Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 31

Thread: Thoughts on shooting Pedersoli Sharps 54 cal rifle

  1. #1
    keweenaw is offline
    Team:
    Visitor (non-N-SSA Member)
    Member
    NA
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    302
    Region:
    Visitor

    Thoughts on shooting Pedersoli Sharps 54 cal rifle

    So went to the range today with my new (to me) Pedersoli rifle with the Hahn modification. Made up paper cartridges per the Hahn recipe using his tubes.

    Issues:

    1. Misfires: Very many misfires where the cap would go off but not the cartridge. Changed nipple, cleaned channel, no change. Using older but new old stock RWS musket caps. Finally had to use a nipple pick to puncture the hair curler paper in the back of the cartridge MANY times and it would finally fire, but not always. Just puncturing with one hole had no effect. Sometimes would not fire with case punctured and powder dribbled in nipple. I do not recall if Charlie did anything to the flash channel in the breech block. Is that a known issue? Suggested remedies?

    2. Accuracy. Using the Moose mold with the ringtail base, 54 cal. Accuracy was far from stellar. I dug one of the bullets out of the backstop and the bullet was nicely rifled on all three bands, getting deeper to the bottom band. No keyholes but accuracy NOT good. Any ideas on this? Does a SHarps benefit from glass bedding the forearm?

    Any known issues with Pedersoli sharps barrels? I have some other Pedersoli guns, and they seem quite accurate, and quality seems great.

    Help!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Huntsville
    Posts
    3,733
    Region:
    Deep South - Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi and Texas
    I have a Pedersoli 1859 Sharps Carbine. Misfires are common with this gun because of the long and convoluted fire channel. Larry Flees will re-work the fire cone and the cleanout screw so that they fit together more closely, thus eliminating some of the nooks and crannies in the fire channel that can absorb some of the blast until they fill up with fouling. Before the work, my Sharps would misfire perhaps 2 in 10 shots, especially when clean. After the work, it misfires perhaps 1 in 20. In addition, Larry re-shapes the fire cone so that instead of requiring a special wrench to remove it, a socket will fit. However, as Larry recommends, I never disassemble the lock fire channel components when cleaning. I blast soapy water through it, and then compressed air, and that's it.

    Off a bench, the gun does pretty good. I am using the Pedersoli Christmas Tree bullet 317-541. I don't seem to be able to shoot it off hand well. I have a hard time seeing the front sight blade in the notch of the rear site. I may need to widen the notch.

    https://www.davide-pedersoli.com/sch...e-bullets.html

    I shoot them as-cast, using 1:20 tin:lead.

    When slugging, I get good engraving:



    When shot, I also get good engraving:



    I made a dipper out of a .45 ACP shell so that when I dip them in lube only the lube areas of the bullet are coated:



    Here is an album of my load workup targets from 28 to 56 grains:

    https://imgur.com/a/DmdrU2U

    30 grains gave a good group. So did 40, 46, 50, and 54 grains.

    I currently use 40 grains of 3F Goex. I make my own cartridges from 17 lb. vellum. I use a cardboard wad punched from cereal boxes to keep the powder at the end of the cartridge.

    I intend to experiment soon with the new Eras Gone Richmond Sharps replica bullet. It is nice in that it is a double-cavity mold. It also produced a bullet similar in size and weight to the Frances bullet, which is supposed to be a very good bullet for the Sharps.

    Steve

  3. #3
    gemmer is offline
    Team:
    Visitor (non-N-SSA Member)
    Member
    N/A
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    346
    Region:
    Visitor

    Sharps

    Quote Originally Posted by keweenaw View Post
    So went to the range today with my new (to me) Pedersoli rifle with the Hahn modification. Made up paper cartridges per the Hahn recipe using his tubes.

