Shiloh monster sighting

Talk with other Shiloh Sharps shooters.

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ScrapMetal
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Shiloh monster sighting

Post by ScrapMetal »

Sorry, no pictures, but I was down at a gun show in Lincoln, Nebraska on Saturday and a Shiloh Sharps rifle caught my attention. When I took a closer look there were a couple of details that struck me as a bit unusual.

First of all the barrel length appeared to be about 20" and it was also a heavy profile half hex/round. The stock seemed to be somewhat small to my eye. If I had to guess, which I did, the butt plate looked to measure about just over 4" high. The stock was also set for a shorter pull than I'm used to seeing. Now, these two details in themselves weren't all that strange but when you added the fact that it was chambered for the .50-140 cartridge the whole thing seemed almost monstrous.

I didn't have a chance to talk to the man running the table to get it's history but it just strikes me as being so out of the norm that I had to comment on it.

Anyone ever shot one of those beasts and managed to escape without injury?

-Ron
bobw
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Re: Shiloh monster sighting

Post by bobw »

Never seen one with a "hex " barrel either. I've kept one for the last 32 years though with a 34" std weight octagon. It's a miracle though considering when I joined this board and owed up to owning one everyone's advice except for a few that actually owned one was to have it rebarreled to 45-70. They are a monster on powder though less than 50 rds to the pound. But 50 rds last longer in a 50-140 than a 45-70. Rifle butt is 4 3/8" top to bottom but a shotgun butt is 5" and a pull of 14" for both. It does kill deer, antelope, and buffalo with out much problem. What is really monstrous is finding good brass for it and coughing up the $4 a case price damn near as bad as Jamison 40-70ss. Historically there probably are more short barreled 50-70 carbines around than any other configuration in originals anyway.. bobw
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Orville
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Re: Shiloh monster sighting

Post by Orville »

There is no such thing as a hex barrel, there are octagon.
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VectorMan
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Re: Shiloh monster sighting

Post by VectorMan »

5E0F46CD-D136-4242-8AA7-8C09EF656881.jpeg
This was a Shiloh I saw in 50-140 at the same gun show yesterday.
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kwilliams
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Re: Shiloh monster sighting

Post by kwilliams »

In the early yrs of Shiloh, Farmingdale etc. one would frequently see the .50-140's around. Not so much any more. I bet many where rebarelled.
bobw
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Re: Shiloh monster sighting

Post by bobw »

Lot of the early guns had C Sharps famous overbored freebore which plays hell on getting accuracy. With paper patch the trick to overcome this is to patch to the overbored freebore diameter and seat out about as far as you can. I heard one time Shiloh had.
rebarreled so many early guns that Kirk used all them for rebar in his basement walls. Guess a guy would have to ask him that. bobw
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marlinman93
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Re: Shiloh monster sighting

Post by marlinman93 »

When I was first offered my Freund Sharps in .50-140 I passed on it simply because of the chambering. Then the seller told me he had 6 boxes of loaded ammo, and another 6 boxes of new brass, molds, and a die set. I decided to go ahead and buy it, and hoped I could shoot it occasionally without dislocating my shoulder!
The Sharps has a 34" heavy barrel, and although I never fired any of the loaded ammo that was listed as IMR4198 loads with a 678 gr. paper patch bullet at 1600 fps., I did pull a couple boxes apart and made up my own BP loads using Swiss 1 1/2 and 500 gr. bullets, with filler to reduce the powder charge. These loads were so mild I began increasing the powder charge, and reducing filler until I got to 95 grs. of Swiss, and it's still very comfortable.
I'm glad I went ahead and got the .50-140, although it would be less work loading for a .50-90, the .50-140 is working out well.

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bobw
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Re: Shiloh monster sighting

Post by bobw »

Marlinman.93 what does that gun weigh? Have you checked the twist rate in it? Is it an original barrel with the chamber lengthen out in it? Or a newer barrel? Last year at the SCA show in Colo Sprgs a guy had a 34" bull barrel in 50-140 I am sure some old frontier gunsmith did that as the gun had good provenance and been used in the late 1880's. Another guy had original b gun with heavy rd barrel in 50 140 that had great provenance tracing it to being used in Artic exploration killing walrus, polar bear and some whales with it. He had a real neat display with it that garnered him a best of show award ..bobw
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bobw
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Re: Shiloh monster sighting

Post by bobw »

Edit to add that 1st 34" bull barrel gun was a Walter Cooper gun. The artic gun was " the North Pole" gun with octagon bull barrel. It was wrote up and featured in last summers "Sharps Collectors Report" as well as being featured in Roy Marcot book.. when I wrote the first post I had forgotten that I photoed them on my camera. If you want to see the photos pm me your phone number and I'll send them to you and you can post them if you like...bobw
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ScrapMetal
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Re: Shiloh monster sighting

Post by ScrapMetal »

bobw wrote: Sun Jan 29, 2023 6:38 am Never seen one with a "hex " barrel either... bobw
Thanks Bob, I misspoke "octagonal" barrel.
VectorMan wrote: Sun Jan 29, 2023 7:54 am 5E0F46CD-D136-4242-8AA7-8C09EF656881.jpeg

This was a Shiloh I saw in 50-140 at the same gun show yesterday.
Thanks for the picture. I don't carry a cell so I never have a camera at ready.

The way brass has increased in price recently I'd hate to try and keep one of those fed.
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desert deuce
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Re: Shiloh monster sighting

Post by desert deuce »

Finally, I see Scrapmetal has posted. Beginning to think he accidentally got run through a crusher at the yard. Welcome back.

FWIW, I know a lot of shooters that download their 45-90's and 45-100's so why not a 50-140?
Sometimes you get the chicken, and sometimes you get the feathers!
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ScrapMetal
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Re: Shiloh monster sighting

Post by ScrapMetal »

DD,

Heh, heh, I'm around the forum every night I just don't have a lot to add to the conversation most of the time. That's why I try to stay quiet and learn instead of open my mouth to share just how little I know.

Once the weather breaks a bit here in a couple of months I'll be able to get out and shoot. I am pretty sure that will generate many questions.

Down load a .50-140? It makes me nervous to not fill up a case. I can't imagine what contortions one would have to take to down load that cartridge.

-Ron
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Luke
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Re: Shiloh monster sighting

Post by Luke »

Invest in Cream of Wheat stocks.
Limber Up!
bobw
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Re: Shiloh monster sighting

Post by bobw »

Scrap , maybe Bertram still makes 50 basic but no one else does so the supply is down to finding the odd box here and there and paying what they want for it. If you want your 50-140 to shoot you load it up not down. I have both the 50-2.5" and the 50-70 for lower powered loads...bobw
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martinibelgian
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Re: Shiloh monster sighting

Post by martinibelgian »

Still have some 40-50 of Eldorado 50-140 brass, I use it as donor brass to make no.2 musket. That stuff must be pretty old...
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