New to me Shiloh Sharps

[doug_bailey]

Hi All

I just picked up a "new to me" Shiloh Sharps - more or less on impulse. It was there, it was pretty... very pretty. But I'm clueless, so I thought I'd introduce myself and ask some dumb questions:

1. The serial number is B8415. Is there a list or something I can look at to find out more about what I bought? It looks like an 1874 "Sporter" with some nice wood and finish. I'll try to figure out how to attach a photo.

2. When I inspected it, it seemed "dry" - unlubricated and unloved for a long time. It came with a case that was sun bleached on one side, and a few specs of rust on the hinges. The barrel also had a small patch of red rust, but that went away when I rubbed it with my finger. I cleaned the bore - which was squeeky clean already - not a mark on the patch - and I dripped a little gun oil here and there, but my instinct is to take it to pieces and lube the action properly before cocking the hammer. How hard is that to do? Is there an online manual that I can download?

3. I don't think this rifle has been fired, so the trigger is probably not set up. Is there a primer on how to do that?

4. Can I dry fire it, or should I put a used case in to buffer the pin while playing with the set trigger?

5. I have some 45-70 ammo - lead plinking rounds (405 grn, 1413 fps) and some copper hunting hollowpoints (300 grn, 1925 fps). Any constraints on using either round in the Shiloh? Both work great in a 1886 (made in 1894) Winchester.

6. If I take it to the range and sight down the bore, then set up the sights to match, am I going to be on the paper at 100 yards or do I need to do something special?

Anything else I need to know?

Doug

Shiloh.jpg

[bobw]

Hi All

I just picked up a "new to me" Shiloh Sharps - more or less on impulse. It was there, it was pretty... very pretty. But I'm clueless, so I thought I'd introduce myself and ask some dumb questions:

1. The serial number is B8415. Is there a list or something I can look at to find out more about what I bought? It looks like an 1874 "Sporter" with some nice wood and finish. I'll try to figure out how to attach a photo.
Call shiloh they can tell you when it was made.

2. When I inspected it, it seemed "dry" - unlubricated and unloved for a long time. It came with a case that was sun bleached on one side, and a few specs of rust on the hinges. The barrel also had a small patch of red rust, but that went away when I rubbed it with my finger. I cleaned the bore - which was squeeky clean already - not a mark on the patch - and I dripped a little gun oil here and there, but my instinct is to take it to pieces and lube the action properly before cocking the hammer. How hard is that to do? Is there an online manual that I can download?
Might be a manual under the foam in the case. Wipe down to exterior with oily rag for protection of finish. No new shiloh needs to be disassembled for tinkering.just put a drop of oil each side of breech block, ease hammer back to safety notch (1/4") or so open action

3. I don't think this rifle has been fired, so the trigger is probably not set up. Is there a primer on how to do that?
Triggers are adj at the factory unless it does work don't mess with it.

4. Can I dry fire it, or should I put a used case in to buffer the pin while playing with the set trigger?
That question you ask Kirk at Shiloh, myself I think dry firing is idiots play

5. I have some 45-70 ammo - lead plinking rounds (405 grn, 1413 fps) and some copper hunting hollowpoints (300 grn, 1925 fps). Any constraints on using either round in the Shiloh? Both work great in a 1886 (made in 1894) Winchester.
45-70's from shiloh are warranteed to use Factory smokeless loads.

6. If I take it to the range and sight down the bore, then set up the sights to match, am I going to be on the paper at 100 yards or do I need to do something special?
Looked like a MVA Soule sight. Use a big fresh card board target backer behind your target set up at 50 yds. Can't see what your Hartford has for a frt sight so I can't tell you where to set the rear.maybe start at 20 pts on the staff.

Anything else I need to know?
Yeah those 300's will be heavy recoil stick with the lower velocity 400's. Use Google search engine to find answers on the shiloh forum it works better. All your questions been asked many times

Doug

Shiloh.jpg

[bobw]

The rear barrel sight will probably be in the way for 50 yds go with a 100 and about 25 pts. Next don't shoot it with the rear sight down good way to lose an eye..bobw

[John Bly]

It looks like a nice rifle. The trigger is probably OK as is. You can dry fire the trigger with the hammer all the way down on the firing pin. Don't dry fire the trigger at half cock. Put a drop of oil on the lever hinge pin if it seems dry. The lock internals are generally fairly dry. If you take the lock out be careful not to chip any wood around the lock. You can do this by putting the lock on half cock then loosening the lock screws a little and tapping on them to start the lock out of the wood. Go a little at a time on each screw until the lock is free of the wood.

You will be better served by shooting lead bullets and black powder. It is not a good idea to mix lead bullets and copper bullets in the same rifle unless you clean ALL the copper out of the barrel before going back to lead. I would bore sight it and shoot the first shot up close something like 25 yds. Adjust the sight and move to 50 yds. Shoot again and adjust the sight. Now move to 100 yds and finish sighting in. This will save ammo and frustration from the start. Good luck with you new rifle. You will gets lots of advice on here. Keep asking questions if in doubt about anything.

