paper cartridge question..

[Razor]

I hope this is the right forum for this question...

I have an IAB 1863 Sharps rifle on the way...

I'm looking for a source of nitrate papers..
(Besides the $66 kit :shock: fer 100 papers)
or saltpeter ..or substitute/alternative.?

Any info or input greatly appreciated....


TIA

Razor:castmine:

[jhrosier]

When I had my Sharps, I made cartridges from wide cigarette papers.
The worked just fine and burned completely without any further treatment.

Jack

[Razor]

Thanks Jack,
I'll give it a shot ! :Fire:(pun intended):-D


Razor:castmine:

[Etienne Brule]

I hope this is the right forum for this question...

I have an IAB 1863 Sharps rifle on the way...

I'm looking for a source of nitrate papers..
(Besides the $66 kit :shock: fer 100 papers)
or saltpeter ..or substitute/alternative.?

Any info or input greatly appreciated....


TIA

Razor:castmine:

Hi

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/2,54.html

Etienne Brûlé

[Hip's Ax]

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=8218

[NickSS]

I make my own nitrated paper out of 100% cotton bond paper the thinest I can find. I have a pan that the paper fits into in 8.5X11 inch sheets and I bought some fiberglass screaning and cut it into the same size. I make up a solution of hot water and ground up stump burner (you can buy it in most garden centers (it's mostly potasium nitrate (saltpeater))). Desolve as much of this as you can into the water and then add a screan, then paper, then screan, and etc until the pan is near full. Let the paper soak for about 10 to 15 minutes. Take it out and let it air dry. You then can cut it into strips to make cartridges. I have tried three different methods to make cartridges. First method is to make a tube and tie it to the ringtail base of a sharps ringtail bullet, put powder in and twist and fold the end over to make a pig tail. This cartridge is pushed into the chamber and the end is sheared off by the block as it closes. Second method is to make a paper cylinder and fold one end over and glue closed, add powder and twist and fold the other end over. To load you push the bullet into the chamber with a piece of dowl and then put the cartridge in. Again the breach block will shear the tail off when you close it. The third method is to make a chamber length cartridge that does not require cutting off of the tail. This is done by makeing a paper cylinder of the proper length arond a forming stick of slightly larger diameter than you bullet (maybe .001 inch). After the glue holding the paper in a cylynder dries push a 1 inch square piece of tissue paper into one end using a smaller diameter dowel stick (I use 1/2 inch dia). Before the tissue gets to the far end I wipe a bit of water glue with a small brush on the inside then seat the tissue so its flat with the end of the cartridge. squeeze the end so that the glue adhears to the tissue and pull the dowel out. When all the glue is dry pour in your powder and then seat a naked bullet in the open end. The paper should only cover the rear driving band of the bullet. I put some stick glue on the bullet base band). I lube the bullet after the glue is dry by dipping the cartrige nose first into melted lube. The third method is the most difficult but also produces the most accurate of the cartridges I have tried.

One last thing buy some coper neverseeze and put it oround the opening where the gas seal fits into the breach block, on your breach block clean out screw and your nipple threads. In addition if your chamber insert is loose enough to come out (partially) make sure you put neverseeze on the outside of the sleeve before you push it into the chamber. This is important so that it is easy to pull it out and clean every time you fire the gun. Always disassember the gas seal from the breach block clean completely and reassember with freash neverseeze. It took me three years of searching to learn this and I am giving to you for free. So pay attention and your shooting fun will be a lot more fun.

[Razor]

Thanks to all for your responses..:-D


NickSS..
Thanks
This is great stuff...:-D
Exactly what I was looking for..

I had heard of the of the chamber insert and tried to take it out last night..
Evidently one of the previous owners wasn't aware of it..:roll:
That sucker is STUCK !!
It's soaking in Kroil right now .

There is a small local gun show tomorrow that I'm gonna hit, see what kind of "Sharps" treasures I can find...

Copper Neversieze huh ??


Razor:castmine:

[AllanD]

I've always wanted to try Magician's flash paper.

It seems ideal for the purpose...



AD

[freedom475]

I have never used the copper neverseize.....sure it works fine...I use "BoreButter in its place and have great success.

I've had my Sharps for 20years now and it took a LOT of hours cleaning and applying every gun grease and oil I could find to try and combat the rust until I discovered "Bore Butter"....Now it is all that I ever use on the rifle for cleaning, lubricating,and storing. NO petrolium EVER. A large caliber "Bore Snake" cleaning rope is very handy.

