Sharps 50/70 carbine

[JMtoolman]

I went to a small show today and came home with a 50/70 Sharps carbine! Lord now the collecting of components has to start! I am going to need a set of dies, brass and a mold. Does lee make a set of dies for the 50/70? What mold is needed, and I need to get some starline brass for the old girl. The bore has a bit of pitting but nothing that would harm shooting it. It is a conversion from paper ctg. to the brass cases. This will be fun to get the old thing to shoot again. The toolman.

[ndnchf]

First thing to do is slug the bore, those conversions vary a lot. Also, take the time to remove the firing pin to clean, inspect and lubricate it. You want to make sure it moves freely. Many years ago I had one and shot it a lot. There is no need to make full power loads, it will kick like a mule. A Lee 515-450 mold will provide the classic bullet, but a Lyman 515139 will give you a lighter bullet that will be more pleasant to shoot. Starline brass is fine.

[varsity07840]

Your carbine has either 6 or 3 grooves. If it's a 6 groove, it's the original percussion .520 + groove depth that may require an oversize bullet, perhaps paper patched, for decent accuracy. If it's a 3 groove, it was relined when converted and will have a groove depth around .515. Either way slug the bore to see what's what. My carbine is a 3 groove .515. I use Lyman dies and the Lee 450/.515 mould, 70 gr Swiss 1 1/2 .030 wad and Bell or Starline brass. I don't find the recoil
a problem but if it's an issue for you, Moose Moulds makes a mould for lighter bullets for the .50
cal Smiths and Maynard's that work well in a .50-70.

Duane

[Lead pot]

Slugging the bore is a good suggestion. It might be closer to a .52 caliber.

[StrawHat]

The government specified that those carbines be sleeved if the bore was larger than .52. AS mentioned, the sleeves supplied and also used in the Springfield 1877 were .515. Slug your bore.

NOE made a hollow based boolit for the 50-70. That might be your best bet.

Kevin

[Kevin Rohrer]

I am in the same situation as am taking possession of a Garrett Sharps, which is of newer manufacture.

Expect to pay around $1.30 apiece for brass, which needs to be annealed.

The Lyman Cast Bullet manual has information, as do some reloading manuals like Lyman #49.

Handloader and Rifle articles: Handloader #147, #26, #129, #142, #81, & #202. Rifle #67 & #2.

Online sources:

http://www.riflemagazine.com/magazin...ri2partial.pdf

http://www.singleshotexchange.com/ha...-70-for-a.html

http://www.starlinebrass.com/articles/45-70-Government/

https://www.riflemagazine.com/magazi...d=18&tocid=220

[Freightman]

I have a 50-70 M66 Trapdoor with a .516 groves I use the .515 450 gr Lee boolit I use BP only and do not size the brass or the boolits works just fine. No Lee doesn't make dies Lyman or RCBS

[griffiga]

I have played around with the .50-70 for 3 decades and will attach a link to an article I wrote some time ago about my experiences.
http://www.quarterbore.com/library/articles/5070.html

[Kevin Rohrer]

EXCELLENT article.

I got the Garrett and am attempting to slug the barrel. Does anyone have any idea how to measure the slug when the barrel only has 3-grooves? I can't seem to get the calipers to measure 2-grooves.

[bob208]

take it to a machine shop that has a optical comparer. they can measure it for you. there is also a special micrometer.

[flint45]

I have had real good luck with the Lee 515-500f great results black and smokeless.Black powder is the most fun I like ffg the best.

[Kevin Rohrer]

Apparently there is a way to easily measure a three groove barrel slug:

http://forums.thecmp.org/archive/index.php/t-3255.html

[John in PA]

Careful of the headspace on the Garret .50-70's. I got two of them back in the early '80's when they came out. First one had excess headspace, sent that one back, and the replacement had the same. I sent that one back too. They told me I was too fussy and gave me a refund. I gave up on them at that point.

[Lead pot]

This is about as good as any if you don't have a V anvil micrometer. This is also in my old Lyman manual. and the hand Loader's 6th addition. You can also use a thin 002" feeler guage blade and wrap it tight around the bullet and pinch the ends so it's tight and subtract the blade thickness X2.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/reloadi...s-measure.html

[Kevin Rohrer]

This is about as good as any if you don't have a V anvil micrometer. This is also in my old Lyman manual. and the hand Loader's 6th addition. You can also use a thin 002" feeler guage blade and wrap it tight around the bullet and pinch the ends so it's tight and subtract the blade thickness X2.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/reloadi...s-measure.html

That is what I did today. Came up with a diameter of .512.

[Kevin Rohrer]

Careful of the headspace on the Garret .50-70's. I got two of them back in the early '80's when they came out. First one had excess headspace, sent that one back, and the replacement had the same. I sent that one back too. They told me I was too fussy and gave me a refund. I gave up on them at that point.

So you are saying that there is too much clearance between the falling block and the case base?