Some information for those interested in buying the 1859 Sharps (Be it from Chiappa or Pedersoli)

[LeadShark]

Just wanted to make this post for those interested in buying and shooting the 1859 Sharps from Chiappa or Pedersoli to prevent them from making a possible purchase they regret.

They have changed the breech block to be better suited for the brass loading tubes. Shooting paper cartridges with these breech blocks is now a pain. In the case of Pedersoli, there is nothing that can really be done. Chiappa didn't completely change the block, they did however change the gas plate. So if you can find a plate that was constructed in the original way, shooting paper cartridges will still be possible with the system doing what it is intended to do.

The Sharps always starts leaking at a certain time during shooting. Mine for example doesn't leak at first but starts to the more gunked up the plate gets. This is normal. The originals weren't completely gas tight either. It has never burned my arms.

The new breech block however, will make sure that your Sharps will ALWAYS leak. Where originally the gas would expand and push the plate forward, it will now push the plate back onto the breech block. The result: No gas seal can be achieved at any level. I also believe that it gunks up way worse and more goo and fouling will get into every part of your rifle.

Why did Pedersoli do this? Simple. Because a lot of Sharps-Shooters prefer brass tubes nowadays. I personally don't and I also believe the brass tubes will ruin your breech block over time. But there are people that do. Chiappa naturally decided to follow suit.

Will Pedersoli or Chiappa ever change this: No.

My advice if you want a percussion Sharps (that fires paper cartridges): Palmetto/Garret or Shiloh. Maybe the old Chiappa manufacture if you can find it. Even if it is more expensive, you will get a rifle that you are more satisfied with. I personally shoot a Palmetto. It didn't need any work done to have 100% ignition.

Hope this helps those that didn't know about it to not make a purchase they later regret.

 

[Nobade]

Wow, that's good to know. I used to have a Pedersoli and traded it for an old Shiloh which works much better. Now that Shiloh in Montana has just resumed producing them I don't see any reason to get anything else especially with the changes you mention.

 

[Crow-Feather]

I had a Chiappa and it came with a 56 caliber barrel. Had to get the barrel relined. I also had two blocks for the rifle, one for brass or cardboard tube and one for paper. Never used the paper block. The cardboard tubes with 50 grain of 2f worked so well that I was getting 1 to 1 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards. I had no leakage with the Hans device with paper, cardboard, or brass.

 

[Crow-Feather]

Just wanted to make this post for those interested in buying and shooting the 1859 Sharps from Chiappa or Pedersoli to prevent them from making a possible purchase they regret.

They have changed the breech block to be better suited for the brass loading tubes. Shooting paper cartridges with these breech blocks is now a pain. In the case of Pedersoli, there is nothing that can really be done. Chiappa didn't completely change the block, they did however change the gas plate. So if you can find a plate that was constructed in the original way, shooting paper cartridges will still be possible with the system doing what it is intended to do.

The Sharps always starts leaking at a certain time during shooting. Mine for example doesn't leak at first but starts to the more gunked up the plate gets. This is normal. The originals weren't completely gas tight either. It has never burned my arms.

The new breech block however, will make sure that your Sharps will ALWAYS leak. Where originally the gas would expand and push the plate forward, it will now push the plate back onto the breech block. The result: No gas seal can be achieved at any level. I also believe that it gunks up way worse and more goo and fouling will get into every part of your rifle.

Why did Pedersoli do this? Simple. Because a lot of Sharps-Shooters prefer brass tubes nowadays. I personally don't and I also believe the brass tubes will ruin your breech block over time. But there are people that do. Chiappa naturally decided to follow suit.

Will Pedersoli or Chiappa ever change this: No.

My advice if you want a percussion Sharps (that fires paper cartridges): Palmetto/Garret or Shiloh. Maybe the old Chiappa manufacture if you can find it. Even if it is more expensive, you will get a rifle that you are more satisfied with. I personally shoot a Palmetto. It didn't need any work done to have 100% ignition.

Hope this helps those that didn't know about it to not make a purchase they later regret.

The old Chiappa was 56 caliber

 

[ghostdncr]

That's seriously helpful info, and thanks for sharing it!

I've never owned a '59 Sharps, preferring instead the '74. I've never owned a Sharps in one of the "mainstream" calibers because making ammo for them seems to be such a big part of the overall experience. Also, the oddball chamberings can often be found cheaper than rifles in the more common and currently available calibers. It just seems odd to me that someone would buy a design like the '59 and then NOT want to make their own paper cartridges! I'm not trying to judge anybody that wants to fool with the brass tubes, just sharing my thoughts on it...

 

[LeadShark]

I still think shooting the Sharps is one of the most enjoyable things out there. It's just such a cool rifle with such cool history. It is a shame that the repros are the way they are now.

Sadly, nothing we can do. As I said: Pedersoli and Chiappa will probably never go back.

Brass tubes damage the breech block and cause more of a gas leak than paper cartridges ever would. To each their own, but the gun was designed to use paper cartridges. To me it is a bit akin to shooting a matchlock with electronic ignition.

 

[Whughett]

Makes my old Burnside all the more attractive.

 

[LeadShark]

Makes my old Burnside all the more attractive.

At the moment, if you want to buy any percussion breech loading carbines, go with everything but the Sharps (except if it is from Shiloh).

Not much choice if you want a percussion breech loading full length rifle.

 

[Whughett]

Almost hit the buy button on a new Pietta Smith at EMF. At $1300 my sphincter started to spasm.

 

[brushblind]

Then you get another slap in the face when you finally find the brass tubes @ around 7 bucks apiece and they don't hold much powder! If you were a machinist you could make them cheaper!

 

[dave951]

Not a problem if you have the Hahn or Flees mod done. Both work.

