load for SHARPS.

[toot]

how much powder, loose do you use in a Sharps? seems that years ago, I would put in 35 or 40 grs of 2FG. black. does that sound about rite? please let me know?

[LAGS]

Wouldn't that depend on the caliber and projectile ?

[Ragnarok]

.54 paper cartridge gun?

If it's like my IAB Sharps it could hold 100 plus grains behind a bullet!! However the manual that came with it says max load is 80gr 2F...no recommendation for a bullet size or weight.

I make a simple nitrated paper cartridge with 60 to 70gr 2F depending on the bullet. The old black powder guide lists original service loads for the Sharps at 60gr 3F behind a .520" to .555" 'ball'(bullet presumably)

[trebor44]

Lyman loading manuals have data for both smokeless and BP. No air space with the BP is a good thing. Loads of load data is out there in hardcopy form.

[toot]

I want to shoot a .545 DIA, 455 grain pointed bullet.no paper, just loose powder pounded in the chamber behind the bullet.on the CIVIL WAR SITES, that is the way they recommended how to load it. with any where between 35 and 45 grs. of 2FG. I am asking if any one has tries it? and the SHARPS is the only gun that will not explode with an air space in the camber between the bullet and breach face. in other words not a full chamber.

[Ragnarok]

Drop a bullet in and pour in powder...like I said...mine would hold in excess of 100 grains for a full chamber and I did NOT shoot that. I just make cartridges.

My guess is you will have really poor ignition without some method of keeping the powder close to the breech.

As far as a paper cutter Sharps being the only gun you cannot blow up with air space in the load....I have no idea about that really. The barrel on mine isn't super thick or anything(just Italian steel) However I try to stick as close as possible to normal black powder safety rules. But then it's hard to get a tight load in a percussion Sharps breech loader. Simple nitrated paper tube cartridge with a lubed slug fills the chamber pretty close with 60-70 gr powder. And you can unload the gun without powder getting everywhere....

[toot]

with a load of 35-45, GRAINS, to get ignition you will before shooting tip the barell up in the air to get the powder to go against the face of the inner cone.that is how you get positive ignition.

[Fly]

I use 50 grains of 3fffg for target shooting 100 yards or less. Be on that I shoot 60 to 70 grains 3fffg. In that short of barrel more than that powder just makes it louder

Fly

[Nobade]

Standard load in a .52 was around 60 grains. That's what I use in my Shiloh, it leaves plenty of air space but shoots well and tracks to the sights. I recommend using 2f powder, 3f is known to cut up the gas check.

[varsity07840]

Lyman loading manuals have data for both smokeless and BP. No air space with the BP is a good thing. Loads of load data is out there in hardcopy form.
I believe he's talking about a percussion Sharps.

[toot]

yes percussion SHARPS, thank you, varsity07840, I will try and ask again, does any one shoot a load of 35 to 45, grains, loose dumped in, as the guys in the NORTH SOUTH SKIRMISHERS SHOOTS, do?

[Nobade]

That works for skirmishes where you're on the clock and only shooting to 50 yards, nothing wrong with it if that's what you're doing. But for normal use and longer ranges the standard charge works better. You can also certainly use inert filler to take up the space if you like. It should help with accuracy, just slows down the loading a bit.

[dave951]

One big thing that isn't being mentioned is that Sharps, now as in the past, have actual bore diameters that vary widely. IAB are known for being on the "larger" side. Both of mine use .555 boolits. Shilohs, C Sharps, and Pedersolis often use a smaller one. Don't think you're going to get any kind of accuracy without taking that into account. Next, Civil War websites, while often decent sources to find info are abysmal when it comes to actual shooting information unless the person posting is an active black powder shooter interested in accuracy on target rather than historic. Reenactors are notoriously bad sources of info for shooting black powder for accuracy. They like blanks and blanks don't put holes in the 10 ring.

I shoot an IAB in competition. I use Charlie's Tubes with a .555 boolit, and 44g 3f Old E. While the charge is not "loose powder", it doesn't even begin to fill the chamber. It is possible to shoot a Sharps with breech seating a boolit and then pouring in a charge. If you go that route, keep it to sane levels like 40-60g.

[toot]

I shoot .530 DIA. SHARPS bullets not a RB, in my IAB,MFG SHARPS, ITALIAN 54 CAL. one.

[Ragnarok]

Yep....My IAB is closer to .56 caliber than it is to .54 caliber. I slugged it at .555"/.556" makes bullet choices scarce.

The best advice I've received about shooting percussion Sharps rifles is to use real black powder and to fill the breech block cavity with grease(I use my home brew 'Emmert's lube'). I had tried pyrodex and triple 7 with constant poor ignition issues...real black powder fixed that issue. Filling the block cavity with grease keeps my gun working shot after shot. Before I got that advice I could get maybe 10 shots before the breech got too tight to open. With a block loaded with thick Emmert's lube it will work fine for many many shots. I have no idea why the first shot doesn't just blow all the grease out the barrel...but it doesn't. Even after twenty or thirty shots the breech opens easy and there is still a lot of grease in the cavity.

