1863 IAB Sharps... .54 ..110gr 2f...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21/Razor740/sharps.jpg)
Sorry about the poor photo..
The wife took off with the good camera...
Still working on a good load.
IAB rifle with a Pedersoli mould..two different critters
The mould is too small so I'm trying paper patching..
.548 groove and a .544 ? mould :'(
Guess I was shooting silhouettes..'cause my boolits wuz goin' thru the targit sideways... :o >:(
Razor
Beaytiful rifle Razor, should do almost any thing you want to do....except for shooting against muzzleloaders at rendezvous of course.
Cool ! I like Sharps rifles , be interesting to see how it performs when you get bugs worked out .
Hi
I have a 54 Sharps carbine from the 70s. It was imported from Sile.
I have found that a TC Maxi Ball in 54 cal works great in my Sharps . I have shot 3" 100 yd groups using home cast 54Maxi Balls. I made paper cartridges that held the bullet and powder .The paper covered the bullet . Just a long tube with both ends tied. It doesn't sound like this would work but I'm here to tell you it does. The Maxi holds a vast amt. of lube in the grooves. If your lube works well for BP you may be able to shoot a great many shots with good accuracy . Wonder lube or Bore Butter can work well here. Good luck with what you are doing .These guns can be a lot of fun.
n.h.schmidt
Once you get er sighted in I can see this rifle puttin the brakes on any Deer Type critters you come across. Pretty neat rifle.
Swamp
Thanks for the kind words fellers.
If I can get 3" at 100 yds , with my eyes, I'd be happy.
I haven't tried the Maxi-balls yet..gonna have to get some.
Me like Sharps!
Congrads on your Sharps!
Razor, are we somehow related? I went to buys 2 lbs. of Black Powder and 3 tins of CCI#11 caps...and they set um aside soI could could look around...always have some old andNew neet stuff there. Well I looked at some original M-1's and Carbines, Hammerpump Shotguns 1897 type, Lever actions and saved the favored for last...Precussion muzzle loaders...Penn. super target .45, they had them I/L guns...and low and behold this Sharps .54 paper cart. marked 1859 Armi Sport jumped up ito my hands $595 on the tag...I said self you came here to buy powder and caps. Well the dang thing yelled back to me and i aske the owner's son would he take $500 right now...Well he said yes to me and I walk around to the reloading area like Quigley himself. Heres a pic or two...
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/Smokin_Gun/11-12-08_1452.jpg)
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/Smokin_Gun/11-12-08_1454.jpg)
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/Smokin_Gun/11-12-08_1455.jpg)
SG
nice stuff guys......wildbull will trip on this thread........he wants a Sharps too.
me too.
Razor, where'd ya get them boolits? I'm lookin for some and/or a mold... diameter and weight if you please.
SG
Knock it off all ready the want its are kickin me again ;D I got 45-110's but a paper cartridge breech loader is cool !
Boolits is some I made..
Pedersoli mould ... 'near $100 :qz:
532 gr pure lead
nose = .463
top band = .527
mid band = .533
base band = .542
OAL = 1.062
Need a few ?? PM me your address....I'll send some fer you to try out..
Thanks Razor cause I was lookin' at the Pedersoli mold and boolits but in the Dixie catalog the Barrel dimesions were differant thn my Armi Sport Sharps .54...
My Lands and grooves are .535" X .550" event the T/C maxi Balls are a .002" too small...may haveto try the Lee "Real" Bullet mold...and hog it out if need be. Ordered 100 original style boolits pointed like a .308" and the tie tail on the rear. About $33 for 50 I think it was @ Track of the Wolfe.
My friend Thumper sent me ten T/C molded bullets to try the 1st one went right through the barrel...the rest stopped at the Chamber but saw daylite all around it.
If you can get or do this yourself have the rings of the mold brought out to the desired dimension...then send me some boolits:O)
SG
NEI makes moulds for them and paper patch too.
My barrel is .540 x .550 :qz:
I'm doing up some PP to try.. ::)
No wonder I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn..
Them boolits was just kinda rattlin' down the bore. :-&
I don't have the NEI assy handy but found a Sharps Boolit .560" dia. with a tie tail...should fit mine a have to call um about the mold... I ordered from Track of the Wolf .557" stepped down Sharp pointed Military Spec 100 Boolits and they ley me down and sent a cancelled order notice. What's up eith that...why advertise...they are still a good place to shop. But I was bummed, have not been cancelled before.
