load of loose ball & lowder

[toot]

i have just acquired a SHARPS carbine. and i would like to know if i can shoot loose ball & powder in it? i have heard of guys doing it in stead of using paper cartridges. i don't want to use paper. how much powder do i use and what size round ball do i use in it? is it safe?

[Hal]

Nothing wrong with using loose powder. It's slow and not fun, but it's not any more unsafe than loading a muzzle loader. Use common sense. Don't smoke while you're a doin' it. A round ball is probably not the best bullet to use, but they would go downrange. You really need to know what the groove diameter is to properly fit a bullet. Once you know the groove diameter, get a bullet .002" bigger than that. My wife shoots a .544 Christmas Tree bullet in her original Model 1859.

[Maillemaker]

Some people use "Yore's Tubes", which is a setup that uses some clear plastic tubing, combined with a rubber sleeve, to hold both the bullet and the powder. You insert the bullet end into the Sharp's chamber, and then push. The bullet gets ejected into the chamber, and the powder follows behind it. You can think of it as a giant syringe full of black powder, with the bullet acting as a "cork".

The end result is a bullet in the throat of the rifling and powder behind it.

http://www.yoresupply.com/ShellTube.html

Personally, I like paper cartridges for my Sharps.

Steve

[Jim_Burgess_2078V]

I have been using loose powder behind my ringtail ("Christmas tree") bullet for years using soft vinyl tubes to seat the bullet in the chamber and drop the loose powder behind. Works great and is not that slow. I use 50 grains FFg with my ringtail bullet and that still leaves some space in the chamber of my Shiloh Sharps. With a roundball you will likely need more powder to fill the chamber. If you don't fill or nearly fill the chamber you risk misfires. You need hot caps to send a spark through the vent which makes two 90-degree turns and then it must jump any air space in the chamber to ignite the powder. Paper cartridges allow you to use filler (if desired) and keep the powder directly behind the vent.

Jim Burgess, 15th CVI

[toot]

the yore site i have ear marked and will send for some of them. thank you for the site. it will let me shoot loose ball / bullet and powder in it.. my bore DIA is .530, that would make it a .54 CAL. CARBINE? so to start can i push a .530 or a .535 DIA round ball into the chamber and fill it up with 2FG, or 3FG, and cap it and send it down range? what size DIA. cast bullets should I buy for it? does any one have any i could buy to try in it? thanking you, toot.

[toot]

JIM Burgess, thanks. i went to my first shoot this past SATURDAY at FIN- FUR- FEATHER in CHAMPLAN, CT. but was just a spectator and couldn't get up to the line and ask questions. it was a great time, and bunch of guys. there was a lot of SHARPS there.

[Lou Lou Lou]

I saw you there Toot. If you said something, you could have shot our guns. Thought you were with the host team

[Fred Jr]

I know Jim has had great results with his shiloh with the loose powder method. I tried it and was not at all happy with my results. I use charlie's tubes and 41g 3f goex. Old Ideal ringtail mold. i guess it is what ever works for you! I did have a great practice target a couple weeks ago - 95-4x. was sure I would bring home a bunch of medals next shoot, didn't happen!!!!!

[snapcap14]

the yore site i have ear marked and will send for some of them. thank you for the site. it will let me shoot loose ball / bullet and powder in it.. my bore DIA is .530, that would make it a .54 CAL. CARBINE? so to start can i push a .530 or a .535 DIA round ball into the chamber and fill it up with 2FG, or 3FG, and cap it and send it down range? what size DIA. cast bullets should I buy for it? does any one have any i could buy to try in it? thanking you, toot.

I have a bunch of the yellow Yore tubes and some of the clear ones. If you are interested in them let me know. What ever you wantcto pay is fine. I'll get a count and let you know how many

[toot]

snapcap14, i sent you a PM. when you get it please let me know? toot.

[toot]

LOU LOU LOU, WOW I would have liked to have met you but being my first shoot I was over whelmed by the activities going on. it was non stop shooting with some great scores and weapons both REPO. and original. we all have have hopes of taking home the BLUE RIBBON'S but it doesn't always happen. next time the club has one i want to meet up with you and talk, toot.

[toot]

Fred Jr, i noticed you used a load of 41grs. of 3fg. GOEX for a load. did it fill the chamber up against the breech block or was there an air space between the charge and the face of the breach block? will it ignite the powder charge with a gap between the block and the powder charge with loose powder?

