44-77 Sharps paper patched load

[Eric Johanen]

                        Rifle came in Wednesday an I was able to pick up on Thursday afternoon. Boy's, It's beautiful!! Hartford with heavy barrel, pack-hardened finish, Switched out the GS blade for the Hartford front sight, metal shotgun butt with standard wood. Just a nice working rifle. Cleaned the preservative from the bore and started test fitting the brass. Cases need a bit of adjustment on the rims but not problem and I have time to work them up (all winter in fact....Bloody cold here now). I'll work up brass and load this weekend. If the weather is OK, I'll fire the first rounds next week. Pretty chuffed about now!!

[Don McDowell]

Bet she shoots as good as she looks!

[rdnck]

That is well and truly a proper Sharps rifle. Congratulations. Shoot straight, rdnck.

[Kurt]

You done well Eric!!
Stephen's Hartford's front sight is a proper addition to that fine rifle. Very good.
Now forget the Bloody cold and push a window up and shoot!!! I will be waiting for a range report.

Kurt

[Eric Johanen]

I put the 1'st of Stephen's Hartford front sights on "Lucrezia" my C Sharps 50-90 and they just look so right on these rifles. Both have the bronze blades and visability could not be better in different light conditions. I will have to open the rear sight notch a whisker to clearly see it, but that is not a problem. I have 200 cases to work up this winter...reduce the rim diameter a tiny bit and thin the rims a thousand or so to close the breech with no rubbing. Drill press and a fine cut file and several grades of emory paper on a true flat surface will get it done. Another case of powder is on order!

[Kurt]

I used 220 wet/dry paper and figure 8 it on a old counter top or plate glass if you have it. It goes pretty fast. I would shoot the cases that rub but chamber first, I found the recoil was enough to loosen the fit. I don't think you should find to many tight cases. A machinist file also is good for doing this. Just lay the file down flat and draw the case over it. Usually one draw is enough.
I might add, I found the diameter of the rim made a snug fit in the rim recess that made a tight fit also, so check a tight case before you work on the head.

[Eric Johanen]

This batch of brass is a bit all over the map. Rims from .626 to .6.23. Thickness from .078 to .076. Best fit seems to be rims at .623/.624 and thickness at .0760/.0765. I'll finish up 20 rounds this afternoon and load a fire forming load tomorrow. I wish I could open a window and fire away but sadly, not the case!

[Kurt]

Measure the rim recess of the chamber. Shiloh used to use .078". From the sound of it, it don't look like you have much to do to get a fit.

[Eric Johanen]

Not too much work but it is time consuming. Work them, check fit and work them until they chamber and the breech closes with just the slightest feel of contact. I'm trying for a very good fit as I think it will contribute to accuracy. Interested in seeing how they fire form. I am having fun so I'll work the cases in batches and eventually I'll have them all fit to the rim cut. Have determined the basic bullet seating depth and I'll use it for the fire forming. After that I'll set the depth to work with a dirty chamber and see how many rounds I can fire without fouling interference. After working the rim diameter I had 2 that were very nice, 3 that just needed a touch and the rest that required some work to get them right. I'll just keep on keeping on.

[J.B.]

A fine looking rifle you've acquired there Eric and that front sight from Stephen really compliments it. With regard your brass observations, it was my experience that cases with rim thickness at around .765" were just about perfect and I may have had a little more latitude with the diameter as mine was chambered with Shilohs shallow transition gg reamer and Orvilles original spec reamer may be a little smaller in that area as well as the chamber neck. Did get your brass direct from Captech or through BACo ? The 'Shiloh' spec brass now offered by BACo has been stamped to bring up the rim thickness from an average of around .762 to about .766" and the one batch of 150 of this lot that I purchased had two cases that were a 'little proud' when it came to thickness but a few figure eights on some wet and dry had it fixed. As you've indicated, only take as little off as you need to chamber. Once fire formed a lot of these things will settle down . Certainly don't do any trimming until you've formed cases.. although I could have done with a few thou more.. rather than trimming any off. Congratulations and we'll all be watching to see how your voyage of discovery goes. Heaven knows mine is still going

J.B.