Sharps and .54 caliber paper cartridges

[David LaPell]

I recently ran across a IAB .54 caliber Sharps percussion rifle, but I have no real experience with making paper cartridges. The gun has never been fired and the price is really cheap but I want to know kind of what I am getting into. Even if I had to use it during regular rifle season next year, I think it would be a lot of fun. Anyone else ever mess around with these guns before?

 

[Enigma]

There's quite a bit of information available online, if you run a Google search.

 

[Rainman]

David:
Check out this forum.

http://www.shilohrifle.com/forums/

There's a special section on shooting the 1863s which are the percussion models like your.

You will love the Sharps. I shoot a 1874 Long Range Express made by Shiloh.

Dan

 

[twobisquit]

i had one of the first Shiloh .54s back in the 70's with a wolf barrel. My best results were from seating a 540 g hollow based mini in the rifling with a dowel and filling the chamber with FFg. That gun could hit a 55gal drum at 800 yards
I used paper cartridges but got tired of making them

 

[surveyor47]

I suggest that you go to the North-South Sirmishers Association bulletin board. www.n-ssa.org

There are special "Sharps Loaders" out there, which many Skirmishers use for competition. The N-SSA outlawed paper cartridges long ago due to fire hazard on ranges. Several "suttlers" such as North East Trade Company have Sharps Loaders.

The 1863 Sharps tends to be one of the most contankerous guns out there. Unless you take special care to properly grease the gas wedge seal, it will not work properly and you will get gas in your face. They also tend to be contankerous accuracy wise. In general, its much easier to get a good musket to shoot accurately than a Sharps. Also, in comparison to a musket, the Sharps takes about 4 times as long to clean. The N-SSA guys are the experts and they can tell you all the tricks to getting these guns to shoot. Once guys figure these guns out, they tend to love em- but till then, I would not stand between a tree and a new Sharps shooter.... The only thing more frustrating is getting a smoothbore musket to shoot.

 

[surveyor47]

Also, New York state has at least 1 N-SSA team. You might contact them through the N-SSA bulletin board. Team members are usually happy to bring newcomers out to the range and introduce them to Civil War era guns.

Remember that a Sharps is a black powder gun and it is unlikely that it will like black powder substitutes such as Pyrodex. Cap lock muskets frequently hangfire with Pyrodex, my Thompson Centers up to 1/2 second or more. I suggest that you use FF or FFF black powder in your Sharps ONLY. If you want to shoot Pyrodex, buy an inline.

You can buy black powder through several distributers, such as Powder Inc. www.powderinc.com

 

[surveyor47]

The attached link is to the N-SSA website regarding lubrication of the wedge seal. Paper cartridges are not the problem. Lubrication of the wedge seal is.

http://n-ssa.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=12459

The best way to load an 1863 Sharps is with loose powder nad ball in a Sharps loader. http://www.northeasttradeco.com/

Give North East Trade Company a call and talk to the guy. He is an encyclopedia of Muzzle Loading Information- VERY worthwhile listening to.