I just bought a used ML Wesson Rifle in 50 Cal. It came with a false muzzle and a short started that fits over the false muzzle. I can find no information on the rifle other them Dixie Gun Works used to sell one like it in 45 cal. I would like to hear from anyone that has information on this rifle, what the ball size should be, and so on. DGW was of no help when I called them and wanted to buy balls, and tools for the rifle.

That it has a false muzzle sounds like it must be a custom rifle.

Does the false muzzle have rifling?

What is the twist rate of the barrel? This is critical so, if you don't know you will have to measure it. A tight patch on a swivel handled rod and tight jag will do the trick.

Are you sure it is a Wesson and not a Wesson look alike? There is a/was a similiar action being made a few years ago. But in any event, measure the barrel twist and we can figure this out a lot better.

Brent

The rifle was made within the last twenty five years I believe. It was made in Italy. The twist is slow, about in in 60". Yes there is rifling in the false muzzle. It is marked on the barrel WESSON 50 Cal. I found that Dixie Gun Works has one listed for sale that is in 45 cal that looks like it. I called them and they were of little help.

With a 60" twist it is a round ball gun. You will probably want to start with .495" lead balls and a 0.015" lubed cloth patch.

Brent

I'm sure that it's a round ball rifle, but why the false muzzle? I thought they were for conicals. The sights are very poor, wide blade on the front and a buckhorn for the rear. I think I'll try to find a globe front sight like the Lyman 17 and have to make a base for the rear to afix a peep of some type. The top of the reciever is drilled and tapped with two 6x48 screws that are .600 appart. Not much hope that I'll find a peep sight that will have a flat botton and not be in the way of the hammer fall.

Sendaro, the false muzzle is for starting very tight ball/patch combinations. This rifle is probably made for benchrest or over-the-log shooting matches out to 200 yds. Powder charges are typically quite high.

The two holes sound like they were used for an aperture sight that extended back from the breech. I don't have a picture handy but imagine a 3/8" by 1/8" piece of strap steel coming straight back off the breech with a short lollipop aperture sight sticking up on it.

Brent

I agree with you about the sights. Guess that I will have to keep searching for information on this rifle and see what sights they came with. However in the long run of it I believe that there should be a globe front sight and a rear sight like the one that you have mentioned.The rifle is a very good looking one and if it comes to becoming a wall hanger it will sure look nice in my den. I will continue to search. Thank you for the help.Keep me posted if you come across anything about this rifle.

I have a Wesson .58 cal. shoots round balls .562 very well ! My front sight was to high to use , I ground it down to .312 high and it shoots dead on at lowest rear sight setting at 100 yards ! It's a wall hanger in my pool room , Looks great on the mantle .

How wide is the front sight on your wesson? What does the rear sight look like? To the left of the hammer on top on the action are there any screw holes?

Front sight width .142 Rear sight Winchester 73 style , action is clean no holes , My .58 is Marked on barrel Richland arms Blissfield Mich usa , I depth miked the rear sight at lowest setting and then ground front to match , my false muzzle did not fit ! and I had to set it up in a milling machine and use a reamer to get the holes to align , false muzzle is also 1/2 rifled inside , The holes at muzzle in barrel are not aligned to fit the false muzzle was a trip to make everything fit .

I'll bet that getting that false muzzle to align up was a real pain in the ass! It sounds like the sights that I have on this one. They are not acceptable to me, so I will have to search for something better. I would like to end up with a globe front and a peep on the rear. I'll keep looking. thanks for the info!

Check out Lyman globe front sights , and Lyman #2 tang sights

Have ordered a Lyman 93 Target globe sight. I will mout it with a unertl base. Have also found an old Williams peep sight that fits on a Unertl base. Things are coming together. I don't know how to post photos on this web site or I would. Have taken some good photos of the rifle with the rear peep in place with a Merit irus apreture sight installed. If you would like to see the photos you will have to email me at jads@citlink.net

Concho42, Checked the false muzzle on mine. It is half rifled, and centered well enough, but the rifling does not index with the barrel. What the hell were these people thinking of when they put a false muzzle on a round ball barrel? To top it off they could'nt even do it right! I ony use the false muzzle for cleaning and and as a guide to push the ball down to the powder charge after using the short started. As a matter of face the short starter fits the end of the barrel better then it fits the false muzzle! it shoots fine but way to the left! I have the sights cranked to the right as far as it will go and it still prints 4" left at 50 yards. Looks like I'll be back at the milling mech. cutting a new base for the rear sight!

I have seen and shot the rifles you are talking about over the last 30 years that others had owned. I agree the false muzzles on those rifles were junk and for looks.
False muzzles are very effective on round ball barrels. I have three heavy round barrel muzzleloaders that have false muzzles. One is a 1.25" barrel .50 , 1-66 twist X-stick or light bench flint gun and the other two are 2" under hammer barrels for bench or over the log shoots. One, the false muzzle protects the rifling and eliminates a crown on the end of the barrel which can cause your rounds being effected. Second, my false muzzles are tapered from the end to the barrel to assist in loading a ball/patch combination is VERY tight. I shoot a .500 ball and .010 patch in my .50 barrel and a .545 ball and .010 patch in my .54's. The false muzzle also on my 50 has a guide that centers the cleaning/loading rod each trip down the barrl. These barrels are at least 26 years old and was shooting 400-500 rounds a year for a while when I was competing.
I also had a set of Yazel target pistols made. Flint and inline percussion. Both had octagon barrels with the last 3" round and the percussion had a false muzzle to load round ball and patch to very tight tolerances.
Most of the bench guns I have seen or shot had false muzzles and shot round ball all over the country.

Mike

My rifling does not index with the false muzzle , as I said I hed a lot of maching work to make it even fit the barrel .

then it is not original to the gun and frankly, is not likely to be able to match the performance of a correctly made FM.

As such, they are cut from the original barrel, pinned back to it, and then rifled coincidentally with the barrel. There is one other way of making one, and it too uses part of the barrel, but is done after the rifling process. It is, by far, the less desirable method and typically done only to retrofit an existing rifle.

Brent

Mine is stamped Dixie Gun Works , Probably some idiot just grabed one and put it in the box !