Range Report 15APR2023: The 1859 Sharps Infantry Rifle

I have long wanted a Sharps Infantry Rifle, but since they are so scarce all I could find was a second-hand Pedersoli reproduction.  Sharps are notorious (and rightly so) for poor ignition and severe fouling, so the previous owner had had it converted from the factory condition to be more reliable.  Unfortunately, when I got it I was unable to fire a single round from it—it simply would not set off the charge, which, naturally, was intensely frustrating.  At the advice of several people, especially Mike Beliveau of the Duelist 1954 YT channel, I sent the rifle to Larry Flees (<larryflees111@gmail.com>) to have him rebuild the rifle according to his conversion system.  Today was my first trial of the rifle since getting it back.

The cartridges I used are close copies of the flat-based linen cartridges used during the War, except instead of the 2-band bullets used by Federal suppliers I use the 504-grain Richmond Lab bullets I cast using an Eras Gone bullet mold.  The cartridges have a linen shell with a tissue paper base and contain 65 grains of Schuetzen 2F powder, just as was used in period.  The cartridges were packaged in historically accurate 10-round boxes which very closely match one style of the originals.  To learn how I load the cartridges, read the essay linked here:
https://historicalshooting.blogspot.com/2022/10/loading-ammunition-for-1859-sharps-rifle.html

Location:  Lytle Creek
Conditions: 58 degrees; dry; sunny; winds highly variable gusting up to 20 mph from 12:00 to 3:00.
Shooting Position:  Seated unsupported.
Sight Picture:  Full sight, 6:00 hold.
Range:  50 yards. 

I was only able to fire three tables of fire today, which was intensely frustrating, but the good news is that the Flees conversion does actually work, and the rifle did shoot.   Unfortunately, seven rounds into the third table of fire I discovered that I could not get the breech to fall, and so I was unable to continue firing.  After getting home I was able to use a hammer and a plastic rod to tap the block down for cleaning; more on this in the Conclusion below.

The first table of fire was five rounds made with paper tubes instead of linen.  My intention was to use the paper tubes for casual plinking since they are easier to make than the linen cartridges.  Unfortunately, their accuracy was appallingly bad, as will be seen on the first target below.  I believe that the paper does not combust (it is not nitrated) as the linen does and so clings to the bullet as it flies downrange, acting as a drag on the bullet.  I didn’t bother to determine a string test score for this first table of fire as there was obviously no point; needless to say, this experiment was a failure and won’t be repeated.  The bullet holes covered in blue tape on the first target represent Table One using the paper cartridges.

Historical shooters who are not yet using the String Test as a way to track their results should be since it is both historically correct and far more meaningful and useful than just looking at group size.  To learn more about the String Test and how to use it read the essay linked here:
https://historicalshooting.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-string-test-measure-for-historical.html

Table Two

Table Two
5 rounds, 17.25 inches.
String Test:  3.45 in./rd.

Table Three

Table Three
7 rounds, 22 inches.
String Test:  3.14 in./rd.

Conclusion
Overall I am pleased—a rifle that shoots is far better than one that does not.  Moreover, the string test results are pretty good for a first time out with this piece, although naturally I hope to do better with practice.

Of course, having the block lock up was intensely frustrating.  I initially blamed this on fouling on the breech since the Sharps is widely known to have this problem, but it seemed odd given that I had only fired 17 rounds, and as bad as the Sharps is, that’s pretty extreme.  When I got home I carefully tapped the breech block out and discovered a lump of linen had been jammed between the breech and the block, effectively locking the whole thing in place.  This was confusing at first since these cartridges are nearly exact copies of those used in period, but I recalled that as I fired more rounds the cartridges started to protrude slightly from the chamber, no doubt because of the fouling which built up there.  This led me to realize that the breech was cutting off a small piece of linen that protruded from the chamber and that this was getting caught in the action.

It is essential to measure the length of the cartridges correctly when making them to ensure they fit the chamber perfectly, which I had done, but I didn’t take fouling into account.  The difference isn’t large, perhaps 1/32 or 1/16 in., but it’s enough to catch on the edge of the block when it closes.  That means that I have to go back and trim the former I use to make the shells slightly to make the overall cartridges slightly shorter so that they remain fully inside the chamber even when it is fouled.

Every step is a learning process, and I learned a lot today.  Still, I am thrilled at being able to shoot this piece at all, and I think that with a little work on the cartridges and a lot more practice I can improve my results significantly.