And thanks again Frank,
SG
You bet bud ! The NEI is a precision instrument . Excellent quality.
FrankG, Where can I get one of those molds?. I'm gonna try hoggin' out the bands on my Maxi mold, but if I screw up, I'm gonna bite the bullet and get a different mold, (specifically for an Armi Sport 54c Sharps)
http://www.neihandtools.com/ Very nice moulds .
Quote from: Razor on November 15, 2008
1863 IAB Sharps... .54 ..110gr 2f...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21/Razor740/sharps.jpg)
Sorry about the poor photo..
The wife took off with the good camera...
Still working on a good load.
IAB rifle with a Pedersoli mould..two different critters
The mould is too small so I'm trying paper patching..
.548 groove and a .544 ? mould :'(
Guess I was shooting silhouettes..'cause my boolits wuz goin' thru the targit sideways... :o >:(
Razor
OMG - I been wantin one them critters fer sum time now hdslp
That be a purdy specimen dntn dntn dntn
Razor, I would suggest check the measurin' the lands and grooves if close enought to .543"-.540" or so maybe think about a Lee (oversize) .540-415 Minnie ... I'm still lookin' for a Rapine dealer found a boolit can't buy the mold.
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/Smokin_Gun/Sharps%20RIfles/11-23-08_1849.jpg)
These are with my Armi Sport 1863 Cav Carbine .54" T/C Maxi Boolits ... they shopuld work with the Nitrated paper I made. Shown is 55gr of ffg BP. If ya pour powder from the read it holds abpout 110gr. That way too much I thinks...
70gr max. s/b jus' about right. specially usin' a 380-435gr boolit.
Revision~I found the correct boolits to fit the Armi Sport Sharps .54 Papercutter .557" x 435gr steppedSharps Bullet 70gr of FFG BP.(Track of The Wolf)
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/Smokin_Gun/Sharps%20RIfles/PHTO0018.jpg)
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/Smokin_Gun/Sharps%20RIfles/PHTO0021.jpg)
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/Smokin_Gun/Sharps%20RIfles/PHTO0022.jpg)
SG
Hey SG,
As I mentioned earlier, my bore is .540 x .550
The boolit, as cast, base band diameter is right at .542
I PP a few up to .552,
ain't tried em yet..
You run 70 gr FFG ??
Whut you usin' fer filler ??
110gr FFg sho' 'nuf fills the chamber.. dntn
Tain't nobody ever wanted to shoot her a second time noway..'cept me.. develote]
QuoteI'm still lookin' for a Rapine dealer found a boolit can't buy the mold.
Broke or jus' cain't find one ??
Lookie here...http://www.n-ssa.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=10480&sid=a71593a3cdd88b1c70cb3bb829d90dd3
I have preloaded 1, 55gr paper cart encapselating a .54 Maxi and powder... it fits, I'm gonna load 60-65gr in nitrated paper carts.
Still triangulatin' a Boolit Mold...I ain't a gonna spend a $100-$150 on somethin' that won't work for a good mold.
SG
Razor, Have you tried your Boolits yet? I slugged my barrel of the Armi Sport and came up with .a solid .548x.543. I'm takin' into concideration the paper cart and fouling. Debating on NEI .546/525gr ringtail or a Rapine .544x475 ringtail bullet. Let mre know how yours worked...
SG
Hey SG, ain't got around to tryin' 'em yet.. either armpit deep in snow or hopin' the creek don't rise too high..
All while enjoying a beaut of a cold ... snns snns
This weekend is looking kinda promising tho.. dntn
I'm gonna go review my specs and mic my pp's...get ready for Saturday
It is a booger to spend $100 fer a mould and find out IT AIN'T THE RIGHT ONE !!!!!
Is this what you mean by paper patch boolit?
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/Smokin_Gun/11-23-08_1849.jpg)
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c277/Smokin_Gun/11-23-08_1847.jpg)
That's a .540" T/C Maxi Ball wrapped in Potassium Nitrated phone book paper w/ 55gr of BP.
Would that work?
SG
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21/Razor740/Sharpsboolits001.jpg)
I PP the boolit only..Paper powder sack seperate...(ZigZag papers)
This'un is 110 gr 2f GOEX...
Packs a bit of a whollop.... devel dntn
My single wrap of .003 bond brings the dia up to .552 on the base band..
No luck shooting today..
Daughter and 3 wk old princess showed up... dntn
Granny said : "no shooting today, might wake Samantha "....
