Plan "B" required. I HAVE NO Plan "B."

[Naphtali]

My Shiloh 1863 Sporting Rifle will be delivered tomorrow. During my chat with Brooke G., I asked about sending my "B" prefix 1863 cavalry carbine for them to remanufacture to replicate the rifle they just shipped. Brooke responded that not only are 1863s temporarily discontinued; they are discontinued! Shiloh has no inventoried .54-caliber barrels or barrel blanks. Shiloh is, ergo, unable to make any major adjustments or 'smithing such as about which I asked.

This I never imagined.

And never having imagined it, I have no alternate method of metamorphosing my cavalry carbine to sporting rifle. The BIG problem is a .54-caliber barrel that has barrel steel of similar quality as Shiloh's AISI 4150. Badger made AISI 4140 barrels, but Badger is no more. Krieger can do the job, but the wait is close to eternal. Muzzleloading .54-caliber barrels are available. But 12L14, 1137, etc. are barrel steels I rule out, and rifling configuration and rate of twist are generally intended for patched round balls.

A Plan "B" is required. But I have none. After successfully addressing the barrel issue, the remainder of the metamorphosis is straightforward gun making. I believe I would go so far as swapping Bryan-era barrels, perhaps including most of the rest of my cavalry carbine for someone's 30-inch Shiloh .54-caliber barrel.

I welcome help and suggestions.

[cjensen]

Are you hung up on the 54? I would think there may be more options for say a 45.
Good to see they are finally turning out the final four or five.
Maybe mine will be here for Christmas.
Carl

[Kirk]

Hey guys,
Brook is new in the office and just got mixed up, sorry. I just discontinued the military rifles and carbines, we can rebarrel to an octagon barrel and fix you up, don't panic!! I am so behind on the 74's and now the 77's that are coming around the bend that I just can't afford to tear the whole shop down to do a handfull of military barrels, that's all. For the newer sharps guys, I done this one time before in the mid to later 90's when I found myself with a 5 year backorder.

I am also still doing repair to all of them,

Sorry for the mix up,,

Kirk

[Naphtali]

Hey guys,
Brook is new in the office and just got mixed up, sorry. I just discontinued the military rifles and carbines, we can rebarrel to an octagon barrel and fix you up, don't panic!! I am so behind on the 74's and now the 77's that are coming around the bend that I just can't afford to tear the whole shop down to do a handfull of military barrels, that's all. For the newer sharps guys, I done this one time before in the mid to later 90's when I found myself with a 5 year backorder.

I am also still doing repair to all of them,

Sorry for the mix up,,

Kirk

Whew!

Kirk:

Many thanks for the welcome clarification. I will call you after the first of the year to identify my next step. But for now I will enjoy the smell of gunsmoke from my 1863 Sporting Rifle.
***
Carl:

I am not "hung up" on .54-caliber. But that's the largest bore available from Shiloh. I max out at .72-caliber - for going head-to-head for one shot at cape buffalo. And, yes, my .72s are being made as I keyboard.

http://www.klstottlemyer.com/klstottlem ... Henry.html

[cjensen]

I would agree, YOU do need big balls when facing a buffalo. I have the Pedersoli 72 double rifle.

[Naphtali]

I would agree, YOU do need big balls when facing a buffalo. I have the Pedersoli 72 double rifle.

Carl:

I, too, have a Kodiak Safari. It is on the block because it cannot accept bullet and load needed. The English-style big bores being made will. And they will be works of art that go "bang" rather than merely a tool. Nevertheless, the higher grade Kodiak Safari is well made and incredibly forgiving to regulate - although regulating is unneeded.

I'm confident you have deduced that a cape buffalo hunt is my "McGuffin" to justify the rifles being built.

[cjensen]

So, how's your new Shiloh?

[snapcap14]

My Shiloh 1863 Sporting Rifle will be delivered tomorrow. During my chat with Brooke G., I asked about sending my "B" prefix 1863 cavalry carbine for them to remanufacture to replicate the rifle they just shipped. Brooke responded that not only are 1863s temporarily discontinued; they are discontinued! Shiloh has no inventoried .54-caliber barrels or barrel blanks. Shiloh is, ergo, unable to make any major adjustments or 'smithing such as about which I asked.

