Starr carbine shooters....

[Dave Fox]

Am considering adding a percussion Starr carbine to my modest accumulation of Civil War shooters. Query: it seems the bore is close to that of the Sharps. Anyone know if a ringtail Sharps bullet in a proper length Charlie Hahn cardboard tube would be practical? Thanks

[Richard Hill]

The Rapine 544475 with the Hahn tubes will work, but the bullet is a bit small. Try an NEI mould with a bottom band diameter of about .552. The gas seal needs to be in excellent condition or it will be eroded by the gasses and start to leak very quickly. Try a tube of high temp gasket material or JB Weld.

[Dave Fox]

Thanks. Was up at the Louisville show this past weekend, long on eyeball, short on cash. There seem to be a fair number on little-used Starrs out there with excellent actions and bores but ill stored and ill handled that would suit. acquired a Gwynn & Campbell type II this summer which was most reasonable and seems to want to be a satisfying shooter.

[Richard Hill]

The Gwynn & Campbell seemed it would be a good shooter in the few rounds I fired from it. Use the thinnest cartridge paper you can get away with, especially for the closed end. A word of caution- the lock parts seem to be fragile. The tumbler on my near-mint example broke when I cocked it. Spare parts are almost non-existent and the lock I finally found for spare parts had most of its parts welded or otherwise boogered. The loooong hammer may also be weak. I didn't fire it enough to determine how well the gas seal works.

[Kenneth L. Walters]

Am considering adding a percussion Starr carbine to my modest accumulation of Civil War shooters. Query: it seems the bore is close to that of the Sharps. Anyone know if a ringtail Sharps bullet in a proper length Charlie Hahn cardboard tube would be practical? Thanks

In, I think the next issue, Guns Of The Old West will have an article on the Starr complete with bullet selection, etc.

[Kenneth L. Walters]

The Gwynn & Campbell seemed it would be a good shooter in the few rounds I fired from it. Use the thinnest cartridge paper you can get away with, especially for the closed end. A word of caution- the lock parts seem to be fragile. The tumbler on my near-mint example broke when I cocked it. Spare parts are almost non-existent and the lock I finally found for spare parts had most of its parts welded or otherwise boogered. The loooong hammer may also be weak. I didn't fire it enough to determine how well the gas seal works.

Larry Romano can repair a Gwynn & Campbell.