Sharps .50 2 inch case

BIG50 · Post by **BIG50** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 2:26 pm

Having read and reread Frank Seller's excellent book I am curious about the .50 2 inch case that was introduced in JUly 1872 along with the 50-100.
Anyone know anything about this almost unheard of round. I would guess the powder charge with a case that lenght would be between 80 & 85 grains. Im curious as to why Shiloh or C. Sharps has never offered this chambering for I think many would think it a gem of a round. A little more punch than the 50-70 but without the brutal recoil offered by the 50-100 in a gun under 14 lbs. Maybe there has been a lack of interest, until know!

Thanks for any thoughts in advance!

BIG50 "MR. always looking for a new 50 to play with!"

Ken Hartlein · Post by **Ken Hartlein** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 6:29 pm

Sounds like just what I'm looking for.

krems · Post by **krems** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 8:36 pm

Big50, Ken

I've thought about this .50 caliber rifle for a while. I think I brought this up once before w/ Shiloh or possibly on shooters.com. I would be glad to split the custom reamer cost if you could talk Shiloh into chambering a rifle in this caliber. I'd put my name in the hat for a new rifle in this caliber. I'm sure there would be a way to make the available dies to work. I've got a lathe so I will make my own dies if necessary.

I shot my 50-90 rifle today and the recoil seemed to pound me more than I remember. A 565 grain slug at 1340 fps gets your attention after 25 rounds. This is still my most accurate BP hunting rifle. Not much fun off the bench in a 10.5 pound rifle. I like the idea of the 50-2.0" round instead. Keep stirring the pot..... I want one

Krems

Ken Hartlein · Post by **Ken Hartlein** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 9:51 pm

Thanks for the offer, and I am interested in the caliber for sure, but I just can't order anything right now. I'm way past my allowance for this year.

ssdave · Post by **ssdave** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 10:26 pm

There's a modern equivalent that is nearly identical. It is the .50 Alaskan, which is standardized at 2.1 inches. Starline makes brass for it, and RCBS makes dies. It might be heretical to chamber a sharps for it, but what the hell, mark it .50 - 2.1 and it'll shoot the same! Or chamber to .50-2.2 using a .50-110 reamer, and fireform .348 brass or trim .50-110. You could still use .50 alaskan dies. I use my .50 alaskan dies for the .50-2.4 case and chamber for .50 alaskan using a .50-110 reamer .

I posted a short dissertation on the .50 cartridges on the John King thread in reply to a question, might have been better posted here.

I personally shoot the .50 Alaskan using black powder, and it's a great cartridge. I'm much more pleased with it than I was with the .50-70 I had. Mostly because the brass is better and the .50-70's I had were original with too slow a twist for the bullets I wanted to use.

dave

Bearbait2 · Post by **Bearbait2** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 1:04 pm

ssdave,
We're doing the same thing with our .50AK (.50-70+-440) Marlin. Sure is a lot of fun!
Shoot Straight

Jack Bickley · Post by **Jack Bickley** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 9:10 pm

I want a .50 so bad I can taste it. But I'm hesitant to change my order to a 50-90. That .50 2" would be perfect for me. I'd order it in a heart beat, if it was offered.
Jack

Ken Hartlein · Post by **Ken Hartlein** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 9:23 pm

Jack, did you call Kirk and discuss it with him?? You can tell him there are more of us interested in it. If he chambered in it I probably would order it instead of the 50-90 or the -70. I guess folks now would call it the 50-80?? The correct way of course would be the 50 2.0.

Jack Bickley · Post by **Jack Bickley** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 10:38 pm

Ken,
No, I haven't. I have a Hartford 45-90 with a 30" heavy Oct. barrel on order, but I already have a 45-70, though its from across the sea. I keep thinking the 45-90 and 45-70 are so similar, I want something totally different in my Shiloh. I've come this = close the last week or so, to changing my order to the 50-90. I think a 50-90 the way I ordered it would weigh about 11.5 lbs. A 45-90 might be close to 12.5 lbs. At least from what I've been reading. I would check with Shiloh first.
I think, if memory serves me correctly, back about 1986 Buick built the Grand National and I wanted one real bad. I settled for an Olds. Cutlass that looked exactly like a 442, but without the 442 stripe on the rocker panel. I don't want that to happen again and talk about the Shiloh, I could have had.
Now don't get me wrong. I'm only using this as an example of something I really wanted, but didn't get. I'm not blasting anyones favorite caliber, of which I have many.
I think a .50 2", or the .50 2.1, would be great calibers if they were offered. But I keep thinking about that Grand National that got away.
Sounds like a 50-90 will be in my future.
Besides, I'm not getting any younger.

Jack

Jack Bickley · Post by **Jack Bickley** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 10:44 pm

Ken,
If the .50 2" was offered, I would get it instead of the the 50-90. I just don't think it would happen fast enough for my order.
Jack

Ken Hartlein · Post by **Ken Hartlein** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 11:23 pm

So would I. I'm going to order again in the spring, and it's going to be a .50 the -xx part is still to be determined. If they did offer a 50-2" I would most likely order that instead of a -70 or a -90. My good friend Lee Stone has a -90 on order that I'm going to shoot if he ever gets it, I want to feel the recoil first before I order either one. A lot of the fellows say a 50-70 is their favorite hunting rifle and the others say their favorite hunting rifle is a 50-90. I would bet either one would be excellant but a 50 2" would be perfectly in the middle in my humble opinion. If I get time next week I'll call Kirk and ask him about it. Maybe we could start a poll here to see how many would be interested?? Heck, I'll just start it now on the "Shooter to Shooter" forum.

krems · Post by **krems** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 12:07 am

Hello,
From a economical standpoint the 50 alaskan makes more sense.......but If I'm going to shoot a sharps rifle I want an original sharps caliber. I own both a 50-70 and 50-90 rifle. The 50-70 is a great caliber if you want to shoot 450 grain bullets. For my rifle and a 450 grain bullet I needed 3f powder to get 1250fps. Fouling was more noticable and the recoil was sharp. With the 50-90 your best option is to load with 1f and use heavier bullets. I'm using 102 grains swiss 1F w/ a deep seated 560 grain bullet at 1340 fps.

I keep thinking that with the 50 2.0" case you would have the option to use both light and heavy bullets with both swiss 1f and swiss 1 1/2F. This would make for a very good all around cartridge. I like the idea of it and I would buy one from shiloh if offered. Lets see...... a #3, extra fancy wood, aa finish, pewter tip, 28" bbl, sling swivels, ebony pistol grip, lawerence rear / blade front sight, bone pack case colored, checkered steel shotgun butt, did I leave anything out??...oh yea- 50 2.0" stamped on the barrel

Krems

Tejas Raz · Post by **Tejas Raz** » Thu Dec 04, 2003 9:54 pm

Sounds like the perfect .50 to me. The short Gov't is just not what I'd buy. Too common I guess with all the Rolling Blocks that were chambered for it. And the .50-90 although unique enough to warrant some serious consideration is probably just more recoil than I'd really want to shoot for any extended period of time. And I do like to shoot a lot. Isn't that why we want a Shiloh for? As far as length, if the 2.0" was originally chambered that is what I'd want to get. What a game getter it'd be! I really didn't know about this round. Going to have to pick up the Sellers book.

DO IT! Please!