Got my old EMF sharps replica back, need new barrel.

[69daytona]

I traded this for a 7 mag and my brother gave it back to me for 100 rounds of 7 mag. I have a question on where to get a new barrel as this one when I dropped a .460 diam slug down the breech it went almost 1/8 of the way down the barrel before stopping.
I want to get a barrel that is at least the same diam. from one end to the other.
I intend to shoot smokeless only, 45-70. Just looking for a barrel that good but not to expensive since these rifles are known to break often. So far no problems except poor accuracy.

[montana_charlie]

The Sharps rifles sold by EMF are made by Pedersoli...which produces great barrels. In addition, the Pedersoli barrel is cut with a tapering groove diameter that starts near .460" at the chamber and tapers down to about .4585" at the muzzle.

A test bullet that is slightly undersize and the length of the chamber throat in a Pedersoli might combine to make you think it fell 'an eighth of the way through the bore'.

You might like to have a gunsmith borescope that barrel before you use it for a tomato stake.

CM

[Trifocals]

A barrel with an internal taper from chamber to muzzle can be a very good thing. Start with a bullet that is a bit oversize on the chamber end. By the time it swages down in the taper it should squirt out the muzzle end with very good accuracy. I would sure try it before spending big bucks on a new barrel. LOL

[6.5 mike]

You can feel the taper in my pedersoli with a tight patch, might try that first. I thumb seat a 405 gr lee with two wraps of tracing paper sized to 0.4605, muzzle is 0.4575. So far I'm getting good results with smokeless.

[KCSO]

Uh EMF also put out Pedratti guns and they are another piece of work alltogether. See WHO made it first and then decide where to go but either way TRY it first it just might surprise you. If the chamber is good it might shoot just fine.

[Kenny Wasserburger]

All the EMF Sharps I have ever seen are Pedratti guns and have the old percussion styled hammer and the phoney safety on the breech block.

Junk is what comes to Mind, along with the IAB sharps aka (it is always Broke).

KW
The Lunger

[montana_charlie]

The most recent Pedretti that E.M.F carried was their 'Hartford' model. It was an improved rifle which had the 1874-style hammer. I think it came on the market about two years ago. How much better it was/is than the earlier Pedrettis is unknown to me.

Today, E.M.F only carries Sharps rifles made by Pedersoli.
http://www.emf-company.com/store/pc/Sharp-c127.htm

CM

[59sharps]

I traded this for a 7 mag and my brother gave it back to me for 100 rounds of 7 mag. I have a question on where to get a new barrel as this one when I dropped a .460 diam slug down the breech it went almost 1/8 of the way down the barrel before stopping.
I want to get a barrel that is at least the same diam. from one end to the other.
I intend to shoot smokeless only, 45-70. Just looking for a barrel that good but not to expensive since these rifles are known to break often. So far no problems except poor accuracy.

Bobby hoyt can reline it for you and if wanted do chamber sleeve mod. that will stop gas leakage.
also Dan Whitacre at http://www.whitacresmachineshop.com/

[NickSS]

From what you are saying about your rifle it is probably a Pedretti Sharps with the hammer block safety. I had one years ago and they are about the poorest sharps on the market but they can be made to shoot. Before you spring for a new barrel which if you get a gunsmith to install it will cost you a good deal even with an inexpensive barrel I would try the lee 405 gr hollow base bullet and a softer alloy. By the way I would not load it to greater velocities than you can get with black powder as the gun is soft. Try the lee bullet without sizing it just pan lube and load it.

[Bob S]

All the EMF Sharps I have ever seen are Pedratti guns and have the old percussion styled hammer and the phoney safety on the breech block.

Junk is what comes to Mind, along with the IAB sharps aka (it is always Broke).

KW
The Lunger

Yup. Number Ten.

I bought one new ~1980; excess headspace, would not reliably fire with rifle primers. Would fire with pistol primers. Bullets going sideways through the target @ 50 yards (when they were on-paper). Bore was tapered in the wrong direction. Got absolutley no help or satisfaction from EMF. :mad:

Resp'y,
Bob S.

[69daytona]

The chamber is good, did a casting of the chamber and the first few inches of the barrel using cerrosafe. The chamber is tight and well within spec, the first few inches show .461 and taper to .457 at the muzzle.
I have been shooting 405s sized to .457 loaded to trapdoor minumum loads. I will try them unsized as they come out at .458.5 and if that doesnt get any better I will buy the 405 hallow base mold. Just smelted 300lbs of roof flashing which seems soft enough to make them expand.
Did check the #s and it is the old EMF/IAB but since I still have the 7mag I traded for and got the gun back for free I will just work with it, A free gun shoots better than no gun at all.

[jaguarxk120]

For what it's worth -- Harry Pope the master rifle maker -- all of his barrels were tapered from breech to muzzle. Most of his rifles shot better than the shooter could hold, there are targets from the 1900's that haven't been beaten today.

Not saying your rifle can do that good, I'm saying just give it a chance first, shoot it.

[Boz330]

If you shoot BP you will get some slug up from the ignition. That doesn't usually happen with smokeless.
If your chamber is in spec consider yourself lucky. 2 friends and I bought 3 of the IABs and they all had numerous problems but the idea was to rebarrel them anyway and they were cheap. I sold mine to try and suck another guy over to the dark side. The other 2 were gone through by my buddy and converted to 38-50 RH. He went through the locks and got them working pretty well. That safety sucks though. All of the barrels had bad chambers but surprisingly shot pretty well considering. You had to go to extremes to fire form the brass though. Not competition type accuracy but definitely minute of deer.

Bob

[69daytona]

Whats the safty a few of you have mentioned? I dont see anything on the rifle that resembles a safety, but dont know much about these rifles. I will try some BP loads in it with soft lead bullets and see what happens.

[Boz330]

There is a little tab on top of the breach block on the right side that blocks the firing pin when the hammer falls. If you don't flip it to the right the gun won't go off. When the breach block is lowered it sets it.

Bob

[MGySgt]

FWIW

I have an IAB that started out as a 45/70. Poor accuacy due to a long chamber and large bore. Rechambered it to 45/90 and went with a .461 boolit.

Sub MOA - Took Elk with it.

I will not sell it - but then again I won't buy another one either. You need a custom mold to throw a big enough slug to fit. I have 2 moulds that throw .462+ one 430gr and one 450gr.

Both shoot Great!