[SSShooter]

Where are you located? Finding a fellow Shiloh shooter to go over things with you might be easy.
Remember, go to half-cock before opening the action. Unlike your 1885, needs to become a "force of habit".

[doug_bailey]

Where are you located? Finding a fellow Shiloh shooter to go over things with you might be easy.
Remember, go to half-cock before opening the action. Unlike your 1885, needs to become a "force of habit".

San Jose, CA. Would definitely like to meet someone locally who knows what they are doing. The rifle is too pretty to mess up, but I want to shoot it (I'm not a wall-hanger kind of person), so some local advice would be great. Also, I probably need to learn to reload. 45-70 is not a cheap round, or easy to find. I have a bucket full of once-fired brass and some lead ballast from an old sailing boat - likely has antimony in it, hopefully not a problem - so the cost of plinking with either the Winchester or the Shiloh would fall dramatically with a little investment in equipment and education.

[Randy Bohannon]

Attend one of the BP events at the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center, call them for dates and times. I started there and was rewarded with many fine men who freely gave help and direction , I too started with a Bryan Shiloh 45-70 and a Paul Jones Creedmoor 45001 540 gr. bullet mould @ 459” cast with 20:1 Roto Metals alloy which is still a valid bullet design for silhouette shooting with 69 grs of Swiss 1.5. Steve Brooks makes a perfect copy of this bullet and I would highly recommend since P.J. is no longer with us.
When you get to the reloading with BP your brass will benefit from annealing, a whole new endeavor. Buffalo Arms for a custom expander that matches your annealed fired brass dimensions at the case mouth +001-002” to compensate for “spring back” . Both of my Shiloh 45-70’s like a 460” bullet very much. One 2007 1874 and a 2022 1877 . This will keep you busy for some time.

Congrats on a fine rifle.

[doug_bailey]

The Sac BP events look quite convenient for me. Just a couple hour drive and they happen the first Saturday of each month - so regular enough to pick one and just go for it. But I'll need some loads to show up with since it's BP only. Does anyone make them commercially so I can get started without being booed off the range for not making enough smoke?

[Lumpy Grits]

OP, call Shiloh and ask for the build sheet info.

[Griff]

The Sac BP events look quite convenient for me. Just a couple hour drive and they happen the first Saturday of each month - so regular enough to pick one and just go for it. But I'll need some loads to show up with since it's BP only. Does anyone make them commercially so I can get started without being booed off the range for not making enough smoke?

My first match, I just attended as a spectator (bring ear and eye protection as well as a notebook and pencil). The folks there were super helpful and gave me all kinds of pointers. Some opinions were conflicting, but they bent over backwards to get me going. Just an option.

Griff

[Randy Bohannon]

Try Buffalo Arms for loaded B/P ammo ,be prepared for sticker shock if available otherwise it’s a do it on your own proposition . You will also need a drop tube, powder compression die, BA will have everything you need , 45 cal wads .60” work well. Swiss 1F or 1.5 powder.

[SSShooter]

But I'll need some loads to show up with since it's BP only. Does anyone make them commercially so I can get started without being booed off the range for not making enough smoke?

Again, try Buffalo Arms. My first BP loads came from them just before the turn-of-the-century. Give them a call. Even if you show up with lead bullets & smokeless you will likely be allowed to shoot (just can't win anything). Invaluable experience.
And, have fun. Nothing like loading & shooting your own ammo once you get to that point.
This is good 'starter' book to get you casting & loading for yourself: https://shopspg.net/ols/products/black- ... ing-primer

[doug_bailey]

Wow - thanks for the links and advice. After consuming online written resources, Youtubes and so-on, I realize that this is becoming quite the rabbit hole.

I really want to get some lubricant into the action, but I can't find a manual online (except for Pedersoli), so I think I'll start removing screws until something falls off. Then take photos so I can reassemble it with not too many parts left over. If this thing was designed in the mid 1800's so it could be field serviced by a guy with a flat bladed screwdriver and no iphone, I bet I can figure it out using the internet and some patience.

Next, go shoot it with the Choice Ammo 45-70 /405 grain smokeless loads that I already have - they group pretty nicely out of my 1894 vintage 1886 at 100 yards (3"), and see what the modern-made Sharps does with factory ammo.

Then, get busy buying a 500+ grain mold, some real black powder (yes, modern smokeless would be cleaner and less trouble, but "in for a penny, in for a pound") and the equipment needed to reload the brass that I just emptied, and see what happens. It's going to be fun...

[Ray Newman]

To remove the lock/action from the stock without chipping the wood inletting:

1-Cock hammer to relieve pressure on the firing pin.

2-Unscrew the 2 lock screws until the screw heads are just proud of the wood.

3-Take a small light hammer and gently tap the screws heads back into the stock.

4-Repeat 2 & 3 above until the action/lock is free from stock.

[doug_bailey]

The cleanliness of the bore and general lack of knocks, dings or any other marks indicate that the rifle has not been fired. So does the lack of a reticle in the front sight. I bought card "Sharps A" from MVA, which has a bunch of sights on it. What do most people use in their rifles for silouettes?