Questions about a Pedersoli 59 Sharps

[Bob Hatfield]

I am on the verge of buying a Pedersoli Sharps and have a several questions. Who of anyone in the black powder community would be better to ask than you gentlemen. I used to tinker with flintlocks a lot but I do believe these percussion sharps have a higher fiddle factor and that makes them interesting.

1. Will I be able to push a .54 TC Maxi ball into the chamber and load loose powder behind it? Or is the 54 Maxiball's upper band too large in diameter? The upper band is around .547. I plan on buying a correct mold. Just confused as to which one to buy. I have a .54 Maxi ball mold here for the time being.

2,Does the chamber have a sort of a "leade" or area behind the rifling where the bullet can be pushed into this area with a dowell or will the rifling abruptly stop the forward movement?

3. I understand that Pedersoli a time back modified the breech by adding an O ring to help seal it up but that it still isn't perfect?

Thank you,

Bob

[Bob Lintner]

Bob,
Good gun. For extended shooting you will need mods by Charlie Hahn 410-627-4726. Also look under links, then sutlers, then Hahn Machine for Charlie Hahn load prep.
Bob

[Maillemaker]

My Pedersoli Sharps came with a variation of the Sam Dobbins o-ring modification, but it does not work. Gun would only shoot about 10 times before the action jammed because of fouling.

I had Larry Flees work on mine. I highly recommend him. Gun now shoots indefinitely. You can see my review here:

https://www.n-ssa.net/vbforum/showthread.php/13515-Review-Larry-Flees-Pedersoli-Sharps-Carbine-rework?highlight=larry+flees+review

I use the Pedersoli mold. Accuracy is only so-so. I tried an ebay/Lee copy of the Rapine ringtail but the bullets do not drop well from it. I'm looking forward to trying the new Eras Gone Confederate Sharps bullet when the mold is ready.

Steve

[PoorJack]

I have an IAB Sharps with the Flees mod and it will go 50-60 shots before binding up a little. Charlie Hahns's also works, you need to choose. I'd also strongly suggest Charlie's tubes to make ammo. As for accuracy, you will have to KNOW your bore size, and it's often different from what's marked on the gun. Charlie or Larry could help there. I followed Larry's advice on bullet size when starting to work up loads. I found like other black powder guns, it's sensitive to changes. With 46g 3f Old E, RWS caps, Charlie's tubes, 50/50 beeswax/lard lube and hard lead bullets, it'll put them into about an inch at 50yds. Group opens up some with pure soft lead. YMMV, got to experiment.
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[gemmer]

My Pedersoli '63 rifle has the Hahn modification and functions very well. I use Charlie's tubes as well with a Lee ringtail cast in 30:1 and sized to .544. My hunting load is 60 gr of 2F Swiss. 100 yard accuracy is superb and I have 68 year old eyes and bifocals. I tried the Pedersoli mould, but the base was too big for the tubes and I thought it was too heavy at 535 gr.

[Charlie Hahn]

In reply to your questions,

The chamber has a forcing cone, and it is short.

The projectile you are considering is not a good choice for this rifle for the following reasons,

The chamber does not have a Throat. The throat is an area that is at the groove diameter and allows the projectile to align with the barrel and helps the projectile to get a straight start. It works with the forcing cone and a shallow angle is better. Shiloh is the only rifle that comes stock with one unless you have a chamber custom cut.

The projectile you have is also too large in a straight configuration, and with the potential for a crooked start will present pressure variations which could include high pressure if a large charge is used or 3f powder, FYI.

Regarding the block configurations, Pedersoli has several designs that have evolved. As they have migrated to a 10mm hole in the pressure plate where the full column pressure compresses the o-ring in the block, fowling and binding is an issue that should be dealt with if you intend to use this in team shooting.

The Pedersoli rifle is a good pick for skirmishing, the barrel is tough, and internal parts are hard with the ability to adjust the trigger pull. The gun likes the Moose/Rapine 544 ringtail bullet, as well as Steve Brooks' round nose Sharps bullets, both can be ordered to fit my tubes. These also have the front diameter at Bore diameter to engage the bore diameter similar to a throat to align the projectile with the bore for a straight start as noted above with a throat.

The block needs to be dealt with to make it more reliable, which ever design you plan to go with. I like the Art Crowther design I use. It was developed over time, tested, and is proven by some Old Guard Skirmishers.

Charlie Hahn

[Bob Hatfield]

Thanks guys for the answers. I am not a skirmisher although I would like to be so sustained fire will not be a problem. I sort of figured the .547 upper band of the .54 Maxi would not work. I do like the idea of Mr. Hahn's tubes with the ringtail bullet. I would like to develop a hunting load similar to Gemmer's above. Do the Hahn tubes incinerate or must i pluck them out?

Bob

[Charlie Hahn]

The tubes fracture and exits forward.

[Des]

Charlie Hahn has modified both my Pedersoli Sharps , a carbine and a rifle. I shoot Charlies tubes in both and the tubes fracture , and or burn up and exit out the muzzle. Before he did the mod I was lucky to get off 8 rounds before the action would bind.

[jonk]

The Lee Maxi bullet will certainly function. There is no need, however, to have the oversized front driving band and it may be detrimental to accuracy. If you want to experiment you can do so with a clear conscience for safety issues at least. Any luck I have had with it was after running it through a push through sizer (.541 in my case) to remove that upper driving band. The lower grooves still hold enough lube. As to whether it works, it just depends on your gun.

You can use loose powder. You won't get a fast rate of fire that way but it works. A few guys do it. Most use Hahn tubes or roll their own nitrated paper cartridges.

If you get it and you want to shoot it prior to a breech block modification, I strongly recommend McMaster Carr extreme pressure synthetic grease. If you fill your breech block with it (leaving the flash channel clear) and grease the block sides, you will get 20-30 rounds without binding, and another 20-30 with some minor effort. Then a full cleaning is needed. In my experience, anyhow.

All things considered I would encourage anyone buying one to anticipate needing either a Hahn or Flees conversion to the block on the outset, and a ringtail mold (or at least a more conventional one). You might also have luck with a thick based minie ball. There's no NEED to use a minie but it could be done.

[Dave Fox]

For what it's worth, I use an old Rapine ringtail bullet in Hahn tubes in my original M.1863 rifle. The ringtail of the bullet tended to split the paper tubes upon insertion. I blundered into bumping the bullet in a .45 calibre sizing die which chamfered the ringtail's edge, allowing the bullet to slide in the cartridge easily yet hold firmly.

[Southron Sr.]

The Hahn tubes turn into "Confetti" and are expelled from the muzzle when the Sharps is fired. I consider the Hahn Tubes to mark "a festive occasion" everytime they are used.

Try them...you will like them.

[threepdr]

Here is the new Richmond Sharps that Mailemaker mentioned. .545 and 510 grains. Lots of surface area on the heel to attache a paper cartridge.

http://erasgonebullets.webstarts.com/cs_richmond_sharps_54cal.html


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