Opinions sought on altering/rebarreling Pedersoli Sharps

[tnlonghunter]

So, here's the deal. I've had a Pedersoli .45-70 Sharps Silhouette rifle for a while, and I really enjoy it. Also, my state just this year opened up deer hunting to include straight-wall rifle cartridges (before, it was shotgun or ML only). Thing is, this rifle weighs 11 pounds. Not exactly the greatest thing for carrying through the woods for a day. It's got a 30" barrel, and I've put the Lee Shaver Economy Soule sights on it. Just recently, my dad gave me his CPA Silhouette rifle in .40-65Win (long story including aging, stroke, dementia, and selling the family land in TN). It's got a Badger barrel, MVA sights - the works. So, I'll be working up loads for it shortly (Dad never did really put together a load for it - even longer story). My club's range extends to 200 yards, and there are a couple of clubs within a 3 hour drive that do some BPCR silhouette matches. So, I have a good expectation of using it for its intended purpose.

That begs the question - to cover a good bit of ground in shooting styles, I am considering whether I would get more use out of the Sharps if it was lighter weight - to hunt and to "plink" with (my idea of plinking with a .45-70 would essentially be off-hand or cross-stick shooting light-weight charges out to 200yds at bigger targets). That is to say, I may want to use the CPA as the dedicated silhouette/target rifle and the Sharps as the "knock-around" (not that I plan to be abusive toward it). I've read a number of threads on cutting off the end of the barrel - I could cut 4-6" off the Sharps, but I don't know if that would really reduce the weight that much. I'd like to get it down to the 8-9 lb. range. Alternatively, I could see about putting a lighter contour, shorter barrel on there. Or, I guess I just could sell/trade it for a different .45-70.

A part of me doesn't want to mess with it. Another part doesn't really like having two rifles that do essentially the same thing. None of me wants to spend money on buying another gun right now (I know, that's sacrilige!!!:-P), but a few hundred dollars (or maybe less to just alter the stock barrel) to make it more carbine-esque might be useful. So, talk me into/out-of something!

[elk hunter]

If there is a black powder silhouette group or a black powder gunsmith near you put out the word that you're looking for a barrel. You never know what may turn up.

[Don McDowell]

To get that sharps down to a "hunting" weight rifle is going to require a slimmer shorter barrel, that means a new fore arm. Figure 700ish for the rebarrel , and another couple hundred for the forearm, and then do you want the forearm and buttstock to match?
Another rifle starts to look not so bad expense wise..

[tnlonghunter]

To get that sharps down to a "hunting" weight rifle is going to require a slimmer shorter barrel, that means a new fore arm. Figure 700ish for the rebarrel , and another couple hundred for the forearm, and then do you want the forearm and buttstock to match?
Another rifle starts to look not so bad expense wise..Ok, good point. I can do most of the forearm work myself, though checkering is not something I've tried. So, even carving a good forearm myself, I guess I'd either invest in good checkering tools, pay for that, or try to ignore the difference from the buttstock.....

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[RustyReel]

Unless you are attached to the Sharps, sell it and buy something that meets your needs.

[country gent]

You want to remove roughly 2 lbs of weight. You didnt give barrel contour or its size to work with. If its full octagon maybe have it cut to half round this would save the fore end as the octagon would stay to just ahead of it then a slight tapered round to the muzzle (.005-.008 to the inch) This may be close to what you want but you may need to take an inch or 2 of barrel off also

Ideally you allso want to maintain some "balance" so maybe 1/2-3/4 lb from the butt stock and 1 1/2 from the barrel.

Removing 2 -3 bs of weight is going to increase felt recoil some also. Shortening the barrel will also shorten sight radius making sight alignment more critical and throwing off the graduations on the sights

[tnlonghunter]

You want to remove roughly 2 lbs of weight. You didnt give barrel contour or its size to work with. If its full octagon maybe have it cut to half round this would save the fore end as the octagon would stay to just ahead of it then a slight tapered round to the muzzle (.005-.008 to the inch) This may be close to what you want but you may need to take an inch or 2 of barrel off also

Ideally you allso want to maintain some "balance" so maybe 1/2-3/4 lb from the butt stock and 1 1/2 from the barrel.

Removing 2 -3 bs of weight is going to increase felt recoil some also. Shortening the barrel will also shorten sight radius making sight alignment more critical and throwing off the graduations on the sightsI'm not exactly sure the contour number of the barrel. It's whatever is stock for Pedersoli's heavy- barrel rifles. That's not a bad idea, looking into having it reamed down to half-round and shortened. Might work....

I know a new/different rifle would probably be easier. Anyone know of a 74 Sharps carbine in .45-70 that is comparably priced and of good quality? $1,500 range?

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[Deadeye Bly]

You could cut it to 28" and have it turned half round. That would get you about 3/4lb maybe more depending on the diameter turned to. Cut some wood off the buttstock or hollow it out some and install a plastic butt plate might get another 1/2lb. To get the weight you want you would have to cut it to 26" and turn half round. Then it would be tough to sell if you ever decided to move it along. It's not easy getting a Sharps under 10 lbs unless you go to a very skinny barrel.