 

[LeadShark]

Not a problem if you have the Hahn or Flees mod done. Both work.

This is true for those located in the U.S. . We Europeans sadly gotta eat flies. What I would give to have one of these in Europe.

And even then: You shouldn't have to pay more money on top of what you spend on the gun just to get it shooting in my opinion. A new Pedersoli alone will cost you around 1700$.

That's why I am saying, for those who don't wanna go that route, go with any other percussion breech loader (except Hall conversions).

Then you get another slap in the face when you finally find the brass tubes @ around 7 bucks apiece and they don't hold much powder! If you were a machinist you could make them cheaper!

Do not shoot brass tubes.

 

[F.G. Ford]

I have had an IAB Sharps for a couple of years now, and it has proven it's self over and over again without any issues.
The barrel does have a .54 cal. stamping on it, but really does shoot a .562 ball much better.
At seventy five yards with the peep sights, I can keep all shots touching.....very impressive.
It is a a bit more tedious shooting than my 45-70 Sharps, but that is the fun in shooting a paper cartridge.
To keep it shooting well, I swab between shots, that also keeps the breech block from freezing up.
I'm sure the swabbing between shots also help in shooting the tight group.

 

[dave951]

This is true for those located in the U.S. . We Europeans sadly gotta eat flies. What I would give to have one of these in Europe.

And even then: You shouldn't have to pay more money on top of what you spend on the gun just to get it shooting in my opinion. A new Pedersoli alone will cost you around 1700$.

Well at what we colonials call a "gun show" I bought both my IABs for less than the cost of one new Pedersoli. In fact, even when I include the cost of the Flees mod to both my IABs, I'm still in for less than a new Pedersoli. In fact, so much so that I could have bought a case of Swiss and 5k caps and still had enough change to take my Finance Minister out for a great evening on the town.

Don't get hung up on buying new stuff. Sometimes lightly used with some TLC is a far better deal.

I have had an IAB Sharps for a couple of years now, and it has proven it's self over and over again without any issues.
The barrel does have a .54 cal. stamping on it, but really does shoot a .562 ball much better.

I have two IAB 1863 Sharps carbines, both have the Flees mod. Both are marked .54 on the barrel but true to the way of the repop, they just can't get the idea of caliber sorted. Both my IABs measure .550 but they will shoot.

 

[F.G. Ford]

Well at what we colonials call a "gun show" I bought both my IABs for less than the cost of one new Pedersoli. In fact, even when I include the cost of the Flees mod to both my IABs, I'm still in for less than a new Pedersoli. In fact, so much so that I could have bought a case of Swiss and 5k caps and still had enough change to take my Finance Minister out for a great evening on the town.

Don't get hung up on buying new stuff. Sometimes lightly used with some TLC is a far better deal.


I have two IAB 1863 Sharps carbines, both have the Flees mod. Both are marked .54 on the barrel but true to the way of the repop, they just can't get the idea of caliber sorted. Both my IABs measure .550 but they will shoot.

View attachment 101294

Looking at the above, kind of paints a better picture on the quality of IAB guns, and the poor information posted from time to time.
Also gives a Pedersoli a run for it's money.
Fred

 

[dave951]

Looking at the above, kind of paints a better picture on the quality of IAB guns, and the poor information posted from time to time.
Also gives a Pedersoli a run for it's money.
Fred

On IAB quality- their barrels are usually pretty good if not exactly the correct caliber and that goes only for percussion arms. Their cartridge guns suffer from a wide range of issues. Not only can IAB not get the caliber right, they don't seem to grasp the idea of a properly cut chamber for a cartridge gun. If there's a way for a chamber to be cut wrong, I'm pretty sure IAB has done it at some time. With that in mind, I wouldn't shy away from an IAB percussion Sharps, just know that spares might be problematic. If something breaks, an original IAB part may not be around. Good news here is that most original Sharps or Pedersoli can be "massaged" to work.

 

[F.G. Ford]

On IAB quality- their barrels are usually pretty good if not exactly the correct caliber and that goes only for percussion arms. Their cartridge guns suffer from a wide range of issues. Not only can IAB not get the caliber right, they don't seem to grasp the idea of a properly cut chamber for a cartridge gun. If there's a way for a chamber to be cut wrong, I'm pretty sure IAB has done it at some time. With that in mind, I wouldn't shy away from an IAB percussion Sharps, just know that spares might be problematic. If something breaks, an original IAB part may not be around. Good news here is that most original Sharps or Pedersoli can be "massaged" to work.

The only you will break a part is to take a hammer to it!
There is better steel in the IAB guns than the originals, and many of those are still in use.

 

[wb78963]

Not a problem if you have the Hahn or Flees mod done. Both work.

My Pedersoli carbine with the Hahn conversion is good for 40+ rounds with a spritz of PAM canola oil at the 35 mark.
I quit at 40 because there was nothing left to prove and i ran out of loaded tubes..
Bunk

 

[Mangonboat]

I'm the new owner via inheritance of a Farmingdale New Shiloh 1863 Sharps infantry rifle with a 3-digit SN that's been fired less than 10 times with paper cartriges. My Dad liked the fact that it was a Shiloh because we used to live near and do a lot of hiking at the Shiloh Battlefield in SW Tennessee. After firing it a few times he set it aside in the gun safe for 45 years because the hunting reg's prohibited breech loading BP for a couple decades and by then he was BP hunting with a scoped Hawken. I have no interest in brass tubes but I am curious as to any experience folks have had with simply loading the breech with the bullet and powder (no paper cartridge) or with the cartridges made from sandwich wrap or rolling papers rather than nitrated paper.

 

[Dude]

Please explain why you feel the brass cartridges are more damaging to the Pedersoli 1859 than paper cartridges? What's the logic or data that leads you to that conclusion?