1863 Farmingdale Sharps leaning

[Siringo]

I have a couple of questions regarding cleaning these rifles.

First, the clean out screw can be difficult to remove. How do you keep the screw from seizing?

Secondly, how often do you remove the plate on the breech? That is a zero clearance fit and I am concerned about damaging it. Do you apply any grease and oil between the surfaces?

Thanks in advance.

 

[2 shots]

wait for phil coffins to reply.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Remove the breech block and remove the lever from it. Place the block in a bowl of water then clean the rest of the rifle be sure to clean the nose of the hammer and dry then oil everything. Set the clean and oiled rifle aside and turn your attention to the breech block, by the way Sharps called this the slide. Remove the nipple and using two small screw drivers gently remove the gas plate from the block and then the cross screw. Clean each then oil all parts. I use Mobile One grease on the cross screw and gas plate every time I clean. Then assemble all. Note that the gas plate is a very close fit and needs tapped into the block. Easy on the grease!

 

[Phil Coffins]

Try round ball and loose powder, here’s 15 shots at fifty yards. Last three after sight adjustment.
383D6502-C1B1-43A3-8F7B-FFEC3DAC92E5 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[Nobade]

That is very interesting. I have only ever shot bullets in mine, so I have questions.
What size balls? .540" I assume.
Any lube?
How much powder? A whole bunch would fit behind a ball. Do you use any inert filler? Wads? Or just leave air space in the chamber?
That looks like a fun reason to get my rifle out to play with while using a lot less lead than the regular bullets.

 

[Phil Coffins]

I used .535” ball because that is what I had with a bit of Crisco on them. 70 grains of 2fg and a six wing cap. No wad or filler and used a short stick to put the ball into the barrel to the same depth.