[Lead pot]

I just weight a round .44 caliber 1.020" X 1.5" long barrel portion cut off and it weighs 4.2 oz. As mentioned to re barrel a rifle from what they charge now days look for a used rifle unless you can do all the work yourself.

A 11-12 lb Sharps is really not over weight for a hunting rifle.

[Lead pot]

Here is my .44-77 Sharps rifle I had build for a hunting rifle. It has a light weight weight 30" barrel and weighs 10 lbs. I wouldn't change a thing and it will hit what you want at a 1000 yards.
You can always put a sling on it if caring it by hand is a problem for you.

I don't know how that second photo got there and I cant delete it.

273384

[Don McDowell]

While it's a touch above your 1500$ you might want to look at either the military carbine, or a #3 with a 26 inch standard barrel from Shiloh. Base priced at 2007

[scattershot]

Not familiar with the CPA, but since the 40/65 is a straight wall case, couldn’t you just hunt with that, if it’s lighter?

[country gent]

My pedersoli long range ( cabellas model ) with 34" half round barrel goes around 13 1/2 lbs its a heavy bugger.My CPA silhouette in 40-65 is around 12 lbs just under the weight for BPCR sillywetts. Most of my bpcr rifles are in this range. It isnt all about the actual weight, a rifles balance also plays a big part in how easy it carries. A sling can help but with the longer barrels theres a lot sticking up to catch on things. I believe the later sharps 77??? target rifles were in the 10-11 lb range, might be something to look into to get an idea of barrel contour.

You can always go back to the old way hunters carried these rifles, on horse back or buggy to the stand. LOL.

I would be hard pressed to go much under 30" length maintaining sight radius and resale value. I believe pedersoli has a carbine model available another thing to consider going lighter rifle weight is a lighter caliber like 38-55. smaller bore and barrel dia lighter bullets still reasonable recoil.

Check the used gun sites and see whats out there available on the sites.

Another option that would accomplish this is a second barrel forearm for hunting. make it a swap barrel, the cpa is set up for this already.

Going to a lighter wood for butt stock and fore end would shave some weight also. Maybe maple or birch

[LoveND]

I cut a 45 from 32 inches to 26 and made a nice carbine out of it. Shot very accurate after the cut and got six deer with it before i sold it to a hog hunter who loves. It. I also have a cpa 44 and 1/2. That wont be cut as that gun out classes any sharps or rolling block. Carbine shoot as good as long barrel rifles.

[tnlonghunter]

Yeah, the CPA is a work of art to me and is not to be altered or sold! Long barrels don't bother me - I've shor flintlock longrifles for years. Maybe I should just lift more weights. How many curls with a Sharps before it adds up? [emoji57]

That .44-77 is beautiful. No complaints here about the extra pic!

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[eastbank]

273427 my little sharps in 44-40, i load a 200 gr jacketed bullet at 1600+ fps for a close walking rifle for deer. its not a 45-70, but it very light and kills deer. i shoot only standing broadside double lung shots 75 yards or less.273429

[R-71]

You could sell it and buy a Pedersoli infantry rifle, 30” barrel about 9 lbs and has sling swivels.

[Boz330]

The Pedersoli Lyman 78 weighs in at 9lbs according to the specs. I picked one up for $1400 with the Lyman globe front and #2 on the Tang and it feels really good for hunting. It does kick though.

Bob

[indian joe]

I have a marcheno sharps, carbine style stock, round barrel been cut to 27 inches, weighed a hair under eight pounds and kicked the cr@p out of me shooting prone with 535grain lead - spent a lot of time and ingenuity getting that thing up to ten pounds so I could use it some. I think I would rather haul the couple extra pounds around than deal with the bruises.

[tnlonghunter]

I have a marcheno sharps, carbine style stock, round barrel been cut to 27 inches, weighed a hair under eight pounds and kicked the cr@p out of me shooting prone with 535grain lead - spent a lot of time and ingenuity getting that thing up to ten pounds so I could use it some. I think I would rather haul the couple extra pounds around than deal with the bruises.Interesting. Did you experiment with lighter loads? While I certainly wouldn't want to shoot past 200yds with a lightweight bullet - they just don't do well in my barrel, at least - I've had good results at 100-150 yards with a 300g bullet and IMR 4198. Good enough for deer and plinking deer-sized steel.

I definitely can see why I wouldn't wanna shoot my 530g bullets in much lighter rifle.

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[Lead pot]

:D The hunters in the 1800rds gave up their light weight muzzle loaders hunting rifles for the heavier sharps and by average those guys were a lot smaller and lighter than we are now days :D Are we getting wimpy ????? :D
Merry Christmas to Y'all.

Kurt

[KCSO]

For less than the cost of rebarreling my sharps I picked up a cheap IAB sharps and worked it iover and lapped the bore and it will shoot under 3 inches at 100 yards. Plenty good enough for deer and by bobbing the brrel back to 34 inches and re crowning and lapping with a little elbow grease and honing to the action it is the perfect deer rifle for carrying in the field.

If you had a lathe you could easy bob the barrel that you have and turn it down and shave off about 3-4 pounds, trim and lighten the stock and there you go.