fitted with a Creedmoor-type adjustable rear sight and tunnel front sight. Effective and maximum range figures are approximate, reflecting the long-range target role of the original Volunteer rifles.