    Issues:

    1. Misfires: Very many misfires where the cap would go off but not the cartridge. Changed nipple, cleaned channel, no change. Using older but new old stock RWS musket caps. Finally had to use a nipple pick to puncture the hair curler paper in the back of the cartridge MANY times and it would finally fire, but not always. Just puncturing with one hole had no effect. Sometimes would not fire with case punctured and powder dribbled in nipple. I do not recall if Charlie did anything to the flash channel in the breech block. Is that a known issue? Suggested remedies?

    2. Accuracy. Using the Moose mold with the ringtail base, 54 cal. Accuracy was far from stellar. I dug one of the bullets out of the backstop and the bullet was nicely rifled on all three bands, getting deeper to the bottom band. No keyholes but accuracy NOT good. Any ideas on this? Does a SHarps benefit from glass bedding the forearm?

    Any known issues with Pedersoli sharps barrels? I have some other Pedersoli guns, and they seem quite accurate, and quality seems great.

    Help!
    Charlie did my Pedersoli and I'm pretty sure he didn't do anything to the channel. The only misfires I've ever had was when I used a paper surgical tape to cap off the tubes which was thicker than what I normally used. I nixed using tape and went back to curler paper and have had no problems since. How far away from the mouth of the chamber is the end of your tube? Could they be too short? Mine almost touch the face of the breech block. If this was your first time shooting your rifle and it came to you second hand, I'm guessing it had a channel problem when you got it. I'd try pulling the nipple and clean out screw and soaking the block in Kroil for at least a day and see if any crud comes out. I could not be happier with my sporter's accuracy. I use a Lee xmas tree .544 and 60 gr of 2F Swiss and the 100 yard groups are very good. My tube length is 1.375".

  4. #4
    keweenaw is offline
    Team:
    Visitor (non-N-SSA Member)
    Member
    NA
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    302
    Region:
    Visitor
    I should mention that I am not in any way complaining about charlies work. Just trying to give info to you good folks to help me figure out the problems.

    I will take a look at the breech block fire channel more closely. The tubes ae 1.38 and fit flush with the face of the breech using the Moose mold.

    Sights are factory and not good for me. I wonder how Berdan's sharpshooters did so well??

  5. #5
    keweenaw is offline
    Team:
    Visitor (non-N-SSA Member)
    Member
    NA
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    302
    Region:
    Visitor
    I should also mention that I tried a nipple with a very small flash hole thinking the smaller diameter would provide higher flash velocity(??) and more reliable ignition. Did not work at all.

  6. #6
    Lou Lou Lou is offline
    Team:
    Tammany Regiment, 42nd New York
    Member
    4869
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Lung Island, New Yawk
    Posts
    1,965
    Region:
    New England - New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts
    Is the sharps ignition channel filled with twists and turns? Might need a hotter cap. Just theorizing
    Lou Lou Lou Ruggiero
    Tammany Regt-42nd NYVI

  7. #7
    Jim Brady Knap's Battery is offline
    Team:
    Knap's Battery, Pennsylvania Artillery
    Member
    2249v
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Gettysburg, Pa.
    Posts
    637
    Region:
    Allegheny - Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia
    I had a Garrett years ago and found I needed to drill the flash hole in the nipple and bit size or two larger. Worked great although it got a bit dirtier around the nipple.
    Jim Brady
    2249V
    Knap's Battery


    CUM CATAPULTAE PROSCRIBEANTUR TUM SOLI PROSCRIPTI CATAPULTAS HABEANT

  8. #8
    Southron Sr. is offline
    Team:
    24th Georgia Volunteer Infantry
    Member
    3002
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Gorgia
    Posts
    1,319
    Region:
    Carolina - North Carolina and South Carolina
    I have been shooting a Pedersoli Sharps for over 20 years now. I did my own "O Ring" modification to the breech block.

    I used to use the "hot" CCI musket caps until CCI took them out of production. Now I use RWS musket caps and have g NO PROBLEM with misfires.