This I never imagined.

And never having imagined it, I have no alternate method of metamorphosing my cavalry carbine to sporting rifle. The BIG problem is a .54-caliber barrel that has barrel steel of similar quality as Shiloh's AISI 4150. Badger made AISI 4140 barrels, but Badger is no more. Krieger can do the job, but the wait is close to eternal. Muzzleloading .54-caliber barrels are available. But 12L14, 1137, etc. are barrel steels I rule out, and rifling configuration and rate of twist are generally intended for patched round balls.

A Plan "B" is required. But I have none. After successfully addressing the barrel issue, the remainder of the metamorphosis is straightforward gun making. I believe I would go so far as swapping Bryan-era barrels, perhaps including most of the rest of my cavalry carbine for someone's 30-inch Shiloh .54-caliber barrel.

I welcome help and suggestions.

STOP! STOP! why in the H would you destroy a shiloh cav Carbine. when no more will be made! It will only go up in value. Or sell it! go to the NSSA board and you can probably get top $$. then have what you want built.

[Naphtali]

STOP! STOP! why in the H would you destroy a shiloh cav Carbine. when no more will be made! It will only go up in value. Or sell it! go to the NSSA board and you can probably get top $$. then have what you want built.

I appreciate your concern. Having typed that, to order another new rifle from a class that has been indefinitely discontinued leaves me with nothing. Since I strongly prefer a Bryan-made rifle to a previous version, my options are limited to the unit I have. Were you to have, or be able to obtain, a "B" series 1863 rifle with Creedmoor stock, we can arrange an exchange of some sort.

Were I to have the carbine remanufactured, I would ask to retain its unique parts. This would allow someone else to remanufacture his Shiloh Sharps to a carbine configuration.

[snapcap14]

STOP! STOP! why in the H would you destroy a shiloh cav Carbine. when no more will be made! It will only go up in value. Or sell it! go to the NSSA board and you can probably get top $$. then have what you want built.

I appreciate your concern. Having typed that, to order another new rifle from a class that has been indefinitely discontinued leaves me with nothing. Since I strongly prefer a Bryan-made rifle to a previous version, my options are limited to the unit I have. Were you to have, or be able to obtain, a "B" series 1863 rifle with Creedmoor stock, we can arrange an exchange of some sort.

Were I to have the carbine remanufactured, I would ask to retain its unique parts. This would allow someone else to remanufacture his Shiloh Sharps to a carbine configuration.

The way I read it only the Mil Barrels are discontinued. so a sportster rifle can be made or had. Thus you would not have to alter a mi. carbine or rifle.

[Naphtali]

STOP! STOP! why in the H would you destroy a shiloh cav Carbine. when no more will be made! It will only go up in value. Or sell it! go to the NSSA board and you can probably get top $$. then have what you want built.

I appreciate your concern. Having typed that, to order another new rifle from a class that has been indefinitely discontinued leaves me with nothing. Since I strongly prefer a Bryan-made rifle to a previous version, my options are limited to the unit I have. Were you to have, or be able to obtain, a "B" series 1863 rifle with Creedmoor stock, we can arrange an exchange of some sort.

Were I to have the carbine remanufactured, I would ask to retain its unique parts. This would allow someone else to remanufacture his Shiloh Sharps to a carbine configuration.

The way I read it only the Mil Barrels are discontinued. so a sportster rifle can be made or had. Thus you would not have to alter a mi. carbine or rifle.

I wish it were so. 1863 cap lock Shilohs are discontinued; they are not permanently discontinued. My interpretation of Kirk's reply is that existing 1863 can be serviced. While non-round barrels can be ordered, no barrels are in inventory. But .54-caliber octagonal and/or half-round barrels may be run every so often.

So the short form is: If you don't have an 1863, you will not have a newly ordered one for the foreseeable future. But if you have an 1863, Shiloh can and will service it.

[tljack]

Give Oregon Barrel a try. They will make just about any barrel although they specialize in muzzle loading and other black powder barrels. I have a couple of their barrels and they are nice. I believe they have a pretty good turn around time.

They are owned by The Muzzle Loading Emporium in Springfield Oregon. Contact Joe Williams. No. I have not financial affiliation with them.