Sharps rifle

[Bunk]

Realizing this is NOT a patch and ball muzzle loader it is a percussion carbine but uses real black Gunpowder and pure lead bullet.
Is anyone here shooting one and do you have experience with it?
Mine is a carbine with the Hahn Machine Works breech modification.
It uses a 1.25" tube normally loaded with a charge of 40 grains GOEX FFg or FFFg powder and a MooseMoulds .54" ring tail bullet and both shoot to essentially he same spot.
The so called sights have been replaced with a Lyman bead front sight and Marble Bullseye rear sight which is a a barrel mounted peep sight.
This is strictly a target load but if used for serious business a 75 grains of FFg, has been tried once. It is not fun to shoot. but is plenty powerful should a feral pig wander across the range.
I suspect a rifle being heavier could use heavier loads and still be comfortable to shoot..
Respectfully submitted
Bunk

 

[Bad Karma]

Realizing this is NOT a patch and ball muzzle loader it is a percussion carbine but uses real black Gunpowder and pure lead bullet.
Is anyone here shooting one and do you have experience with it?
Mine is a carbine with the Hahn Machine Works breech modification.
It uses a 1.25" tube normally loaded with a charge of 40 grains GOEX FFg or FFFg powder and a MooseMoulds .54" ring tail bullet and both shoot to essentially he same spot.
The so called sights have been replaced with a Lyman bead front sight and Marble Bullseye rear sight which is a a barrel mounted peep sight.
This is strictly a target load but if used for serious business a 75 grains of FFg, has been tried once. It is not fun to shoot. but is plenty powerful should a feral pig wander across the range.
I suspect a rifle being heavier could use heavier loads and still be comfortable to shoot..
Respectfully submitted
Bunk

I had a Sile carbine years ago, also the rifle version. This was in the late 70’s. I did like the little carbine and killed elk with it but I don’t think Charlie had come up with the tubes yet, or if he had, I knew nothing about it. I made paper cartridges for it, also shot a lot of loose powder as well. I liked it well enough but got better accuracy and power from the muzzleloaders so eventually I sold or traded the Sharps. The rifle hung on the wall in my office for a few years and struck up many a conversation about shooting, guns, and the old days. I have an Enfield carbine doing similar duty these days. The Musketoon will give you a good solid whack to with a 70 grain charge behind the 500 grain Minie’… I’ve never shot the full size Enfield rifle so can’t compare but the 54 Sharps rifle was a nice shooting gun. I was young enough to tote it up and down the mountain back then. These days I don’t like anything much more than 8-9 pounds if I’m walking.

 

[mushka]

Mine is a C. Sharps 45-100 with good sights on it. I hunted elk with it about 18 years ago but found it too nose heavy to comfortably carry around. Would be a good long range target rifle If I'd shoot it more. I will load with a 405 or 325 grn lead bullet with 85 grns of 3F and any lg rifle primer. I prefer my sidelocks nowadays.

 

[dave951]

I have 2 IAB 1863 Sharps carbines, both with the Larry Flees mod. My dad and I shoot them in Carbine class of North South Skirmish Association competition.

So what would you like to know about them?

 

[bronko220002]

Isn't this considered an unmentionable?

 

[Erwan]

Isn't this considered an unmentionable?

Why? Sharps paper cartridges: Patented Sept. 12 , 1848
- https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/forum-rules.108881/
- CLOSED - Pedersoli.54 cal 1859 sharps hunting rifle

 

[Erwan]

This is strictly a target load but if used for serious business a 75 grains of FFg, has been tried once. It is not fun to shoot. but is plenty powerful should a feral pig wander across the range.

The bigger load I used was 80 grains...
For the rest it works good (here is 13 shots at 50meters but normally I'm shooting at 100meters)
- https://cdn2.imagearchive.com/muzzleloadingforum/data/attach/93/93786-les-ba10.jpg :

 

[bronko220002]

Why? Sharps paper cartridges: Patented Sept. 12 , 1848
- https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/forum-rules.108881/
- CLOSED - Pedersoli.54 cal 1859 sharps hunting rifle

Oh sorry. Thought it was a metal cartridge breech loader in 50 cal.
Is that a falling block that cuts off the back of the paper during loading?

 

[dave951]

Oh sorry. Thought it was a metal cartridge breech loader in 50 cal.
Is that a falling block that cuts off the back of the paper during loading?

That was the original Sharps design, a linen cartridge, falling block. Raising the block clipped off the back of the cartridge exposing the powder. Ignition was via percussion cap. Only when metallic cartridges were developed with a center primer were Sharps made in that manner and quite a few of the "paper cutters" were modified to accept them.