R.E.Lee
09-04-2022, 08:53 PM
Gentlemen,
Hoping I could get some advice from the expert sportsmen of black powder arms here.
I have an original Sharps “Old Reliable” caliber 40-70. I was told by the dealer who sold it to me, it was bottleneck cartridge.
I purchased a box of 40-70 BN from Buffalo Arms. I fired a few shots at close range and immediately noticed key-holes in the target paper. I was only about 10-15 yards.
I saw that the fire formed cartridge did not match the profile of the BN design, so I figured I must have the wrong cartridge for my chamber.
However, the straight wall-cartridge (also from Buffalo Arms) is too narrow. My fire-formed case has a consistent “.50 diameter (same as the BN cartridge base) all the way up the case wall.
The straight cartridge will chamber, and the block will close on it (it’s quite a bit longer than the BN cartridge).
I’m assuming neither cartridge is correct for my rifle and that the fire-formed case should match the profile of the unfired BN case. The bore does gauge at 40 caliber.
Does anyone know what this chamber could possibly be? Are there others like this?
Thank you,
I’ve linked some photos of the fire-formed cases next to the loaded cartridges from Buffalo Arms, and some pictures of the rifle markings.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iYsKGJdP237R_B-vEIh6Z2XG1K0gMuj1/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u2anTD173XdX1OFf1HWwVXhKVfGhIxxt/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-8pZ87R76qkk3rlxfhlim_Y8YA6a6U9F/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ASZlcskM99hOfYiXdEB-wt8RoRWDfwjL/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Fna_8OzuMutP2i2hnh1KaaHOdwuExwvs/view?usp=drivesdk
Hoping I could get some advice from the expert sportsmen of black powder arms here.
I have an original Sharps “Old Reliable” caliber 40-70. I was told by the dealer who sold it to me, it was bottleneck cartridge.
I purchased a box of 40-70 BN from Buffalo Arms. I fired a few shots at close range and immediately noticed key-holes in the target paper. I was only about 10-15 yards.
I saw that the fire formed cartridge did not match the profile of the BN design, so I figured I must have the wrong cartridge for my chamber.
However, the straight wall-cartridge (also from Buffalo Arms) is too narrow. My fire-formed case has a consistent “.50 diameter (same as the BN cartridge base) all the way up the case wall.
The straight cartridge will chamber, and the block will close on it (it’s quite a bit longer than the BN cartridge).
I’m assuming neither cartridge is correct for my rifle and that the fire-formed case should match the profile of the unfired BN case. The bore does gauge at 40 caliber.
Does anyone know what this chamber could possibly be? Are there others like this?
Thank you,
I’ve linked some photos of the fire-formed cases next to the loaded cartridges from Buffalo Arms, and some pictures of the rifle markings.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iYsKGJdP237R_B-vEIh6Z2XG1K0gMuj1/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u2anTD173XdX1OFf1HWwVXhKVfGhIxxt/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-8pZ87R76qkk3rlxfhlim_Y8YA6a6U9F/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ASZlcskM99hOfYiXdEB-wt8RoRWDfwjL/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Fna_8OzuMutP2i2hnh1KaaHOdwuExwvs/view?usp=drivesdk