56-50 Centerfire also known as 50-70 "shorts"???

[Dakota Widowmaker]

I thought I read that the 56-50 could be shot in the converted single shot sharps, since the primer area on the spencer was large enough to set off the round.

Original spencer rounds had enough mercury fluminate coating the bottom of the cartridge that you could hit it just about anywhere.
(later, when they went to the centrifuge method of priming cases, less MF was needed to fill the rims)

It was in reference to a "lighter" 50-70 round for Sharps carbines that were converted to shoot metalic.

Does anyone know more about this??? Since the 56-50 and the 50-70 are "close" (same rim diameter, same bullet diameter) I can't help but wonder if something like this was ever produced.

[Crazeyiven]

Widow Maker

A while back there was a similiary, lengthy, discussion along this line on the Shiloh site.  It involved the 50-90 and the 50-70.

Generally, it was concluded that it would work, but, that any extended use would ring the chamber. The Shiloh moderator (a Shiloh employee) concurred.

One of the points brought up was, if you were up to your neck in hostile Indians, ringing the chamber of your rifle was way down on the list of your worries.  Unless faced with similiar circumstances, they suggested sticking with the correct case.

I would imagine that with the government passing out free 50-70's it might have been a temptation.

This does not really answer your question, but, might help.

Below is a link to the Shiloh site:

http://www.shilohrifle.com/forums/

[Hell-Er High Water]

DW,

I don't know about the Sharps, but in my book "Mexican Military Arms, The Cartridge  Period, 1866-1967" by James B, Hughes, Jr. he notes that the M'1871, 50-70 Remington Rolling Block carbines that were purchase by Mexico were made with the unique feature of a convertible firing pin arrangement so that either the 50-70 Gov't cartridge or the 56-50 Spencer cartridge could be fired.  He states that mexico had previously purchased M'1865 Spencer carbines presumably purchased as U.S. Gov't surplus due to the S/N's observed.  He states that this design enabled one issue of ammunition (56-50) to men carrying two different weapons.

HHW

[Appalachian Ed]

I use BB 50-70 cases that I cut down for my 56-50 Spencer.

[Drydock]

I'm wondering if there isn't a bit of confusion here.  THe .50 Gov't carbine round was a special centerfire round for a run of M1868 and M1870 Allin system carbines.  THis was a folded copper case round with an internal Benet centerfire primer.  Basicily a shortened .50-70, the case had no visible primer, looking just like a rimfire.  An internal cup held a central mercury fulminate primer against the base of the soft copper case, with the firing pin striking the center of the case to detonate.  It duplicated Spencer 56/50 ballistics.

It could be, and often was fired in standard .50-70 carbines and rifles.

THe internal primer cup was held in the case by crimps applied just above the rim on the case body.  These further weakened the soft copper cases.  If you've heard of Trapdoors tearing the base off a stuck shell, it was most always one of these cases, seperating at the primer retention crimp.

A cheap, bad case design that Frankford arsenal was stuck with for far too long, as Congress would not appropriate the money needed to update to new machinery to form brass cases.