Sharps Newbie Steps

[James M]

Sharps Newbie Steps

1. Read every post on the Shiloh forums
2. Collect Sharps/ BPBR related web sites.
3. Order the Shiloh Catalog, and three books on Sharps rifles
4. Hold & inspect various Shiloh Sharps for the first time @ Fowler's gun room (California)
5. Make preliminary support equipment list. Evaluate reloading scenarios.
6. Visit ranges, talk with match participants.
Hopefully handle & shoot a Sharps; gauge reach, weight, and recoil tolerance.
7. Meet Shiloh @ the July 18 Del Mar gun show.
8. ORDER my fancy 2006 Shiloh Sharps order a plain Shiloh too.
9. Acquire a reloading bench & equipment
...and so it goes.

[Smokin]

James M,

Your process sounds about right. Don't forget about casting. Likely you will discover if you begin with purchased bullets, that your homemade bullets will be of higher quality than what you are able to buy. In time you may discover that your affection for your new sport will become an affliction growing into a syndrome. I am thus burdened with lubaholism, Ballardosis, and Shilohitis. I'm beginning to wonder if I also haven't come down with gadgetoma.

I guess what it boils down to is get really good with one rifle, or be prepared to have fun with a dabble here and a dabble there. After all, one can never know how well that other caliber will shoot until one tries it, and that bone and charcoal pack case hardening will probably enable that new rifle to both function better and look its best...and so it goes.

Good luck

[James M]

Smokin,
Are you saying the bone & charcoal pack improves function? I'm partial to the french gray(engraved). I'm thinking about casting too, but it seems very skill oriented; what with all the stopwatch timing, and not ruining moulds et alia. My apartment has a nice twelve foot patio I could work from if i did persue casting.

Since my apartment is far from Montana size lodging, I'm leaning toward building a shorter version of the reloading table from the Ultimate Workbench plans website http://www.ultimateworkbench.freeservers.com/index.html

Do you have any alternative sturdy table recommendation? Perhaps, a wood tool table from Sears?

I suppose it's not to early to ask for reloading equipment sugestions as well.

[Smokin]

James M,

Re the various types of hardening: my tongue was stuck firmly in my cheek on that, sorry for any misdirection. The process of introducing carbon into the surface of low carbon steels can be done at least a couple of ways, one is the the old fashioned way of packing the item in stuff which is high in carbon in a sealed container and heating that to red heat for a certain - relatively long period of time - and then quenching the contents. Another is to use a really hot cyanide bath and quench. Both introduce carbon into the soaked pieces, but each gives different color signatures. As I understand it, the french gray patina is a case hardening with the colors removed by careful abrasion. The colors are removed, but the carbon has penetrated far enough so the surface (case) hardening is still there.

Good luck

[8iowa]

James:

Bullet casting can be done in a small place such as an apartment's patio. You will have good ventilation which is a must. A small fan directing fumes away from you is also a good idea. Make sure that there is no possibility of moisture dripping into the hot lead, such as from the eves overhead. This is definitely not a "rainy day" activity. An inexpensive Lee Pro-20 melter will do the job. Place it on a solid table and do your casting standing for safety considerations. Wear a long sleeve shirt, a shop apron, and rather heavy gloves. Safety glasses aren't a bad idea either. You can drop your bullets out of the mold onto a folded over towel. When finished, all of these items can fit into an average file folder storage box and placed on a closet shelf.

While there is no substitute for a well stocked loading bench, last Summer when I was away from home, I used my Lee Hand Press to load 45-70 black powder cartridges. Granted, it's a slower operation than loading on my turret press, but the hand press can do a perfect job in a place like an apartment where space is limited. You can also do double duty with the hand press, taking it to the range to decap your fired cases before dropping them into a soapy bucket.

Don't be discouraged because of lack of space. Do it and enjoy.

[James M]

...soapy water at a range?
Do I bring an Igloo beer cooler,
sloshing with suds, as part of my range kit ?
-James M

[8iowa]

James:

Black powder residue will begin to attack your brass immediately, especially in hotter humid weather. If you allow the BP fouling to dry and harden the cases are much more difficult to clean.

Therefore, right after firing, I decap the case and drop it into a small bucket with about 1/2 gal of soapy water. A dish soap like Joy or Dawn works fine. By the time I get home the cases are easy to finish cleaning, then a rinse in warm water, then air dryed and tumbled clean again. This will insure that your brass will have a long life.

In reloading cases that have been fired, I neck size rather than FL size. The case will hold a little more powder and fits your chamber perfectly. ( Well, maybe nothing's perfect.) It's a good idea to invest in a neck size die.

My powder compression die consists of a Buffalo Arms compression plug screwed into a die body such as Lyman's universal decapping die.

I have also purchased Lyman's taper crimp die for my BP cartridges. This will remove any "flare" left over from the neck expander die. This is better than using the roll crimp in the seating die. This adds up to six dies, and is the reason I've switched to Lyman's Mag II turret press.

Good luck.