[toot]

Ragnarok, with the grease in the block cavity, just where do you place it> I have heard guys saying to use RED WATER PUMP GREASE. and may I ask where does one get Emmert's LUBE? toot.

[toot]

Ragnarok, and yes I have a severe freeze up after how ever many shots? don't count them. It is even a bugger to get it apart.

[jaegerstutzen]

There are two people in the NSSA that perform some sort of o ring mod. It is said that they can shoot a whole match w/o cleaning. Last time I was in Atlanta I put a virtually new Pedersoli carbine on lay a way. Now paid off. I won't be going back before Nov. to get it. Since then I have read about the siezing problem and the flash channel making 2 right angle turns. I am so turned off I will be selling it as soon as I can after I get it. The mod is around $250 with Postage and insurance both ways. Worth it to some but pushing 70 I am shying away from projects. Hope I am not to far off topic on this one, Jaeger

[Ragnarok]

Ragnarok, with the grease in the block cavity, just where do you place it> I have heard guys saying to use RED WATER PUMP GREASE. and may I ask where does one get Emmert's LUBE? toot.

Emmert's lube is home made stuff....should be a formula in the boolit lube section. It's beeswax, salt free crisco, and I used rancid canola oil. My lube is mixed thick with more wax than the normal formula mix.

I just remove the block and block the flash-hole with a toothpick so melted lube doesn't get in there. Melt a small amount of lube and pour it in the block/obturating plate cavity until it's flush/full.

I will say that I did a simple O' ring job on mine...which simply consisted of cleaning up the IAB obturating plate bottom a bit with a big flat file and fitting a really skinny o' ring in the block cavity that the plate sets on....to thick and you can't get the block back in the gun...I used a John Deere air conditioning o'ring and poured the block full of lube with the o'ring and plate in place. Seems like the solidified lube keeps the skinny o'ring in place and you can feel the o'ring keeping some tension on the plate/breech-face. The 'Hahn o'ring job' drastically simplified.

I put the o'ring in at the same time I filled the breech cavity with grease...so I cannot tell you just how effective it is. I bet you could just put grease/lube in the block and get same/similar results.

I have not tried any other grease besides the Emmert's lube(thick, lots of wax)....I still don't understand why 60 or 70gr BP doesn't just blow all the lube out the barrel first shot?....However it doesn't and even after 20 or 30 shots there will still be lots of lube left in my breech block. I imagine thinner grease may disappear quicker/less shots.

[dave951]

You don't HAVE to have the mod. It's very advisable if you're competing with it as it ensures function. A nonfunctional gun on the line in a match is a quick trip to the bottom of the score list. If you're just casually plinking, it's not necessary, just get the Sharps, keep the block cavity nearly full of grease and enjoy. You should be able to get 10-20 shots before it becomes an issue. The other thing about the ignition flash channel, ALWAYS use the best caps you can get. At the moment, that's probably going to be RWS. Forget the CCI reenactor garbage unless you just like getting disappointed.

BOTH of my IABs have the mod and target sights. BOTH can go 100+ with no issues and I do shoot them in N-SSA competition.

[Woodnbow]

There are two people in the NSSA that perform some sort of o ring mod. It is said that they can shoot a whole match w/o cleaning. Last time I was in Atlanta I put a virtually new Pedersoli carbine on lay a way. Now paid off. I won't be going back before Nov. to get it. Since then I have read about the siezing problem and the flash channel making 2 right angle turns. I am so turned off I will be selling it as soon as I can after I get it. The mod is around $250 with Postage and insurance both ways. Worth it to some but pushing 70 I am shying away from projects. Hope I am not to far off topic on this one, Jaeger
As Dave pointed out, you don’t have to do the mod... load the cavity with a grease and beeswax compound and bang away. Cleaning up when needed.

[varsity07840]

Charlie Hahn did my Pedersoli Sporter. Worth every penny to me and I don't compete. I also use his cardboard tubes. The rifle is zeroed at 100 yds and I use 60 gr of 2F Swiss and a Lee Xmas tree bullet sized .544. It has a tang sight.

[toot]

mabie the inerecia of firing forces it to the rear of the breach? thanks for the reply.

[toot]

I also use his tubes also. but I just thought that I would like to use loose powder, just pour and go! no preparation before hand.

[Ragnarok]

mabie the inerecia of firing forces it to the rear of the breach? thanks for the reply.

I think the grease works by virtue of instead of squirting dry burned BP soot out the breech and locking everything up in a few shots....the grease gets pushed out instead.

My best guess is that in some government warehouse there is an army ordinance archived document ordering Sharps equipped troops to pack the breech cavity with grease and wax....probably stored right next to the lost arc of the covenant and the holy grail

[carbine]

Toot, the N-SSA site recommended using Charlie Hahn's tubes. I believe you want to use loose powder

[Nobade]

I've never tried this trick with the grease. Have to remember to do it next time out.
One thing I learned with the Pedersoli was to spray it down with aerosol canola oil when it got sticky. That kept it running for some time and made for much easier disassembly afterward.