    This might be due to my cartridges. I make my cartridges using Ladies Hair Curling papers. I make them just long enough so when I close the breech block during the loading process, the entire end of the cartridge is cut off. Thus, the black powder in the entire end of the cartridge is exposed. True, I waste 2 or 3 grains of powder from each cartridge,but after the breech block is closed, I blow the excess grains of powder off the top of the block before putting the cap on the nipple.

    I use the Pedersoli Sharps bullet and get superb accuracy.

    https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/...et+Mould+Block

  9. #9
    keweenaw is offline
    Team:
    Visitor (non-N-SSA Member)
    Member
    NA
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    302
    Region:
    Visitor
    Quote Originally Posted by Maillemaker View Post
    I have a Pedersoli 1859 Sharps Carbine. Misfires are common with this gun because of the long and convoluted fire channel. Larry Flees will re-work the fire cone and the cleanout screw so that they fit together more closely, thus eliminating some of the nooks and crannies in the fire channel that can absorb some of the blast until they fill up with fouling. Before the work, my Sharps would misfire perhaps 2 in 10 shots, especially when clean. After the work, it misfires perhaps 1 in 20. In addition, Larry re-shapes the fire cone so that instead of requiring a special wrench to remove it, a socket will fit. However, as Larry recommends, I never disassemble the lock fire channel components when cleaning. I blast soapy water through it, and then compressed air, and that's it.

    Off a bench, the gun does pretty good. I am using the Pedersoli Christmas Tree bullet 317-541. I don't seem to be able to shoot it off hand well. I have a hard time seeing the front sight blade in the notch of the rear site. I may need to widen the notch.

    https://www.davide-pedersoli.com/sch...e-bullets.html

    I shoot them as-cast, using 1:20 tin:lead.

    When slugging, I get good engraving:



    When shot, I also get good engraving:



    I made a dipper out of a .45 ACP shell so that when I dip them in lube only the lube areas of the bullet are coated:



    Here is an album of my load workup targets from 28 to 56 grains:

    https://imgur.com/a/DmdrU2U

    30 grains gave a good group. So did 40, 46, 50, and 54 grains.

    I currently use 40 grains of 3F Goex. I make my own cartridges from 17 lb. vellum. I use a cardboard wad punched from cereal boxes to keep the powder at the end of the cartridge.

    I intend to experiment soon with the new Eras Gone Richmond Sharps replica bullet. It is nice in that it is a double-cavity mold. It also produced a bullet similar in size and weight to the Frances bullet, which is supposed to be a very good bullet for the Sharps.

    Steve
    Could not get your load data link to open.

  10. #10
    Yakiman is offline
    Team:
    Visitor (non-N-SSA Member)
    Member
    NA
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Posts
    148
    Region:
    Visitor
    What nipple is on your gun? I have the 1859 as well as the Sporting rifle and initially had a lot of misfires. A note on a TOW page discussed the Italian nipples and how they weren't the right shape (looking from the side they're tapered, cone shaped with a large flash hole), I switched to the straight ones recommended and no more issues. I use Schutzen musket caps, Hahn tubes sealed with hair curler paper and I haven't had a misfire since I changed out the nipple.

Similar Threads

  1. Pedersoli M1859 Sharps rifle
    By Brad Schuler in forum Wanted/For Sale Items
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 05-28-2017, 11:23 AM
  2. Pedersoli .54 Sharps Business Rifle
    By grabenkater in forum Wanted/For Sale Items
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 07-07-2015, 05:55 PM
  3. Thoughts on shooting the new Pedersoli P1858.
    By Maillemaker in forum Small Arms
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 12-18-2013, 11:07 AM
  4. WTS - Pedersoli Sharps Rifle
    By Buck in forum Wanted/For Sale Items
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 08-27-2010, 02:10 AM
  5. Sharps 1863 Rifle by Pedersoli
    By Arthur Tyszka 01604V in forum Wanted/For Sale Items
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 03-24-2010, 07:56 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •