The Mini Sharps Dakota

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mdeland
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The Mini Sharps Dakota

Post by mdeland »

Now most of the metal work and finish is done it's time to put the wood on. I was delighted to find this stock has been pantagraph inlet-ted removing a huge amount of work. Final lines have to be established and butt plate fit but the actual tang fit is pretty close with just a bit of scrape fitting left.
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rebsr52339
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Re: The Mini Sharps Dakota

Post by rebsr52339 »

Looks like you are going to have a very nice looking rifle. There is a lot of satisfaction in stocking and finishing a project like that. Good luck and would like to see photos of the finished project.
rebsr52339
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Re: The Mini Sharps Dakota

Post by rebsr52339 »

Looks like you are going to have a very nice looking rifle. There is a lot of satisfaction in stocking and finishing a project like that. Good luck and would like to see photos of the finished project.
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Lumpy Grits
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Re: The Mini Sharps Dakota

Post by Lumpy Grits »

Outstanding :!:
Gary
"Hav'n you along, is like loose'n two good men"
mdeland
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Re: The Mini Sharps Dakota

Post by mdeland »

This little jewel is chambered in 30-30 and should be a hoot for deer or especially this winter clang and bang matches. Hope it shoots straight as the bore is a bit out of co-axis with the oct flats as I found when I turned that half round. It really should be froze normalized me thinks but we'll see how she does.
Firing pin makes a light strike as well so will have to map out what's the trouble here. Bar and pin seem to function correctly when manually operated but not from hammer drop so may have a lock problem to solve. Main spring seems plenty heavy so I'm thinking some kind of impediment some where in the lock.
The action is brand spanking new so a few bugs are to be expected, especially in a reduced scale model.
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kenny s
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Re: The Mini Sharps Dakota

Post by kenny s »

strop the wood and metal together after you bed it. AND bed it well.
then the fit will be perfect.
Ken
mdeland
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Re: The Mini Sharps Dakota

Post by mdeland »

Yeah, I'm a real believer in under-bedding after fitting the wood at the surface to the metal as closely as I can. I get a lot of flack from muzzle loader builders about bedding under the lock and tang to reinforce the paper thin wood left and to prevent oil soak but I do it any way traditional or not' There just ain't much wood left with the tang, lock plate and loading rod tunnel wood removed. About the same with these Sharps guns less the loading rod tunnel.
If done well under neath no one can tell until they take the gun down.
Michael Johnson

Re: The Mini Sharps Dakota

Post by Michael Johnson »

Mike, where did the action and the stock come from? Looks like an interesting project. Keep the photos coming.
mdeland
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Re: The Mini Sharps Dakota

Post by mdeland »

It's Mike Milholands project that he needed some help on and I've kind of been sitting on it for about a year while I cleaned up a few others. Dakota made a run of these I think 3/4 scale model and Mike just happen to snag an action before they quit making them. I did have t o make a new extractor for it as the one that came in the gun was for a small headed rimmed case and just wouldn't work on a 30-30 very well.
Other than that and the problem in the lock all else seems to be straight Sharps as far as I can see just smaller.
I think the stock may have been Tree-bone but will ask him next time he comes over.
Oh I also had to make the front sight to scale and to except Lyman sight inserts. That turned out to be quite a project as I ruined the first sight barrel when setting it up in the mill to cut the insert slot. Had to turn a new sight barrel, sweat it to the base again and re-cut the interior cap threads. Cutting that little bitty interior thread against a shoulder ( I think I remember it being 54 tpi) on the lathe made some sweat beads pop out on my brow but it turned out fine.
mdeland
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Re: The Mini Sharps Dakota

Post by mdeland »

Here are the parts talked about. You can see how I swelled the sight barrel in the mill vice by just a touch to much pressure. About pee'd myself when I felt it co-laps cause I knew I just made a bunch more work!
New on in the middle with the base re-soldered and the cap removed.
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New extractor on the right. Not the difference in the claw size and thickness.
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Reassembled block and lever after Neidner rust bluing:
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Lumpy Grits
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Re: The Mini Sharps Dakota

Post by Lumpy Grits »

Nice :!:
G.
"Hav'n you along, is like loose'n two good men"
mdeland
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Re: The Mini Sharps Dakota

Post by mdeland »

Well, I'm nearing the end of this project as the wood finish is going on. No checkering on this gun but do still have to attach that little pistol grip addition made of Rose wold or Ebony I guess. I'll post some pictures of the finished gun when it is.
I pulled the trigger on a flint rifle kit that is on the way. Bought the Classic Tennessee kit from Track of The Wolf with fancy grade maple stock and Chambers/Siler custom lock. Hope to have it ready by June for the Territorial match.
Had two flint pistols for some time and have wanted to build a flint long gun for about five years so finally got around to starting the project.
I chose the Classic Tenn. rifle with iron furniture.
I want a plain Jane well built rifle without all the gawdy crap inletted all over the stock. Let the fit, finish and grain of the wood be the only decoration. It will be in a Green Mtn in .45 cal with a 36 inch 13-16s across the flats barrel, full stock. Should be a light rifle it carry and shoot.
I'll post some pictures as I get going.
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Lumpy Grits
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Re: The Mini Sharps Dakota

Post by Lumpy Grits »

What are you using for the wood finish?
G.
"Hav'n you along, is like loose'n two good men"
mdeland
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Re: The Mini Sharps Dakota

Post by mdeland »

I have come to like the Mini-wax Satin aerosol spray on verathane, for sealing stock wood, after sanding to 400 grit. I give it two seal coasts with a sand down in between coats. I give each seal coat 3 days to dry. This stuff is excellent because it is very thin, penetrates well and is water proof when cured.
After the second coat of verethane has cured I use Tru-oil , hand rubbed out and steel wool-ed when dry, between coats. It looks like a complete hand rubbed oil finish but with a water proof seal underneath.
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Lumpy Grits
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Re: The Mini Sharps Dakota

Post by Lumpy Grits »

Thank you :!:
G.
"Hav'n you along, is like loose'n two good men"
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