Old derelict revivals

Talk with other Shiloh Sharps shooters.

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mdeland
Posts: 11708
Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:47 pm

Old derelict revivals

Post by mdeland »

I bought this old girl last fall and showed some pictures of it's upgrades. She seemed to want to shoot after the lap job and recrown so I got digging around in my spare parts draw and found a aperture tang and blade front that seemed to fit the gun. Installed them last night and think it will make a pretty good Clang and Bang gun out to the 100-150 yard targets. This 43 Spanish cartridge is really beginning to grow on me with it's accurate 10 grain charge of Unique and the 400 grain bullet I worked up for it.
Bringing these old guns back to shooting trim with as much of the original equipment as can be salvaged really turns my crank. I tried to get the original front sight to work but is was hopeless. Kept the rear barrel sight and will try to get that regulated with the front but the tang sight should make it able to demonstrate it's full accuracy potential.
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mdeland
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Re: Old derelict revivals

Post by mdeland »

One more from the other side.
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mdeland
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Re: Old derelict revivals

Post by mdeland »

The forearm was split and had some oil rot so I dug all that out and glass bedded it back together, stained to the wood color. Replaced the trigger spring with a piano wire one and dressed the main hammer spring. A sear lift was installed to yield a crisp trigger break at 3 lbs.
The gun I believe shoots as well as it did from the factory and does not lead any at all which was a surprise to me. There is some bore pitting but the lap job leveled out the high spots and the fresh crown lets the bullet out uniformly.
I believe lots of barrels are pitched when all they need is some lapping and crowning to shoot as well and in some cases better than they did in factory new condition. Folks seem to forget that all a barrel need do in impart spin and not deform the bullet. Smooth and shiny looks better but means almost nothing to accuracy from what I continue to observe and learn of the subject.
Aviator
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Re: Old derelict revivals

Post by Aviator »

What is a sear lift?
mdeland
Posts: 11708
Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:47 pm

Re: Old derelict revivals

Post by mdeland »

I'll take the roller down and snap a picture. It limits the sear engagement into the hammer.
mdeland
Posts: 11708
Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:47 pm

Re: Old derelict revivals

Post by mdeland »

I drill a hole with a carbide drill 1/16 in. , fit a drill rod and lock-tite in place then taper it from back to front so the hammer cock won 't catch. It cams up to full cock cutting about half of the engagement.
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mdeland
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Re: Old derelict revivals

Post by mdeland »

Yuck,that is my infected and recovering thumb from the wood splitter encounter two weeks ago, sorry, I forgot about it until after the picture. :lol:
Aviator
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Re: Old derelict revivals

Post by Aviator »

Got it. Thanks for explaining!
Jimhp02
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Location: South Carolina

Re: Old derelict revivals

Post by Jimhp02 »

Fantastic!

I am amazed at how much you guys not only know about rifles but how you are able work on them, make parts, etc.
Hats off to you!

JimP
mdeland
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Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:47 pm

Re: Old derelict revivals

Post by mdeland »

In my case, being a tradesmen, I couldn't afford to buy all the stuff needed to bring these old guns back so it just wouldn't happen unless it can be done here at home. Most gun folks are capable of more than they often think with a little encouragement and training.
As I look around my shop with the lathe, two mills, three heat treating furnaces, electricity and multitude of tools hanging from the wall I think back to our fore fathers who basically had only fire and a file that they had often as not hand made and remember what they were able to accomplish. With all the crap I have available I should be able to produce lock,stock and barrel!
George Babits
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Joined: Tue Jun 16, 2015 10:53 am

Re: Old derelict revivals

Post by George Babits »

I did a similar "fix" on an 1894 Winchester that wouldn't cock. Hammer always fell to half cock. Did a lot of looking and measuring and then drilled a small hole in the part of the hammer engaging the breech bolt and glued in a little piece of drill rod. Works great. Never thought of doing the dame thing to the sear engagement. Might have to try that on one of my military Sharps carbines with an atrocious trigger pull. At least if I wreck it, I can get a new tumbler from Shiloh.

George
TexasMac
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Re: Old derelict revivals

Post by TexasMac »

mdeland wrote: Thu May 14, 2020 5:59 pm I drill a hole with a carbide drill 1/16 in. , fit a drill rod and lock-tite in place then taper it from back to front so the hammer cock won 't catch. It cams up to full cock cutting about half of the engagement.
That's a somewhat common method to reduce the trigger pull of a Trapdoor. I've been meaning to do the same to a TD carbine.

Wayne
NRA Life (Benefactor & President's Council) Member, TSRA Life Member, NSSF Member, Author & Publisher of the Browning BPCR book
http://www.texas-mac.com
mdeland
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Re: Old derelict revivals

Post by mdeland »

I usually do this in conjunction with stoning the engagement edges of the sear (trigger nose) and full cock notch on the hammer although I must admit the sear lift does most of the reduction. The edge squaring makes the let off a bit crisper, if accomplished correctly.
Two other trigger let off enhancements are trigger spring and main spring reduction and dressing. I always replace the trigger flat springs with one made of piano wire for two reasons, reliability and reduced tension.
mdeland
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Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:47 pm

Re: Old derelict revivals

Post by mdeland »

I want to add a caution with any sear work one undertakes and that is to concussion test under full mainspring load. I use a raw hide hammer to stoutly whack the butt, trigger guard and both sides of the receiver. If it can not be jolted off full cock I pronounce it safe.
Bad sear work can get you in big trouble in a hurry so do not fail to give it a real concussion test.
mdeland
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Re: Old derelict revivals

Post by mdeland »

I can't wait to whack some steel with this little carbine. Hope to have her sighted in for the June match! :D
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