Sharps with loose powder

I’ve used Hahn tubes with a sharps carbine until now but I wanted to try loose powder.

I’d like to hear from those who have done it.

I will use the same bullet I use in the tubes. Lube and seat it…
Then add some powder . I have a 55 grn spout that pours 45 grn 1-1/2F by weight. I’m not filling the chamber with powder.
I figured I’d raise it to bring the powder toward the breech after closing it , level , cap , sight and bang !

I shoot with loose powder sometimes, a bullet seating device that is nothing more then a piece of wood with a step on the side seats the slug to the same depth. Then I fill the chamber level full and close the breech. I don’t tilt the barrel up as that puts the powder into the breech block not that it matters. Works well.

I'd be interested in hearing from those who have done it myself. And seeing the results.

I just use paper cartridges. And that is based on a lot of research plus a filler. And they hold much less powder than simply filling the breech would.

Phil , thanks for your response . I really don’t want to fill the empty chamber with powder and my understanding is that this is fine but I’d love some first hand information.
I’m very experienced with using paper cartridges ( Hahn tubes) but just wanted to try this.

I’ve used Hahn tubes with charges from maybe 35 to 55 grains by volume and don’t add filler so I don’t think it is necessary to fill behind the bullet but it’s always nice to hear from actual experience.

I’ve posted this before but it illustrates that a round ball seated in front of a full chamber shoots well. The sights were adjusted after this 15 shot group. .535 ball is cheaper than slugs as well. Recoil was mild.
383D6502-C1B1-43A3-8F7B-FFEC3DAC92E5 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

That is an idea. I've never tried shooting balls out of my Sharps. Do you wipe between shots to keep the barrel clean or have some other way to manage fouling?

I have shot my rifle quite a bit with loose powder, when I have either been too busy or lazy to make cartridges. It works fine, just keep it pointed down when you close the breech block so as to not spill powder into the action. Shooting with cartridges is more fun though.

I tried it and will Never do it again!
It's an IAB with a floating plate, powder got between the breech face and the plate didn't seal.
It burned the hell out of me

freedom475 said:

I tried it and will Never do it again!
It's an IAB with a floating plate, powder got between the breech face and the plate didn't seal.
It burned the hell out of me

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IAB.

I’m using a newer Ped carbine… no offgassing generally … cartridges are so easy but I thought I’d like to try it loose … Ped manual says it’s ok but says to fill the chamber … but I hear it doesn’t matter … seems like spillage could be an issue but I have little vials that fit right in the chamber …

Rfp10000 said:

I’ve used Hahn tubes with a sharps carbine until now but I wanted to try loose powder.

I’d like to hear from those who have done it.

I will use the same bullet I use in the tubes. Lube and seat it…
Then add some powder . I have a 55 grn spout that pours 45 grn 1-1/2F by weight. I’m not filling the chamber with powder.
I figured I’d raise it to bring the powder toward the breech after closing it , level , cap , sight and bang !

Click to expand...

All I know is, the people living at the time of introduction of Fixed Ammunition must have been as pleased and accepting of the new technology as, for instance, we today embraced computing!

When I did load workups with my Sharps using paper cartridges, somewhere around 55 grains of 3F it started to generate enough back-blast through the cone to cock the hammer back.

Can't imagine a full chamber of powder.

This 1863 Shiloh Sharps percussion had a longer chamber than the military rifle and I shot it with 100 grains of 2fg and a 480 grain slug. The hammer never came back nor did anyone that shot it get burnt in any manner. I have no experience with other brands of Sharps replicas so far.
2439 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

Mine is a Pedersoli 1859 with the Larry Flees action job.

Phil Coffins said:

IAB.

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Uh huh. How's this for IAB?



Or maybe this one-

While IAB cartridge guns are a bit sketchy, the percussion ones can shoot rather well. I have 2 IAB 1863 Sharps. Both have the full Larry Flees treatment.

Very nice, my Shilohs are unaltered.

gotta watch for sharps forearm. was told by charly hahn that the early i.a.b. sharps with the flat spring was a lot better than the later ones with the coil spring.

Well … I don’t think I heard back from anyone using partially filled chambers on their sharps with black and since I don’t want to go over my 55grn by volume amount , I decided to just make up some cartridges. I will bring loose as well and try a couple that way with different amounts of black and see how it works first hand. I’m assuming it works from all I’ve heard.

Rfp10000 said:

I’ve used Hahn tubes with a sharps carbine until now but I wanted to try loose powder.

I’d like to hear from those who have done it.

I will use the same bullet I use in the tubes. Lube and seat it…
Then add some powder . I have a 55 grn spout that pours 45 grn 1-1/2F by weight. I’m not filling the chamber with powder.
I figured I’d raise it to bring the powder toward the breech after closing it , level , cap , sight and bang !

Click to expand...

Just shot loose powder yesterday I wouldn't fill the chamber with powder that seems like it would be way too much just use the same amount as in your tubes 40 to 50 grain range I'm currently working out a load for my 59 carbine 2f or 3F 40 to 50 grains etc etc.

Rfp10000 said:

I’ve used Hahn tubes with a sharps carbine until now but I wanted to try loose powder.

I’d like to hear from those who have done it.

I will use the same bullet I use in the tubes. Lube and seat it…
Then add some powder . I have a 55 grn spout that pours 45 grn 1-1/2F by weight. I’m not filling the chamber with powder.
I figured I’d raise it to bring the powder toward the breech after closing it , level , cap , sight and bang !

Click to expand...

I find that loose powder gives me the best accuracy anybody else not sure why using the same amount of grains powder so on and so