Sharps problem

[wb78963]

The problem is even with very mild loads consisting of 30 grains FFg powder and a 450 grain ring tail bullet the hammer is blown back to half cock.
The nipple orifice is about number 42 wire drill and obviously is too big. In the parts box is a musket nipple 1/4"x 32 thread that has a tiny orifice which i can drill out.
Any suggestions on .what size to use?
Thanks
Bunk

 

[dave951]

Don’t drill it unless you want the same problem

 

[Grenadier1758]

# 70 (0.028") or smaller.

Basically, I agree with @dave951. There should be no need to drill out the nipple to a larger size.

 

[wb78963]

OK I will install it tomorrow and see what happens
Bunk

 

[hawkeye2]

1/4-32 is an oddball size for a nipple, are you sure it's for your Sharps? H&A underhammers are the only guns that come to mind using that thread size.

 

[wb78963]

sorry 1/4" X 28 I believe and what I want to enlarge is the orifice not the threaded hole in the black.
That fire path is long as a well rope even for RWS musket caps which is what I have.
Bunk

 

[Col. Batguano]

How much powder does that Sharps chamber hold? Is it a 54?

 

[Carbon 6]

# 70 (0.028") or smaller.

Basically, I agree with @dave951. There should be no need to drill out the nipple to a larger size.

 

[dave951]

How much powder does that Sharps chamber hold? Is it a 54?

A Sharps chamber will hold more than you’d care to pull a trigger on. And here’s the real shocker, the hollow in the falling block insures there is an air gap.

I have two Sharps and both are set up for competition. Barrels are marked 54cal, both slug at 555. Sharps are notorious for bore size variation, hence the reason for the “Christmas Tree” bullet with three different size driving bands.

 

[Calum]

'morning,

If the new cone, with the smaller opening doesn't work, I'd try a new mainspring. I suspect that's more the problem than the cone.

You don't say what make the rifle is, but I've fit original mainsprings in ArmiSport and Pedersoli Sharps with only minor clearancing needed. The originals have given me much better performance than the modern ones.

Good luck!
Mike

 

[wb78963]

sorry 1/4" X 28 I believe and what I want to enlarge is the orifice not the threaded hole in the black.
That fire path is long as a well rope even for RWS musket caps which is what I have.
Bunk

'morning,

If the new cone, with the smaller opening doesn't work, I'd try a new mainspring. I suspect that's more the problem than the cone.

You don't say what make the rifle is, but I've fit original mainsprings in ArmiSport and Pedersoli Sharps with only minor clearancing needed. The originals have given me much better performance than the modern ones.

Good luck!
Mike

It is Pedersoli a 5/16"x 24 thread on the nipple and uses Hahn paper tubes. They will hold about 55 grains FFFg but I stopped at 45 because it was giving patterns not groups. The original nipple worked perfectly but the box with it and some other things got lost in a move. It will take some tinkering but there are other irons in the fire so it can wait. What is the source for an original main spring?
thanks for the help.
Bunk

 

[hawkeye2]

"A Sharps chamber will hold more than you’d care to pull a trigger on." That's specially true if you are shooting a carbine. I've been shooting about 42 grains of 2f and it's very comfortable.

Charlie Hahn recommended I use a burned out Springfield nipple (mine is 5/16-24) but I haven't tried it yet.

 

[wb78963]

Thanks Hawkeye2,
My original unfired Springfield is long ago sold so burned out Springfield nipples are not in the spares box.
My plan, such as it is, will be to start opening the orifice number drill at a time until i get positive ignition with the Hahn tubes and no hammer blow back. It is a 5/16 X 24 thread. TOW has got them.
It is a sort of red neck plan, so hold my beer Bubba, and see what happens.
Bunk

 

[Oldhickory]

I own 2-.54 cal Sharps percussion replicas. The IAB Sharps since they first came out in 1977. That carbine shoots very well. When I got the Armi Sport 63 sporting rifle, it would only shoot if I primed the top side of the nipple with 3fg. So I decided to mark the top of the nipple flat which faced the flash hole when the nipple was fully seated. I then pulled the nipple, found that reference mark, and cut (with my Dremal tool wheel cutting disk, a slot to expose more of the nipple flash to that breech block hole. Ignition became reliable,. First cap every cap. I DID NOT enlarge the nipple flash hole, just opened a slot on the lower nipple threads facing the breech flash channel. What you do to solve your own ignition problem is on your own. If I were in your place, I would seek out a gunsmith to perform this change to your percussion nipple.

 

[wb78963]

I own 2-.54 cal Sharps percussion replicas. The IAB Sharps since they first came out in 1977. That carbine shoots very well. When I got the Armi Sport 63 sporting rifle, it would only shoot if I primed the top side of the nipple with 3fg. So I decided to mark the top of the nipple flat which faced the flash hole when the nipple was fully seated. I then pulled the nipple, found that reference mark, and cut (with my Dremal tool wheel cutting disk, a slot to expose more of the nipple flash to that breech block hole. Ignition became reliable,. First cap every cap. I DID NOT enlarge the nipple flash hole, just opened a slot on the lower nipple threads facing the breech flash channel. What you do to solve your own ignition problem is on your own. If I were in your place, I would seek out a gunsmith to perform this change to your percussion nipple.
[/QUOT
In my breech block the fire path is straight down then turns ninety degrees at the clean out port to the center of the block. then turns again to ignite the cartridge base.It just takes a lot of fire to turn those corners.
There is a balance point that allows the flash to work then restricts the back pressure.
But thanks
Bunk

 

[Col. Batguano]

I got my 54 cal Shiloh Sharps New Model 1863 carbine back around 1978 or so (low 3-digit SN). I got a load of maxi balls, and lubed them up, and just filled up the powder chamber with 3Fg. It thumps pretty good on the back end. Never shot anything with it to find out how hard it would hit on the other end, but I toted it a bunch for elk and deer to try. I have no idea how much powder goes in there, but it hits about 2" high at 50 yards which I figured would be reasonably close out at 100 if I ever had to shoot that far.

While the gun is way way cool, I found that totally taking it apart to clean it was a lot more work than I normally like to go through. A more traditional front loader is much less hassle.

 

[wb78963]

I got my 54 cal Shiloh Sharps New Model 1863 carbine back around 1978 or so (low 3-digit SN). I got a load of maxi balls, and lubed them up, and just filled up the powder chamber with 3Fg. It thumps pretty good on the back end. Never shot anything with it to find out how hard it would hit on the other end, but I toted it a bunch for elk and deer to try. I have no idea how much powder goes in there, but it hits about 2" high at 50 yards which I figured would be reasonably close out at 100 if I ever had to shoot that far.

While the gun is way way cool, I found that totally taking it apart to clean it was a lot more work than I normally like to go through. A more traditional front loader is much less hassle.

All I am trying to do is be able to shoot my 50 yard target without getting hit in the face with a bunch of CRAP (Carbonizes Randomly Accelerated Particles) when the hammer blows back and that is with just a 30 grains of FFg and ring tail bullet.
With a round ball it is quite tame with 35 grains of FFFg. but not so accurate.
But thanks
Bunk

 

[toot]

remember when you shoot loose powder in it, to tip the barrel up to get the powder to go back to the inner cone for positive ignition. then level & shoot it.

 

[wb78963]

I only shoot powder in Hahn tubes since the carbine has the Hahn modification. At 45 grains the gun shoots patterns not groups.
We shall see but thanks to everyone for the suggestions.
Bunk

 

[dave951]

Sounds like you need a new nipple. Have you slugged the bore?