I forgot and left the rifle uncleaned for almost a year[smilie=1:......pulled a Boresnake through it and a bunch of "ash-feathers came out in a big cloud of dust....The bore was Shiny clean, the gas seal was still greased up nicely and was still free floating thanks to the "Bore Butter. The nipple was the same way. There is not ANY rust on the rifle.......Try that with gun oil and see what happens:mrgreen:......even on a totally clean BP you can wipe the outside of the gun after a month and see that you have rust forming, this is not so with "Bore Butter"

Hope this helps...keep us posted:Fire:

[Razor]

Still haven't shot my Sharps...:-(
I'm still Trying to get the chamber insert/gas seal freed up..[smilie=b:
Kinda leery of shooting it without a moving/operable seal.
I located a .54 Minie mould and cast up 50 rds w/ Lyman 2 alloy and 50 in pure lead..
I picked some Bore butter,Zig-Zags, musket caps and 2 lbs of FFG...
A friend suggested shooting a round or two may assist in loosening the insert..
I may give that a try..
This delay is KILLING me....AARRGGH !!!


Razor
:castmine:

[freedom475]

I'm a little embaressed to say that until this thread I had no idea that the sleeve would move.[smilie=1: I found this little tool for removeing it at Dixie http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=2718

Of course it's way out on back-order, but it gives an idea of how to make one.

I've always just kept the gas seal in the falling block portion free with plenty of "Bore Butter" and haven't had much trouble. I have had a few "tie-ups after fireing but nothing to serious. I'm going to try and make something to try and move my sleeve and I'll let you know if I come up with something that works. Also thought of trying a little rubber drumb-sander insert for removeing the sleeve. Or a wood dowel with an expansion wedge in it like a hammer handle.

I'm not going to hold my breath though because I've had the sharps for 20years and was not the first owner.

For nitrated paper I've used just plain lined tablet paper but have had the best luck with "high grade" cotton typeing paper. Nitrated works the best but is not always available and it's expensive. I did find Patasium Nitrate on Ebay for pretty cheap and am going to order some to try and make my own papers.

[Razor]

I fired up my Sharps last Sunday...:Fire::mrgreen::mrgreen:
What a blast !!
Awesome Ka-boooom !
Great cloud of lovely grey smoke...
Shore ain't no pop gun !
Didn't kick as fierce as I was halfways fearful of..
.54 w/90gr ffg...a 54-90 ??[smilie=1:
I rolled two types of ammo. one consisting of separate boolit and powder ctg.
One of boolit and powder in the same ctg..
Never tried for accuracy, just wanted to blast and see what was what..:twisted:
Genuine TOP papers..Seemed to work jus' fine..
$1.09 vs $33... (AAY Ole.. what do ya s'pose? )
The wife is somewhat into making her own paper, so... I got to thinking..(can be hazardous sometimes) about a sodium nitrate solution with the paper fibers suspended in that versus the water..ought to burn up right fine ???
I been wondering about making my own sleeve puller also..I hadn't thought about that dremel drum sander thing... hmmm.???
Here's another place for the sleeve puller...
http://www.taylorsfirearms.com/products/detail-accessories.tpl?subcategory=Sharps%20Accessories


Razor
:castmine:

[Bigjohn]

G'day from downunder, I had a paper cartridge "Armi Jager" version of the 'SHARPS' until about 1993 when I sold it off (I know, my mistake and I will regret it).

The sleeve in mine was stuck when I bought it and I did not know any better and the mating plkate in the breechblock was also very hard to move as well. I tried some minor polishing on that to make it move but did nothing to the sleeve.

From what I am seeing in the 'PEDERSOLI' videos which came with the two latest purchases of their brand, the sleeve will not come all the way out to the rear unless you remove the barrel from the action. This stops it from being lost during loading or cleaning. PEDERSOLI sell a tool for adjusting or freeing the sleeve.
This is a split sleeve which has two springs in grooves at each end; inside the sleeve is a tapered cone which is thread on to the end of the rod.

When you turn the handle this cone is pulled further into the sleeve causing it to expand and grip the chamber sleeve, help you to move it for cleaning and adjustment. The video shows this sleeve being moved using only a finger.

All this is difficult for me to describe but the video is clearer about it.

I will see if I can find a link to this item on the Pedersoli website.

John.

[Bigjohn]

http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/img/Accessories/USA%20500.jpg

IT WORKED! A picture paints a thousand words.

John.

[Razor]

G'day Bigjohn

Thanks..good link...Looks like it will work good..

Razor