New rifle build

[Kevin Alexander]

I'm wanting a new rifle built for shooting BPC silhouette. Any pros or cons in using the C. sharps highwall action?

[Don McDowell]

The biggest drawback would be the cost, and then you'ld still have to add the barrel, wood sights etc.. Might be about as well off just to have them build you the rifle..
Another option is have either a Browning bpcr, or a Uberti Hiwall rebuilt.

[Gunlaker]

I think they are good rifles. I have a few of them. Two of my older ones ( say 7 years ago ) have sloppy chambers so I like to use custom reamers rather than the ones that C. Sharps uses by default. Lots of people have not had that problem, but I have. They've been happy to use reamers that I've sent them in the past though ( Dan Theodore designed reamers made by Manson ).

I'm quite happy with the last one they made for me.

Chris.

[Mike]

The rifle I use for silhouettes is a C. Sharps Arms .40/70 SS Highwall and I find no fault in the gun. My scores aren't very high but that's my problem. Like Don recommended, might as well get them to build a rifle around that action for you. A fellow silhouette shooter had a custom rifle built around the C. Sharps action and he's doing rather well with it, chambered for the .40/72 WCF which makes it a bit longer than the .40/70 SS. That gives him room for about 5 grains more powder than what I use in my .40/70. But yes, that action, if you'd want something built that C. Sharps doesn't offer, would be a good start and you can get it with a set trigger just like the finished rifle. Actually, I have two of the C. Sharps Highwalls, one in .40/70 and another in .32/40. Both are good shooters. Shoot sharp, Mike

[Gunlaker]

The actions would definitely be a good place to start for a custom gun. Steven Durren is currently putting the finishing touches on a schuetzen rifle for me. It uses a C. Sharps 1885 action that has been milled to "thin side, round top" configuration and will be a duplicate of the old Special Simgle Shot model that was offered early in the 1885 production.

When I ordered my most recent C. Sharps 1885 I was a bit apprehensive about the Green Mountain barrels, but the new gun is excellently accurate. It's maybe the most accurate BPCR rifle I own, (certainly on par with my Shiloh in .40-65 which is an incredible rifle). It's an 1885 highwall with a 32" #5 barrel, 1:16 twist, .45-90 built with one of Dan's reamers. It's also a beautiful rifle to look at :-)

Chris.

[Kevin Alexander]

I have been earning extra cash by selling fire wood, old reloading stuff I don't use anymore, and reloading some ammo for a few friends in order to fund this new rifle build. I decided on using the MVA high wall action with a Green Mountain barrel chambered in 45-90 with a 1 in 16 twist for shooting long range. Hopefully if MVA does their part the action will be here by the end of February. I contacted Steve Baldwin to do the build for me and will meet with him in March.

For Christmas my wife informed me that I could get a new rifle to shoot at the Silhoutte matches this year(she knows nothing about the above mentioned build goin on). Today she wrote a check to CPA and I will be sending it to them with my rifle configuration. I have 2 BPCR's in 45/70 already so I'm thinking a CPA in 40-70 straight caliber with the Douglas barrel would be good for silhouette shooting. I found 120 pieces of new Hornady 405 Winchester brass that I think I can use. If anyone has one of theses CPA's in that caliber with some reloading data on what bullet it likes please let me know. I'm going to order a few moulds in the near future.

I'll send photos of both rifles along with shooting results when they are finished and ample time permits.

Thanks
Kevin.

[Cody Smith]

Woohoo!! Sounds like fun!

[Mike]

Kevin, If you go for that CPA in .40-70 SS you might want to try some of the rather new Jamison .40-70 SS brass. It's good stuff and that will give your ammo the proper headstamp. Shoot sharp, Mike

[Kurt]

Kevin.

Send Gail a couple cases of the brass you end up using and she will set the headspace for that brass. The Jamison brass is the way I would go and the Hornady would be secondary. It's also a good brass.

I'm ready to have Gail fit a .45 barrel for one of my CPA's using my new reamer.

[Hiwall55]

Kevin I have a CPA built rifle in 40-70 SS using 405 Hornaday brass . It's a shooter for sure only I sent them a Green mountain barrel because a Douglas measures at .411 and I would have to get new moulds made.I shoot 40-60 Maynard and 40-65 and all my moulds measure.409 and .410. Douglas barrels are good barrels but you would have to get a mould that casts at .412.