[Lou Lou Lou]

Toot, next skirmish Sept 8-9, Hopkinton MA

[toot]

LOU LOU LOU, if i don't have any appointment's on those dates i will certainly try to attend. i will need the name of the hosting gun club and directions. i will be coming from southern RI..

[Lou Lou Lou]

Hopkinton Sportsmans Association, 95 Lumber Street, Hopkinton MA. Right off the highway.

[Eggman]

Fred Jr, i noticed you used a load of 41grs. of 3fg. GOEX for a load. did it fill the chamber up against the breech block or was there an air space between the charge and the face of the breach block? will it ignite the powder charge with a gap between the block and the powder charge with loose powder?
Yeah loose powder under barrel stock is truly a precarious situation. As you walk the Sharps path you will need to overcome many such problems Toot. Keep in mind, Dr. Silas Overcomb of East Belle Aire, MD provides anti-suicide therapy for discomported Sharps shooters.
Wait a minute, that's not the problem here. This one is the effects of using loose power with lots of air space around it and how to get good ignition and how to get consistent velocity. Well anyway, keep this post for later reference Toot.

[snapcap14]

snapcap14, i sent you a pm. When you get it please let me know? Toot.

i sent you a pm in response to your pm

[gemmer]

Fred Jr, i noticed you used a load of 41grs. of 3fg. GOEX for a load. did it fill the chamber up against the breech block or was there an air space between the charge and the face of the breach block? will it ignite the powder charge with a gap between the block and the powder charge with loose powder?
Fred Jr. was referring to 41 grs. of powder in a cardboard tube, topped with a ringtail bullet, the base of which fits inside the tube. The back end of the tube is usually closed off with tissue or hair curler paper that the cap flame burns through. Think of it as a sturdier paper cartridge. The cardboard does not burn up. It disintegrates and is expelled out the bore.

[toot]

gemmer, thanks for explaining what loading with a tube in it is when loading. toot.

[toot]

snapcap14, i got your message, toot.

[toot]

well I went and took dimensions on my original SHARPS CARBINE again , and here is what I got- bore size- depth of groves-.535 DIA. - depth of lands. 520 DIA. all approx. - approximate length of chamber 1.250. so that is why i am thinking my carbine is a 54 caliber. but a lot of people say that a lot of the originals were 52 CAL. so what do i have? that is why i would like to know weather to shoot .530 round balls or .530 pointed bullets, if they make such a thing with loose powder in it.

[toot]

LOU LOU LOU, thank you got them. if i can possibly attend i will give you a shout.toot.

[toot]

i am all set with the information, questions that i asked for, thanks to all who helped me with them.

[Bruce Cobb 1723V]

well I went and took dimensions on my original SHARPS CARBINE again , and here is what I got- bore size- depth of groves-.535 DIA. - depth of lands. 520 DIA. all approx. - approximate length of chamber 1.250. so that is why i am thinking my carbine is a 54 caliber. but a lot of people say that a lot of the originals were 52 CAL. so what do i have? that is why i would like to know weather to shoot .530 round balls or .530 pointed bullets, if they make such a thing with loose powder in it.

Your consternation with caliber is a common one. With the muzzle loader switch to breech loaders it seems to have changed terminology. In the early days it was land diameter, now its the groove depth diameter aka bullet Diameter. As far as bullets try a .540 round ball and a .533 conical.

[toot]

BRUCE COBB 1723V, thank you for the help that is what i will try, also today my friend came over today and sold me his SHARPS CARBINE, MFG. by ARMSPORT, that he as had for about 6 yrs and never shot. so now i have two to play with. i just could not say no!!

[Francis J. Miller Jr, 02601]

Hi Toot, Congratulations on obtaining a 2nd Sharps Carbine to play with. I would work with the first Sharps you have and get it worked out with the bullet / powder combination that groups the best for you before jumping into the Armi Sport Sharps. The reason being, even though the Armi Sport is marked .54 Cal. it's bore is actually larger close to almost .56 Cal., so it would require a larger bullet diameter something like .557 diameter than your other Sharps Carbine. The only way to know for sure is slug the barrel to measure it's true diameter.

[toot]

FRANCIS J MILLER jr, my second SHARPS is actually an ARMSPORT- I A B. ever hear of it? thank's for the heads up upon the bore dimensions on the REPO'S. i am sticking with my original as you suggested. will slug ? measure the new one so i know what it is when i get to it. thanking, you toot.

[Charlie Hahn]

If there is something here I can help with feel free to give me a call.

Charlie Hahn
410-627-4726