Breech Loader Shooters

[Restf]

Who shoots either original or reproduction breech loader using musket cap?

 

[johan_steele]

What info are you looking for? I have a M1859 Shiloh Sharps.

 

[Restf]

Im assuming its an original 1859?

 

[johan_steele]

Im assuming its an original 1859?

Shiloh Sharps, highest quality Sharps made since the Sharps company closed its doors. Interchangeable with original parts.

 

[John S. Carter]

What was the difference between the Henry and the Sharps? Did the CSA calverey have the Henry?Which was the best and why?

 

[Restf]

This is a repro .54 Sharps Berdan, I can only shoot 3F black powder. Now the company states they test the firearms with Swiss #2 is that the same as 3F?

 

[BillO]

This is a repro .54 Sharps Berdan, I can only shoot 3F black powder. Now the company states they test the firearms with Swiss #2 is that the same as 3F?

No.

 

[Restf]

What was the difference between the Henry and the Sharps? Did the CSA calverey have the Henry?Which was the best and why?

I believe they were two distinctly different type firearms. Henry repeater was rimfire. I don't recall sharps having a metallic case repeater. Some henrys ended up with the CCA mainly from taken of the battle dead I'ed assume. Im by far not the expert in this area.

 

[7thWisconsin]

I have an Armisport Sharps that I have had a lot of fun shooting both live and reenacting. The Sharps and the Henry are completely different firearms. The Sharps is a single shot breechloader firing a linen or paper cartridge that burns up as it's fired. The Henry is a repeater firing a metallic cartridge, like a modern bullet cartridge. The cartridges are loaded in a tubular magazine under the barrel that feeds the chamber when the level action is cycled. So as often as you cycle it and pull the trigger, it will fire until the magazine is empty. As I understand it, the Confederacy did not have the brass resources or manufacturing resources to produce Henry cartridges. They needed the available store of brass for artillery primers and conventional musket caps, not for cartridges fitting only one model of firearm. Western stories and reenactments excluded, I don't know of any documented military usage of the Henry by Confederate troops.

 

[thomas aagaard]

What was the difference between the Henry and the Sharps? Did the CSA calverey have the Henry?Which was the best and why?

Two completely different weapons.
The sharps is a breech loaded firearm where the Paper cartridge only hold the bullet and powder. You still need to prime it with a percussion cap. And you still load one round, fire it and load the next one.

The Henry is a repeating firearm holding more than one round at a time. It use brass cartridges that hold powder, bullet and percussion caps.

The CSA did not produce henry's and they did not have the ability to produce the brass cartridges.
(and the north would not have been able to produce brass cartridges the quantity needed, had the Henry been in any large scale use.)

 

[John S. Carter]

Two completely different weapons.
The sharps is a breech loaded firearm where the Paper cartridge only hold the bullet and powder. You still need to prime it with a percussion cap. And you still load one round, fire it and load the next one.

The Henry is a repeating firearm holding more than one round at a time. It use brass cartridges that hold powder, bullet and percussion caps.

The CSA did not produce henry's and they did not have the ability to produce the brass cartridges.
(and the north would not have been able to produce brass cartridges the quantity needed, had the Henry been in any large scale use.)

THANKS for the infomation.I thought that I had read that the Henry was in use during the war.

 

[thomas aagaard]

It was in use. Just in limited numbers.
Not sure how many was used, but only about 14.000 was produced until 1866.
So obviously the number would be lower than this.

 

[Booner]

I have an original Smith cavalry carbine. I'm not sure if it was used in the war as it doesn't have any cartouches on it, or perhaps at one time some fool refinished the stock and took them off. No matter, it's a very accurate weapon, but the barrel has been re-lined so it's pretty pristine. I used the plastic cases for it and store bought 50. cal. hollow point bullets. The action is still real tight with no wobble between the barrel and receiver.

 

[mofederal]

I had a Starr Carbine that I fired. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was a good weapon. I had no problems with it at all. The Starr used a paper cartridge.

 

[Southern Articifer]

I'm using an original M1819 Hall that was altered to carbine at the Fayetteville,NC armory. It's been percussioned. It's barrel has been shortened to 22 3/8". The stock on the Fayetteville's are all reshaped to make them more slender as well. I've been using it for 2 years now. Last week I used it in our team carbine match and we took 2nd place.

 

[kevikens]

I have owned and fired live ammo from a Smith, Gallagher, and Sharps as well as the brass rim fire cartridge Spencer. One can obtain brass cartridges for the first three and load them which makes it easier to shoot them. Extraction for the Smith and Gallagher with these modern cartridges are probably easier than the gutta percha and foil cartridges of the war. For the Sharps, one has to tip the carbine up and the brass cartridge falls out. As such they are fun to shoot but I have discovered that they are not as accurate as long guns nor do they have the penetrating power of the .58 Minie. The Sharps, and the Spencer have a greater powder load than the Smith and the Gallagher and a larger slug as well and can penetrate, at least at my gun range, more wood. One thing I have wondered about is how much stopping power the Smith and the Gallagher had, and the Henry as well, as on paper, their light loads don't look impressive on the charts. Anyone know of any anecdotal comments from soldiers from back then about these weapons being reliable at anything beyond, say, a hundred yards?

 

[yulzari]

Not at all relevant but I have a Westley Richards Monkey Tail carbine.

 

[jekct1212]

I use a Trapdoor for deer hunting, not Civil War but it is an original and a blast to shoot