So, I told her, in no uncertain terms: noway
Ray
Razor, Any update on the paper patched bullets yet? I have a 59' Sharps carbine (Armi Sport), I haven't shot in a while cause T/C Maxi's was just plain awful for accuracy and I couldn't use it a muzzleloading shoots! I went and got a Lee full size 54cal Minnie mold and just barely get a rifling ring pushin' them through with a ramrod.....better than the T/C though. I wrapped a dozen w/ cig papers and brought up the base and side rings to approx .5432-.5453. I also took a few and punched out the hollow base a bit and they go between .5458 and .5503. Piss on the snow and the weather, tomorrow's a "Trial by fire". By the way, I free pour approx 90g fff Goex and it doesn't seem painful at all. Maybe by closing off the daylight in the grooves I might have to reassess my idea of pain LOL.
Sometimes cabin fever wins out over common sense, yesterday was such a day. Took my 59' Sharps carbine and my 2nd gen Colt 60' to do some damage in the snow. I got to my shootin' spot and figgered it was too dicey to try even with 4XD. So I chose a spot closer to the road and set my targets at 25 and 50yds. Loaded up my Sharps w/ my new Lee full sized 54cal minnie's using 3 configurations. Plain, from the mold, paper wrapped and w/ an expanded bottom ring, made by using a round punch and hammer. All w/ 90g of Goex fff. No appreciable difference in shooting at either distance with any of the bullet types. Now as to stance for shooting, I had to sit on the tailgate of my truck to shoot cause there was no ground that didn't have frozen tire tracks on it to kill my footing. Interesting, never shot sitting like that before. Minus a couple (maybe few), flyer's, both distance groups were approx 4-5". I think accuracy might have improved if I'd used lube, all bullets were dry. ALL bullet holes were perfectly round so there was no wobbling in the barrel as they went down the tube, YAY.....much better performance than the T/C maxi's I was using before!! SG, bring lot's of windex in a small squirt bottle to keep the action loose. After 4 shot's without wiping down the block and chamber face, you'll need 2 small boys and a mule to cock the lever!! Also make friends with your flash-channel-clean-out-screw, before you go shoot!! I learned that lesson the hard way years ago. I wipe the threads liberally (both the screw and the block), with "Winchester Breech Grease" which helps to get the screw out for cleaning. On to the 1860. I was trying something different this time, this gun comes up and point's better than any pistol I've ever shot, so I was trying, "instinctive shooting", no sighting, just point and shoot....very impressive!! On a target w/ sites, it shoots 3" high at 7yds, using the other method, I was moving soda can's all around at 10yds!!! Never did hit one directly, but they all got "breezed" a lot. For not taking my time and aiming I was mightly impressed!! With some, (a lot of), practice I could get pretty good at that style with this gun. After 3 cylinders, my fingers got so numb I had a hard time seating the cap's even with a capper so I called it a day. Overall, lot's of fun, choosing a better day, trying some lube and finding level ground would have improved the memory overall....but like they say, "A bad day of shootin' is better than a good day of work'!!!
Good report there Thump..
My SHARPS came to me used...real used... chamber sleeve and flash channel clean-out screw are both froze solid >:(
Guess it's drill & tap time if sumthin' breaks... hdslp
Mebbe I WON'T try the TC MAXI ...wuz kinda thinking of trying 'em..
Not much luck squeezin' shootin' time in this weekend..
Sat. all day job fair thing with my oldest Grandson and his buddy...Did get to stop at Sportsmans Wharehouse thmbsup
Planned on going to Cabelas Sun. morning, & doin' sum Sharps plinking in the PM.. ;D
HOWEVER !!!..Got woke up early by SWMBO sayin' """the furnace quit ! It's getting cold..take a look at it """ bs
Spent most the day getting that running..Got to do sum plinkin' late in the day...but wasn't in the frame of mind
to do some semi-serious testing...
NEXT Sat/Sun is MY time...I hope. &)
Razor, Good luck on the cleanout screw and I know that they sell a sleeve removal tool....Dixie maybe. I was tellin' SG, even though my Sharps was brand new, I broke 2 screwdrivers taking out the channel screw the first time. I think they hire 2 gorillas and a small mule to set those screws in place LOL!
Yeah, I got me one of them chamber sleeve pullin' tools...fer all the good it dun me &)
I soaked the breechblock fer 2 weeks in KROIL...fer all the good THAT dune me &)
Figger I'll worry about it later...