Shilo Sharps carbine

[pastore]

A former team member is buying a Shilo Sharps carbine. He asked me if he should order it with a tall, dovetailed front sight. If I remember correctly, dovetailed sights are allowed. That being the case I told him I would order it that way if it was available that way. If any of you are shooting a Shilo Sharps, could you list which mold you use, and powder charges you shoot. He will be very grateful for the info.

[Yancey von Yeast, 8073]

Fletcher,

You might want to remind him that it needs a patchbox and sling bar. Some Shilos have been produced without and for SAC it needs to have them. Good luck, they are fantastic rifles!

[Phil Spaugy, 3475V]

Fletcher,

The M1863 Sharps carbine does not need a patch box, only the saddle bar and ring.

The M1859 Sharps carbine needs both a saddle bar and ring and patch box.

Yancey is confusing the Sharps carbine variants with the Sharps rifle which needs to have a patch box, but does not have a saddle bar and ring as it was an infantry arm, not a cavalry arm.

Phil

[Yancey von Yeast, 8073]

Phil,

Your right, sorry. Confusing myself is a German tendency I think....

[Greg Ogdan, 11444]

I use the 475 gr Rapine ringtail in front of 50gr of Goex FFg. Don't cheat on the lube and grease the he** out of EVERYTHING in the breech block area. I use high temp, high pressure wheel bearing grease. Doing this, I can shoot a whole Skirmish without takedown to clean and the only accruacy problems are trigger nut related.

[Richard Hill]

The Sharps has a moveable rear sight and does not need the dovetail front. It CAN use a taller front blade which he will have to add.

[Yancey von Yeast, 8073]

Greg,

Thanks for the info on the wheel bearing grease. I had been using Remington High Pressure grease and found it to be just ok. I will have to try the wheel bearing stuff. Do you get it from a typical auto supply store?

Yancey

[Greg Ogdan, 11444]

Yancey,
Actually, I bought the last can from the evil Wally World, but Autozone, Pep Boys, Acvance, etc. should have it and at less than $5.00/lb.

[Rich Siegel 8846]

Fletcher,

If your friend is ordering a new production carbine from Shiloh, they might put on a taller front sight for him.

Rich

[mikea]

Mr. Hill is correct - the Shiloh Sharps has a windage adjustable rear sight. I would advise a taller front sight, but a number of sources carry them - recall that I got mine from Lodgewood & think that it's the same as used with the Smith carbines and possibly others. It's no big deal to replace.
I use white lithium grease in my Shiloh carbine, and liberally coat everything in the block with it. After shooting, I disassemble the block, clean off the old grease and powder fouling and replace the lithium grease as part of the cleaning. I have fired 75 rounds without having to do anything to the block during a skirmish. Auto parts stores carry this grease & it's cheap.
Right now I'm using 42 gr. of 3f Goex with either the Rapine bullet or one from a now discontinued Lyman mould that sutler Jerry Stone has had made up. Both are excellent.