Zouave help?

[jackpine]

Shot a friends Navy Arms Zouave musket and thought it was the bee's Knee's. At the next gunshow he went to he found another Zouave and he picked it up for me without asking first. I ended up with a Antolio Zoli 1861 stamped Zouave but thats about the only similaritys between the two. The Navy Arms shoots .575 minnies great, my AZ can't even get .570 minnies down the bore. The Navy Arms shoots .570 round balls with a .20 pre lube patch darn good, A had to go to a .10 patch with .570 RB's and had vertical stringing(light patch?)

Can I fix it or is it a $450 cap gun?

 

[johan_steele]

Don't use a patch at all plenty of lube eliminates the need w/ a good minnie. I don't know what the Zoli's spec out to for barrel size, mightbe worth getting is swagged. I shoot an M1841 in .58 and it shoots .5745 Lyman minnies like a dream.

 

[jackpine]

To clarify. Used crisco on .570 minnies and they were a no go. Used lubed ox-yoke .10 patches with hornady swaged .570 round balls and though fit and vertical stringing.

 

[Jobe Holiday]

Jackpine -

Your friends Navy Arms Zouave is most likely also made by Antonio Zoli, since they were the preferred supplier to Navy Arms. You sould be able to find manufacturer markings on the left side flat of the barrel that will indicate that. If not there sometimes on top the barrel behind the rear sight. Before I would give up on the rifle I would try sizing the minie ball down a few more thousandths to just start in the bore.

As for patched round balls, accuracy is a tall order considering the slow twist of 1 in 72. Personally I never had much luck with it.

Jobe