Pedersoli Gibbs
Davide Pedersoli & Co. S.r.l. · Rifle · In Production
Also known as: Pedersoli Gibbs Rifle, Gibbs Long Range Rifle, Pedersoli S225
Overview
The Pedersoli Gibbs is a modern Italian reproduction of the British Gibbs long-range percussion target rifle of the 1860s, named for the Bristol gunmaker George Gibbs whose rifles rivalled the Whitworth on the Victorian match ranges. It is a single-shot muzzleloading rifle fired by a percussion cap on the nipple of a case-hardened side lock, offered in .40 and .45 caliber. The .45-caliber version carries a 36-inch blued octagonal barrel with six-groove 1:18 rifling, a full walnut stock, a vernier Creedmoor adjustable rear sight and a tunnel front sight, and weighs about 4.9 kg, giving the long sight radius and heavy mass favoured for long-range black-powder competition. Built by Davide Pedersoli in Gardone Val Trompia, it recreates the type of high-precision muzzleloader used at Wimbledon and other long-range meetings of the era.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4900 g (172.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1330 mm (52.36") |
| Barrel Length | 915 mm (36.02") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 900 m (984 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 3 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 450 mm (17.72") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .451 Caliber · primary — also known as .451, .45 caliber muzzleloader, 11.45mm
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded
- Features: Rifled Barrel, Muzzle Loaded, Percussion Cap, Creedmoor Rear Sight, Tunnel Front Sight, Case Hardened Lock, Walnut Stock, Ramrod, Target Rifle, Long Range Rifle
Service history
Operators
- Muzzleloading long-range target shooters
Production
Current-production reproduction manufactured by Davide Pedersoli & Co.
Origin
Country of origin: Italy
Notes
Modern black-powder reproduction, Pedersoli model S225 (codes 010S225400 for .40 and 010S225450 for .45); not an original antique. Two chamberings are catalogued: .40 caliber with a 835 mm (32 5/8 in) barrel, 1:16 (406 mm) 6-groove rifling and 1,250 mm overall length, and .45 caliber with a 915 mm (36 in) barrel, 1:18 (450 mm) 6-groove rifling and 1,330 mm overall length; both weigh about 4.9 kg (11.68 lb). 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 Gibbs rifles.
Background
The original Gibbs rifles were built by George Gibbs of Bristol, one of the small circle of Victorian makers whose privately-purchased .45-caliber muzzleloaders duelled with Whitworth's hexagonal-bore rifles for supremacy at the National Rifle Association's long-range matches on Wimbledon Common.