Spare parts?

Manny Clothakis · Post by **Manny Clothakis** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 6:24 pm

Just received my #1 sporter and I must say it is a beautiful rifle to say the least. Thank you Ben Amonnette (advertises on Guns America) has Shilou Sharps available for immediate sale. My question is, what spare parts should I keep on hand, please provide input from your experiences, thanks in advance.

Manny

Tasmanian Rebel · Post by **Tasmanian Rebel** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 8:57 pm

Manny, one item you need is a lever spring. After roughly 1000 rds one day I noticed the lever wasn't returning tightly back to the stock. The gun still shot perfectly fine but when I took the gun down I noticed a small crack in the lever spring (the flat spring which keeps tension on the lever). I called Shiloh and 2 days later I received a new one per priority mail free of charge. I talked to one of the ladies at Shiloh(Lucinda I think?) and asked her the same thing you are asking here. She thought it would be a good idea to have a spare lever spring. I think also she said an extra firing pin would be good. I'm not sure about the firing pin but am about the lever spring. Maybe/hopefully Kirk or someone "official" will jump in here give you a better answer than me. I think one has to realize even though these guns Shiloh puts out are super first-rate we're still dealing with a design in the mid-late 1800's so things sometimes break. Of course you could do like I did and get another Shiloh for a backup!

Manny Clothakis · Post by **Manny Clothakis** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 6:24 am

Tas, thanks for the reply and suggestions. I will order the parts, makes sense to me to have on hand. As you stated they are an 1800's design and may be weak in certain areas, but man they did a pretty good job back in those early days of design and reliability. Anyone know how to remove the firing pin? I'll have to take another look at it see if it is a problem piece to remove/reinstall. Thanks again, Manny

Jim Watson · Post by **Jim Watson** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 2:10 pm

A friend of mine has broken a lever spring and two transfer bars. (The Shiloh has a transfer bar that the hammer hits and a teeny little separate firing pin of small diameter for stout smokeless loads. It is all one piece in originals.) Disassembly is out the back of the breechblock, one screw and slide the cover plate out.

He notes that the gun kept shooting even with the busted pieces and did not find the first broken transfer bar until doing a thorough cleaning before a big shoot. When he went to rob the bar out of his other Shiloh, he found it broken, too. Fortunately he has three Shilohs.

Manny Clothakis · Post by **Manny Clothakis** » Fri Dec 26, 2003 7:55 am

Jim, I have looked at the sharps parts list and do not see a "transfer bar" that you refer to in your reply. I do see a "firing pin plate item #19", is this the part that you say has broken on your friends Shilou

. Also, as I look at the firing pin it appears to be one piece, at least that is what it looks like in the illustration, please let me know . I have not disassembled my gun yet Thanks Manny

Jim Watson · Post by **Jim Watson** » Fri Dec 26, 2003 10:09 am

Sorry, Manny, I don't have a Shiloh Sharps, parts list, or diagram.

I HAVE seen my friend's guns taken apart and the actual firing pin is separate from what I call the transfer bar. I don't know what Kirk calls it. Maybe he could furnish descriptions and instructions.

It is all one piece on an original... my friend showed me the spare for his Sharps conversion carbine.