Percussion sharps caliber change ?

[Carbon 6]

Would it be possible to change the caliber of a percussion sharps, to a smaller caliber by installing a liner or different barrel ?

Potential problems ?

Anyone ever done it?

 

[gemmer]

Possible, not practical.

 

[Bad Karma]

Would it be possible to change the caliber of a percussion sharps, to a smaller caliber by installing a liner or different barrel ?

Potential problems ?

Anyone ever done it?

I’m sure it’s possible. Been a while since I’ve had one but I recall thinking about that as well. Mine was a Sile .54 and I’d have preferred a .45. Since the breech face is flat I think it would work. I can’t think of a good reason it wouldn’t but the guys over at the north south skirmish site would have seen it if anyone had done it.

 

[Carbon 6]

Possible, not practical.

Curious, why would it not be practical?
What am I missing?

 

[Carbon 6]

I’m sure it’s possible. Been a while since I’ve had one but I recall thinking about that as well. Mine was a Sile .54 and I’d have preferred a .45. Since the breech face is flat I think it would work. I can’t think of a good reason it wouldn’t but the guys over at the north south skirmish site would have seen it if anyone had done it.

45 or 38-36 is what I was thinking. Better economy and plinkability. Might make a nice squirrel gun.

 

[Bad Karma]

I just got back from the site. Now I remember why it’s difficult... that Breech block uses a floating plate and a floating sleeve in the chamber. I’m sure a clever smith could work around that but it sounds expensive to me.

 

[Bad Karma]

I just got back from the site. Now I remember why it’s difficult... that Breech block uses a floating plate and a floating sleeve in the chamber. I’m sure a clever smith could work around that but it sounds expensive to me.

Probably better to sell the.54 and find a .45...

 

[Carbon 6]

I just got back from the site. Now I remember why it’s difficult... that Breech block uses a floating plate and a floating sleeve in the chamber. I’m sure a clever smith could work around that but it sounds expensive to me.

Don't most of the sleeves seize up with fouling anyway ? Why not just eliminate it ? It's going to leak gas regardless, at least a smaller caliber would leak less.

 

[Carbon 6]

Probably better to sell the.54 and find a .45...

Did they make 45's in percussion?

 

[Bad Karma]

Don't most of the sleeves seize up with fouling anyway ? Why not just eliminate it ? It's going to leak gas regardless, at least a smaller caliber would leak less.

Maybe. The N-SSA boys seem to have their stock rifles modified and that may be the modification. Before I owned one I didn’t know they had the floating breech. After I owned one, I didn’t know why...

And yes the 1863 was available in .45. Bobby Hoyt could probably do the work for you.

 

[Carbon 6]

Thanks for the input.

 

[Tobee]

You have a project in mind?

 

[Carbon 6]

You have a project in mind?

Who me?
No, but I would like to buy one some day, and if I did it would likely be used and probably need a barrel anyway. if it did, I would want to change the caliber if I could.
Discussion opens the mind to all sorts of possibilities.

 

[Zonie]

45 or 38-36 is what I was thinking. Better economy and plinkability. Might make a nice squirrel gun.

I don't know why anyone would want to make the conversion.
They would end up with a 10+ pound rifle with a powder charge limited to whatever the small space behind the bullet would allow.
They couldn't load it with anything more or for that matter, less without ending up with a partially filled powder chamber under the bullet.

There is nothing it could do that a good muzzleloading rifle couldn't do as well or better.

 

[Tobee]

Who me?
No, but I would like to buy one some day, and if I did it would likely be used and probably need a barrel anyway. if it did, I would want to change the caliber if I could.
Discussion opens the mind to all sorts of possibilities.

Think I have the "used" one of which you speak. Friend gave me a IAB sharps; said it was leaking gas. I shot it and felt the hot gas hit my forehead and slice across the top of my head. The gas from the bottom of the block scorched the towel I was using as a rag. Nothing caught on fire though. Anyway, friend wouldn't take the rifle back. Sleeve is seized and the breech is gas cut. Bore doesn't look too good. So recommend shooting a used one first if you can. Betsy's and half pints look good to me.

 

[Carbon 6]

Ok, you guys talked me out of it.

 

[TFoley]

Think I have the "used" one of which you speak. Friend gave me a IAB sharps; said it was leaking gas. I shot it and felt the hot gas hit my forehead and slice across the top of my head. The gas from the bottom of the block scorched the towel I was using as a rag. Nothing caught on fire though. Anyway, friend wouldn't take the rifle back. Sleeve is seized and the breech is gas cut. Bore doesn't look too good. So recommend shooting a used one first if you can. Betsy's and half pints look good to me.

'Friend'?

 

[TFoley]

I don't know why anyone would want to make the conversion.
They would end up with a 10+ pound rifle with a powder charge limited to whatever the small space behind the bullet would allow.
They couldn't load it with anything more or for that matter, less without ending up with a partially filled powder chamber under the bullet.

There is nothing it could do that a good muzzleloading rifle couldn't do as well or better.

Friend of mine has a Shiloh Sharps in .54 percussion that he has been trying to offlo- sell for a number of years, even to me. It's a beautiful dinosaur that can't be used for the only thing we can use a Sharps for over here in UK, BPCR.

 

[Tobee]

'Friend'?

At the range, I was whining about why are sharps rifles so expensive and about how I want one, badly. Guess it amused the two friends I shoot with. They gave me one. Caveat was that it leaked. Did I listen? Nope. A few months later they gave me an armi San Marco 45-70. This one would light off a round every third or fourth try. Long story, I fixed it and another friend offered to buy it for $600 which I refused. I'm new to muzzle loaders and often struggle. I think it must amuse them to watch me puzzle things out the way they did. I get free stuff. Friends? Yup!

 

[Rat]

Seems as if them Percussion Sharps in the larger caliber might be a cool and classic rifle to hunt with, where you only fire it once or twice, from a clean barrel and breach. Something to admire (they are very cool looking guns) when one is sitting under a tree, watching a game trail. For plinking and target use, I get the impression that they aren't that user friendly.