The sharps saga (one more time?)

[keweenaw]

Been looking at the various repro Sharps being offered now, and in the past. A few questions if I may;

1 Gas sealing at breech: I have seen all the posts about Pedersoli and other Italian guns needing the custom gas seal. Regarding the Garrett Sharps, do they too require custom gas seal work? I have heard the Shiloh does not typically need that work. Correct?

2. How does the Garrett compare in accuracy to the others, all other things being equal? Is anyone still using them to skirmish?

3 I have heard that the lower end Sharps from Italy had, at least at the beginning, poor locks, soft metal, breakage etc. Are the newer ones improved over time to the level of, say Pedersoli, in terms of reliability? If so, when did the quality improve? (Perhaps serial number range?)

Thanks

[Wayne Clark]

The Pedersoli Sharps I have had was equipped with the factory "o" ring and a hard chrome gas check. My experience is limited to practice for N-SSA skirmishes and the skirmishes themselves. During practice and skirmishes I would shoot a total of about 30 or so shots and I never experienced a seizure. During skirmishes between relays I would spray silicone on the gas check and action as a precaution. The carbine was very accurate with a Steve Brooks style christmas tree bullet and 3FFG loaded flat bottomed cartridges fashioned from hair curler papers. I then pan dipped the completed cartridge bullet in a recipe known as Emmerts lube. It all worked great for me with no problems. I do recall using a semi- transparent copying paper suggested by another shooter and it did not work at all, very dirty. So I guess even the cartridge paper makes a difference.
W. Clark

[Maillemaker]

My Pedersoli Sharps also came with a variation of the Sam Dobbins o-ring modification, and with the chrome-plated gas check plate. But mine would only get off about 10 shots before the action became unworkable. I tried the high pressure grease, and white lithium grease, with no effect. Gas leakage was significant and would also build up fouling under the foregrip.

I had Larry Flees do his version of the o-ring job, with his ampco bronze gas check plate and his pressed-in chamber sleeve. Now it shoots indefinitely without cleaning. I still brush the bore between relays but that's it.

Steve

[Randall]

I think all of them benefit from an O ring job including the Shilohs. When you are dealing with breach pressures like that a couple of thousands of an inch is the same as a mile. I also think that accuracy and confidence improves if you aren't worried continually about the lever "freezing up". Larry Flees is highly recommended and Charlie Hahn is as well. You should contact both of them and get it straight from the guys that do the work. They use two different methods to accomplish the O ring conversion so I would highly recommend a discussion with both of them if you want a trouble free set up. Just my 2 cents.