Working with a real Sharps

[twomoons]

I have at my house now a Sharps rifle that i am tasked with developing a load that shoots. The rifle (Elven's for those who know) is a Civil war Sharps sent back to the factory to be converted into a hunting gun in the 1870's. The rifle has a heavy octogon barrel 26" long and is marked 45 2 1/10. This is the same case as the 45-70, but Sharps loaded this case with differnt powder and bullet configurations. This one after doing a chamber cast is 45-80 500 and it used a paperpatch bullet seated out to the end of the case with just 1/4" crimped lightly into the end of the case. The gun keyholes cast bullets from a 45-70 as there is almost an inch of freebore. I wrapped up some pp yesterday and have run from keyhole to 1 1/2" groups at 50 yards and under 4" at 100. I will keep posting on this as it goes along.

[bounce]

Your most likely right though my book says 45-75 & a 400 gr.bullet, Looks to me like you could just fill the case & put a card on to hold the powder and give a base card for fireing the bullet. and hand seat the paper bullet?

[twomoons]

From George Hoym's "Sharps Rifle Ctgs" ...
The basic 45- 2 1/10 case was loaded with 70 and 75 grains with the 405 gran bullet and the 80 grain has a 500 grain bullet. In addition both the 45-70 and 45-47 were offered with naked bullets of 294, 405, 420 and 500 grains weight.

The bullet I am using is hand seated and then run into a special die to give the case just a little grip on the bullet. I would like to try a taper crimp die, but I don't think DEW will want to pay for any new equipment, he's like DD when it comes to spending his money. I have to use either a grease wad or a greased felt wad as otherwise you would have to wipe the bore every shot. As it is the wads hold enough lube for 3-5 shots in hot dry weather and then yo have to wipe. I have to use real black powder as you can't put a crimp in pp and so the bullet has to sit on the powder to keep it from dropping into the case.

[bounce]

I would use a doll to seat a paper pached 405 0r 420 then a lubed felt wad. and a milk card on top of a full case load of 2f and find a spot to seat the bullet to that when the case went in the breach block would just move it a tad so the two were tight, case & bullet and press a greased fet wad between the two. then mark the doll at the right spot for seading each bullet, the felt wad I think could just be lightly pushed in behind the bullet.

[twomoons]

Dean finally got around to trying the P/P loads and they cured his problems with the gun. A little load tuning and he will be set to try for elk with an original Sharps.