farmer sharps '63

Support for the 1863 shooter. Discussions of powders, loads, bullets, etc.
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loophole
Posts: 179
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 4:15 pm
Location: asheville

farmer sharps '63

Post by loophole »

Boys, I ordered a farmingdale '63 carbine. Apparently UPS has it and it should be here next Tuesday.
I went back to the beginning of this forum and reviewed all the archived posts. It appears these guns never
attracted a lot of shooters and recently, as one member posted, this part of the site is dead as Caesar.
I shot an Ital. sporter years ago, and still have curler paper, tubes, round balls, Minnie balls. and X-mas tree bullets cast with a mold from Pedersoli.
I refer to myself as an advanced plinker. Haven't shot competitively in years, but I want to wring out all the accuracy I can get from the gun. I've read that Elmer Keith shot Sharps in turkey shoots at 50 and 100 yards in the '40's. Since I hardly ever get to shoot past 2oo yds, so short range accuracy is my goal.
I doubt that my 69 year old eyes will let me use barrel sights--if not I'll use a MVA tang sight.
Any words of wisdom?
Steve K
If at first you don't secede, try, try again.
holdover
Posts: 38
Joined: Sun Dec 26, 2010 11:23 am
Location: SW VA

Re: farmer sharps '63

Post by holdover »

I have a '63 carbine and a '63 rifle, both Farmingdale guns, that I shoot at N-SSA. They are both well made firearms and are also tack drivers. If I were to guess a round count in the time that I have owned them I would say the carbine is in excess of 10K and the rifle about 3K. I use Charlie Haun tubes in both, the carbine chamber is shorter and I use a tube 1.2, the rifle uses a 1.875 tube. I shoot the Rapine ringtail and use 50 gr 3FFF Swiss in the carbine and 64gr 3FFF Swiss in the rifle. The rifle will do a 2-2.5" group at 200 yds, better than most my CF rifles. I use to roll my own but when the tubes came out about 10 yrs ago switched to them.

As to this '63 site being dead, there are some of us '63 shooters from N-SSA that are on it on occasion, so I will say for all of us, welcome to the club and Happy Easter.
holdover
Posts: 38
Joined: Sun Dec 26, 2010 11:23 am
Location: SW VA

Re: farmer sharps '63

Post by holdover »

My eyes are also 69 yrs old. The way I get around that problem is that I made a insert out of brass that fits into the slide. One end is drilled for 50 yds and the other for 100( trial & error to get it right). With the rifle I use two inserts one for the 50 & 100 and the other for 200. Makes a world of difference looking through a peep site. I hold them in place with a few turns of black electrical tape, been doing this for years. Thought about using a tang site like I have on my '74 sharps, but it is not allowed in N-SSA competition because they were never used on CW Sharps.
loophole
Posts: 179
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 4:15 pm
Location: asheville

Re: farmer sharps '63

Post by loophole »

Thanks for the info. I'm looking for the carbine to arrive tomorrow. I will have to cut down the tubes I bought for
the Armisport rifle years ago. How do you lube bullets?
Steve K
If at first you don't secede, try, try again.
holdover
Posts: 38
Joined: Sun Dec 26, 2010 11:23 am
Location: SW VA

Re: farmer sharps '63

Post by holdover »

after I load the tubes, BTW I put a small dab of Elmers construction glue ( the brown water proof one) on the ringtail to keep them from coming apart, i dip them in lube to cover the bullet up to the tube. For lube I use 25 % beeswax and 75 % crisco by weight.
loophole
Posts: 179
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 4:15 pm
Location: asheville

Re: farmer sharps '63

Post by loophole »

Farmingdale '63 arrived yesterday. srn 7xx. Looks almost new. Boise Gun Company--good folks to do business with.
I have to pan lube some bullets I cast years ago.
I like the feel and looks of this carbine so much I may look for a '74 carbine.
Steve K
If at first you don't secede, try, try again.
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