Having to get used to the Sharps

[TexasMac]

Shiloh certainly makes a very nice rifle, & I have to hand it to the company for the design of their .40-65 chamber. I made it to the local range yesterday before the cold/wet weather hit to fireform a bunch of Rem. brass that I’d reformed from .45-70. After trimming, fireforming & final trim, the BACO 409400M4 16:1 alloy bullet finger seats with just the right amount of tension. Neck resizing & expanding is not necessary as it is with the “generous” .40-65 chamber in my Browning.

BTW, besides the fact that I have a bunch of .45.70 Rem. brass, I prefer it for the Sharps since the neck taper of the brass closely matches the neck taper of the chamber, resulting in a neck with a constant inside diameter (ID) after fireforming. Starline brass necks are not tapered, at least the .45-70 Starline brass I have is not, (straight constant-thickness walls for about 0.5”). Therefore the neck ID of fireformed cases gets smaller moving away from the lip, which should make it progressive harder to finger seat a bullet. I’m speculating here since I do not have any Starline .40-65 brass, but only Starline .45-70, which definitely have straight-wall necks.

Now, if I can just get used to going to half-cock after firing and full-cock after loading with the Sharps. Also, since I use a scope & wipe between shoots, I’ve quickly learned that it’s easier to grab a patch & position it with my left hand and also load a new cartridge with the left hand.

Although the Browning is also scoped, everything was preformed with my right hand since the small center located hammer was not in the way when retracted, plus the hammer automatically backs away from the firing pin before the block moves and to full cock by further lowering the lever.

Wayne

[Trigger1212]

TM,

Sounds like the Browning is an automatic, where's the fun in that?! I prefer a manual to an automatic...

Just kidding as I don't even have my Sharps yet (on THE list), my current BP burner is about as simple as it gets, a very nice roller. I'm sure I will have to go through a "functional adjustment period" also, part of the fun!

Cheers!

Wade

[Nuclearcricket]

It just takes a little practice is all and then it will become habit. Shoot, half-cock, open, clean, reload, full cock, set and fire. Having shot Sharps, roller, stevens and a little bit with a browning, they are all different but if you keep your mind in the game you will be fine. I know that there are a number of left handed shooters using the Sharps and most likely that is the hardest part to transition to. The reaching over the action to cock the hammer but a little practice and I am sure it will soon become second nature. Perhaps one advantage of reaching over the action is that you can fold the sight back at the same time, kind of killing 2 birds with one stone.
Sam

[Woody]

Shooting a Sharps left handed is not a problem. Been doing it for over 40 years with both originals and two Shilohs. Now switching from a single set to a double set will wake you up when you push forward on the rear trigger of a double set.

Woody

[Steve Rhoades]

Learned the hard way about pushing the rear trigger forward but you'll never have to worry about the gun going off when you close the block.