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+--- Thread: I need help with a Sharps 50-70 (/thread-2898.html)
I need help with a Sharps 50-70 - Somedude - 12-08-2019
I recently acquired a Sharps chambered in 50-70 that I'm having a hard time figuring out what exactly it is and what it might be worth. Any information would be greatly appreciated. If you know what I've got and know what it's worth please help me out?
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RE: I need help with a Sharps 50-70 - Don McDowell - 12-08-2019
Looks like it's a cartridge converted 64 sharps carbine.
Looks like from the condition of it, if the bore is in good shape it should make a good shooter. Probably would be a good idea to do a chamber cast that gets part of the rifling so you can see what case length and the bore/groove diameter.
RE: I need help with a Sharps 50-70 - Kurt - 12-09-2019
It looks like a conversion to me also. If it's a .52 caliber bore it's a good chance that it's a 63 carbine.
RE: I need help with a Sharps 50-70 - Kurt - 12-12-2019
I just looked in the old - Modern American Rifles book from 1892 and it's a 1859 saddle ring carbine.
RE: I need help with a Sharps 50-70 - Tom Herman - 12-15-2019
Nice carbine! It's a great looker... How is the bore?
I lucked into one recently as well... Yours looks like a late war issue by the serial number. Mine is apparently one of the first thousand off the assembly line.
Most likely, yours is a Model 1863, mine is definitely an 1859.
The government took approximately 30,000 carbines and rifles and converted them from percussion to .50/70 center fire between about 1867 and 1869.
Because of the differences in bore, any that miked .5225 or smaller were not sleeved, while those guns with bores larger than that were sleeved.
About 2/3 of the guns had to be sleeved.
I pushed a .516" .50/70 bullet through mine yesterday, and it engraved the lands from the bore, but not the grooves, so that I know my bore is bigger than .516", and my normal (for the 1868 Springfield) .50/70 bullets are undersized.
Fortunately, I have a much larger Spencer mould and will try running a casting from it down the bore.
Suggest you slug yours if you're going to shoot it.
Suggest you look around and see the asking prices for similar guns (and what they eventually sell for). Like anything else, people sometimes ask a lot more than an item is worth...
Best of Luck!
-Tom