Smith Carbines?

[Carbon 6]

$7995.00

Trinidad State Junior College in Colorado also offers an undergraduate certificate in gunsmithing which is designed to be completed in 60 weeks. For the entire program, the cost of tuition and fees is $6,617 and$4,000 for books and supplies.

This might be a better investment.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

$7995.00

I see. Seems more than a fair price for a handmade custom rifle.

 

[dave951]

I've shot Smiths in NSSA competition. One is a Pietta and one Navy Arms. My Navy Arms was one with the goofy rifling issue but has since been corrected by Hoyt. Both shoot reasonably well, like about 2in at 50yds. That's so so in my book as my Sharps will make a ragged hole at that distance. But the original question was Smiths. You can get some nylon cartridge cases and they work ok with reduced loads. There are also some brass ones available. Problem with the brass ones, you are limited to strictly .515 bullets unless you machine them a bit for larger bullets. Many of the repops also shoot .518 bullets better than the .515. Don't get wrapped up in trying to shoot heavy loads in these guns as the locking mechanism isn't the strongest.

 

[Eras Gone]

I shoot a Smith and I favor it over my Garrett Sharps for general shooting and NSSA competition. Mine has had the barrel relined by Bobby Hoyt, but only because the previous reenactor owner had not been very kind to the rifling. For NSSA I use the black nylon cases or the new red rubber ones. Both work great with about a 30 grain target load. I'm working on making copies of the Poultney Patent Smith Cartridge, just for historical reasons. It should be able to hold the original 52 grain service charge.

Here is a video I did on shooting our historically correct Smith bullet.

 

[olddoggy2]

Anyone else shooting a Smith?

Yes sir, and love it, put 50 rounds down range yesterday, one of my favorites.

 

[smoothshooter]

Anyone else shooting a Smith?

I have a Pietta I bought several years ago. Have not shot it for 3 or four years. Need to correct that problem.
They are good guns, and I can recommend them.
You have to decide if you want the Cavalry or Infantry model. The Cavalry model has a saddle ring on the left side of the receiver. The other one has sling swivels in the barrel and buttstock.
I have the Infantry model, and kinda wish I had gotten the Cavalry one.

 

[Oldhickory]

I purchased a Pietta Smith Carbine from Dixie Gun works back in 2012, and love shooting it.
No problems or surprises. The only surprise I found in shooting was that it shot a paper patched round ball. 500 more accurately than my .515 RCBS cast bullet. This replica has a slow 1 turn in 60 twist, and as we know that is a better round ball rifling than anything else. Paper patched round balls are cheap, easy to make, and load into the black cartridges.

 

[Leatherbark]

If you're interested in hunting with a Smith Carbine the rubber cartridges hold very little powder. Somewhere around 35 grains. The brass ones hold even less. I've read that you can bore out the rubber cases with a end mill bit and get a little more powder in.

Bob

 

[dave951]

If you're interested in hunting with a Smith Carbine the rubber cartridges hold very little powder. Somewhere around 35 grains. The brass ones hold even less. I've read that you can bore out the rubber cases with a end mill bit and get a little more powder in.

Bob

I know of several folks in the NSSA who hunt with the exact same load they compete with. If you're hunting deer, a 325gr soft lead boolit trucking along at about 1k fps will work fine inside a hundred yards. You don't need huge powder charges, especially if it degrades accuracy.

 

[Oldhickory]

I can get 40 grains of black powder into a black plastic cartridge by using a paper patched round ball. Accuracy is much better with my slow twist factory barrel. I am not sure what twist Bobby Hoyt puts into his barrel liners.

 

[dave951]

I had one of my Smiths relined by Hoyt. He has a couple of twist rates available. You'll have to talk directly with him.

Depending on what bullets you're using will directly affect the amount of powder you can get into the black plastic case. Again, best accuracy isn't with the larger loads nor are large loads needed to kill deer. Think of it this way, a 44mag with standard 240gr bullet is doing about 1100fps out of a 6in barrel. Is it good enough for deer? If so, then why not a Smith with a 375gr bullet doing 1k fps? Bullet is 135gr heavier and it's out of longer barrel with better sighting radius. Point is, don't get hung up on the "more powder is better" thing. Far better to be able to hit what you're aiming at each and every time.

 

[dave951]

Just another way to think about the "anemic" 27gr loads we shoot, a couple months back, a fellow shooter at our range suggested shooting the plate rack at 30yds with my Smith. With a 375gr bullet and 27gr of 3f, I shot and hit a plate and was amazed to see it still up even when I distinctly heard the hit. Did it again but this time my friend was standing off to the side a bit where he saw the Smith smack the plate down so hard it bounced back upright. So I'm pretty sure there isn't a deer walking the planet today who could shrug off a hit from my Smith.

 

[smoothshooter]

If you're interested in hunting with a Smith Carbine the rubber cartridges hold very little powder. Somewhere around 35 grains. The brass ones hold even less. I've read that you can bore out the rubber cases with a end mill bit and get a little more powder in.

Bob

Why not machine out the brass cases?