40-90 Sharps Straight (3 1/4)

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Sharps4570
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2003 8:59 pm
Location: Billings

40-90 Sharps Straight (3 1/4)

Post by Sharps4570 »

I'm confused.
In researching the 4090SS I am getting ALOT of conflicting information as to when and and by whom this cartridge was made. A number of sources (Shiloh, Cartridges Of The World 9th ED, and others) say that Sharps never listed this cartridge.
A great book "The Buffalo Harvest" by (and about) Frank H. Mayer has Sharps chambering their rifles for it as early as 1874-75. He calls it the 40/90-320 and goes on to mention that he switched to a heavier bullet making it then a 40/90-420. He goes to great length praising his straight case and badmouthing the bottleneck case. Incidently if you haven't read this book you are really missing something. And he is very clear in this book that he is talking about the Straight case not the Bottleneck. Mr Mayer tells you to the penny what he made each year on the plains and so much more in such detail that I find it hard to believe that he is mistaken as to what his Sharps was chambered for.

Did Sharps chamber on a customers request ?

Was this the 40/90 Ballard case and just commonly called the the Sharps Straight.
Anyone have experience with either the 40/90 SS or BN ?
Good points , bad points ? This will be a hunting rifle.
I'm not trying to be contrary here, I'm just trying to find out as much as I can before plunking down two grand for ANOTHER Shiloh Sharps.
Thanks
When in doubt, empty the magazine.
MikeT
Posts: 667
Joined: Sun May 25, 2003 7:48 pm
Location: Saint Cloud, MN

Post by MikeT »

Sharps4570,
My friend has an original High Wall in 40-90SS [single shot], with a 1:18 twist barrel. This is a bad combination in that the twist is slow and the powder capacity is very large [more than 25% larger than my 40-82 Sil].
The powder volume needs a heavy bullet [maybe 445 grains +] to shoot clean. In a modern 40 caliber 1:16 twist it may be a better cartridge, cause the haevy bullet would be stabilized easier. The 40-90 Sharps BN has less volume than the 40-90SS, but I think it still has too much volume for a 40 caliber. A 40-70 SBN has a volume similar to the 40-82 Sil. that I shoot, and it is an original Sharps chambering. Something to think about: brass costs are steep in the 40-90SS.
Keep on hav'n fun!
MikeT
billyboy
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2002 5:17 pm
Location: east coast usa

Post by billyboy »

i have an original highwall rebarreled with badger barrel and 16 twist.
with black at 300 yards i am basically trying to get on target still.
with smokeless cast bullets it shot 3/8" at 100. the dwell time with black powder is what is killing me along with the rifles movement from recoil.
i am a small statured shooter,and it really is hard to get a grip with this combination.i will experiment some more with heavier bullets and such.
the brass is expensive,best price was 37.00 20rn bertram.

for hunting,i cannot see what the problem would be with open sights to 100.yds. it will probably kill anything on this continent and most of africa.
mmmm....smell that powder burn!!
N2
Posts: 148
Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2003 9:58 am
Location: North Texas

Post by N2 »

4570 - Sounds like you're confusing the 40-90 SS with the 40-90 BN. I believe the length of the 40-90 BN was/is 2 5/8", not the 3 1/4" of the 40-90 SS. Sharps did indeed chamber the BN case, but they weren't around for the 3 1/4" version.- Nick
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