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View Full Version : Potsdam Smoothbore with extras FS at Nationals $850



Jim Barber
04-20-2018, 12:05 AM
All original Potsdam with SAC card, includes .710 Moose Mould, matched cleaning rod, ~50 tubes and a jar of cast .710 balls plus a few loaded rounds in 25 rd MTM box.

EDIT: I was harangued that I may have described the Potsdam's condition too thoroughly, or not thoroughly enough, warts and all. Geez, it's 200 years old! The point is, it's legal for N-SSA as offered, it will hit targets as well as anything else, with a pedigree to back it up, and it's old and fiddly. Swamp the barrel out every.single.time when you're done shooting. Then oil the bejeebers out of it. Never run a dry patch. Straight from water or solvent to oil. Also, if I didn't mention, it has a much-coveted rear sight. 55g 3F Goex, stock high on the shoulder, about 1" protruding above the shoulder, and front sight low in the "V", it hits nicely.

The bad: the barrel is original and rough in the breech, sometimes it's a pain to clean 'cause patches hang up. Lots of hot water and Murphy's oil soap are your friends.
The spoon for the ramrod is missing. Edit: after being harangued about it, I have purchased a bayonet catch "spoon" and it is included in the sale. It looks like a chore to fit it to the gun, so I'm leaving well enough alone. I'm not good with fussy things like that.

The good: The barrel is original. (that's both good and bad, really) It's won me a couple 2nd place individual medals (striker) at Nationals, it does quite well at 25 and 50 yards, better than I can hold it. Replaced the oddball Potsdam nipple recently. They're fairly hard to come by, weird thread sizes and so forth. Stock is in very good shape, one kinda ugly yet very solid, functional wood repair near the breech, overall good condition for its age. EDIT: barrel is partially glass-bedded.
EDIT; Back to the Spoon/ Bayonet Catch issue: I just checked, and the SAC approval card notes that it is missing the bayonet catch, so it's legal for N-SSA competition. Also, forgot to mention, the barrel has been straightened ("bent") professionally to hit POA. It hits at 25 yards, very accurately, and groups at 50 if you can hold tight, squeeze and follow through. Pretty much standard smoothbore behavior.

Price is fairly firm unless you'd like just the gun without any of the accoutrements. In that case, $750. Not interested in shipping, Nigerian demurrage charges or other hocus-pocus: available at Nationals, at that time I'll be glad to expound on the gun's strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes and general disposition. It's a 200+ year old gun, which, though somewhat older than me, is similarly fussy. I want the buyer to break targets with it, and hope to provide enough care-and-feeding information to help it happen.

EDIT: man, I'm a terrible salesman. It's a damn good gun.

Cheers!

Jim B.
Grove City, OH
ps: PM or email me at jimmyangst@gmail.com

Jim Barber
05-02-2018, 11:01 PM
Potsdam Smoothbore with extras FS at Nationals $850

All original Potsdam with SAC card, includes .710 Moose Mould, matched cleaning rod, ~50 tubes and a jar of cast .710 balls plus a few loaded rounds in 25 rd MTM box.

EDIT: I was harangued that I may have described the Potsdam's condition too thoroughly, or not thoroughly enough, warts and all. Geez, it's 200 years old! The point is, it's legal for N-SSA as offered, it will hit targets as well as anything else, with a pedigree to back it up, and it's old and fiddly. Swamp the barrel out every.single.time when you're done shooting. Then oil the bejeebers out of it. Never run a dry patch. Straight from water or solvent to oil. Also, if I didn't mention, it has a much-coveted rear sight. 55g 3F Goex, stock high on the shoulder, about 1" protruding above the shoulder, and front sight low in the "V", it hits nicely.

The bad: the barrel is original and rough in the breech, sometimes it's a pain to clean 'cause patches hang up. Lots of hot water and Murphy's oil soap are your friends.
The spoon for the ramrod is missing. Edit: after being harangued about it, I have purchased a bayonet catch "spoon" and it is included in the sale. It looks like a chore to fit it to the gun, so I'm leaving well enough alone. I'm not good with fussy things like that.

The good: The barrel is original. (that's both good and bad, really) It's won me a couple 2nd place individual medals (striker) at Nationals, it does quite well at 25 and 50 yards, better than I can hold it. Replaced the oddball Potsdam nipple recently. They're fairly hard to come by, weird thread sizes and so forth. Stock is in very good shape, one kinda ugly yet very solid, functional wood repair near the breech, overall good condition for its age. EDIT: barrel is partially glass-bedded.
EDIT; Back to the Spoon/ Bayonet Catch issue: I just checked, and the SAC approval card notes that it is missing the bayonet catch, so it's legal for N-SSA competition. Also, forgot to mention, the barrel has been straightened ("bent") professionally to hit POA. It hits at 25 yards, very accurately, and groups at 50 if you can hold tight, squeeze and follow through. Pretty much standard smoothbore behavior.

Price is fairly firm unless you'd like just the gun without any of the accoutrements. In that case, $750. Not interested in shipping, Nigerian demurrage charges or other hocus-pocus: available at Nationals, at that time I'll be glad to expound on the gun's strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes and general disposition. It's a 200+ year old gun, which, though somewhat older than me, is similarly fussy. I want the buyer to break targets with it, and hope to provide enough care-and-feeding information to help it happen.

EDIT: man, I'm a terrible salesman. It's a damn good gun.

Cheers!

Jim B.
Grove City, OH
ps: PM or email me at jimmyangst@gmail.com


Last edited by Jim Barber (https://www.n-ssa.net/vbforum/posthistory.php?p=69393); 1 Hour Ago at 09:54 PM. Reason: Additonal information

Jim Barber
05-02-2018, 11:03 PM
Oops! I dunno how, but I double-posted my update. Sorry, y'all!

Jim B.
110th OVI
Grove City, OH