Help identifiying manufacture of reproduction Sharps

[Flatlander35]

Thanks to all for the help! I have learned a tremendous amount already. Those videos from Duelists Den really are terrific too. After doing tons of research I'll be ordering a Eras Gone Richmond mold shortly along with some more pure lead and hopefully within a few weeks I will be well on my way with learning how to roll my own cartridges semi decently.

[Maillemaker]

One thing I am confused on with these are load development. With regular muskets its easy for me to understand. Pour the powder charge, seat the bullet, and go. With these, paper cartridge or loose powder, I cannot comprehend having different powder charges. If the chamber is a set length and the bullet is seated into the chamber as it should be, how can you load less or more powder per round while filling up the rest of the space? Cornmeal, cream of wheat, or do you mess with thickness of the paper cartridge to fill the space? Sorry for all the questions, this is all very new. I'm going to slug the bore tomorrow if I can and see what bullet mold to get.

Charlie Hahn on his web site said he does not recommend filler. Yes, I am aware of the "no air gaps" rule with black powder but the Sharps is different in a couple of ways. First, the breech and breech end of the Sharps barrel is massively strong. Second, it is impossible not to have an air gap when loading a sharps even with a chamber full of powder due to the cavity in the breech block face.

When using Hahn tubes, I originally punched out .5" diameter discs from cereal boxes. I would put my powder in the tube, then press the disk down on top of the powder, and then use a q-tip with the bushy end cut off to swirl some white glue around the perimeter of the disk to secure the disk in place. This keeps all the powder at the back end of the cartridge to be ignited by the cap blast.

Lately I have switched to 1/2" thick, .460" diameter dry fiber wads as with my 42 grains of 3F in my Pedersoli Sharps there is just enough room for the wad before the bullet - the wad completely fills the air space and requires no glue so it's less hassle to just pop in the wad.

If you use a bullet like the Eras Gone Richmond Sharps you will have to roll your own. I find a 13mm punch (as I recall) worked well for making discs to keep the powder at the rear as above.

I agree that I would hold off on doing the Larry Flees breech block job until you find out if it leaks gas or not. The Shiloh guns should not leak gas I am told.

I'm waiting for my Shiloh Sharps to come in.

Steve