Period correct '74 Sharps Buffalo Rifles?

[Gunner500]

Okay, on close examination I've found a raised disk in the center of the brass, may cover 90+% of the total face area, under a magnifying glass I was able to catch a bit of the edge of the raised portion, it now mics between 67 and 68 thou, better I guess.

Sorry for all the rudimentary posts, but, it may help someone else with getting a 44-77 up and running, much like you men are helping me.

[John]

Okay, on close examination I've found a raised disk in the center of the brass, may cover 90+% of the total face area, under a magnifying glass I was able to catch a bit of the edge of the raised portion, it now mics between 67 and 68 thou, better I guess.

Sorry for all the rudimentary posts, but, it may help someone else with getting a 44-77 up and running, much like you men are helping me.

Was this the brass from TOW? What’s the headstamp?

[Gunner500]

Yessir, TOTW, brass reads 44-77 SHILOH.

[pacecars]

Glad you are getting all this worked out. I have been going through the same thing and was leaning toward a .40-90 SBN but am starting to lean toward the .44-77 also. I really like the idea of recreating an early Hartford Buffalo gun.

[Nuclearcricket]

If I may offer up a suggestion, if you find a good source for 44-77 brass, buy what you need and then buy what you think you may need in the future. That stuff is getting scarce and who knows when it will be made and available again.
I have been lucky in being able to pick up some here and there and just purchased 100 new jamison cases. I should be set for a very long time now.
Sam

[John]

Just need to keep and eye on the rim thickness. Looks like there are 3 or 4 different sizes out there.

[Gunner500]

pacecars, I thought real hard about the 40-90 SBN, my idea of a lot of potential fouling with 16 twist and 90 grains of powder, not to mention the sight correlations would be really close together on the barrel sights for a hot rod round that shot so flat, and last but not least, I love big bores and heavy bullets.

Nuclearcricket and John, right on all counts, I talked to Kirk up at Shiloh today, I'll mail him a couple sized cases to go with my order number build, he'll cut the groove for my brass, I went through and measured them all, picked out two of the fattest ones to send.

[Gunner500]

Good Lord! what a restless night I just spent, couldn't quit drifting off back to the Mopani thorn thickets tracking Cape Buffalo with a Sharps rifle again, guess that spells this 44-77 thread out perfectly and why I want to shoot the heaviest bullet I can stabilize.

This new rifle will most likely find itself in Africa doing just that, on the banks of the Limpopo in the three corners area is a fine, fine place, South Eastern Kalahari area may be next, no Leopard tag available for me in Mozambique this year, doesn't make much sense to go chase buffalo in the long grass without a combo hunt for both, and any other good representative animal that may show.

Fighting like hell to get through haying, mowing, weed eating, spraying fence rows, brush hogging and vegetable garden work till fall hunting season is once again upon us.

Hunting season is too dang short! ;]

[pacecars]

Sounds like fun! How hard would the bullet need to be for Buff?

[Kurt]

Gunner.
That Cape is a tough thick skinned critter. At what range do you expect to shoot it? I don't think I would use that light 1.285". A 500 gr at 1.370" cast with 1/20 would be a lot better choice in my opinion for that tough Buff. That 1.370 will work just fine inside 200 yards or less then I would think you would shoot.
When you get that rifle I will send you some .500 grainers of the original Sharps profile to do your own testing. I think you will find them working just fine for a hunting bullet. Just make sure that that bullet is small enough wrapped for a quick follow up shot in a dirty throat. That .44-77 will bump ut a 1/20 bullet a long ways to fill the grooves and it will end up about .065" TO .075" shorter when the charge goes off.