Sharps carbines

[LongWalker]

How are the Sharps carbines--paper cartridge converted to 50-70 after the Late Unpleasantness--are they worth considering for GAF and similar matches, hunting, general plinking, etc?

I've been browsing Gunbroker on the search for a trapdoor and keep running across the converted Sharps.  I'm just not sure if they would be a viable option for what I want to do.

[Drydock]

Shot several GAF match's with one (50-70 repro).  Won a few, always competitive, had a lot of fun.  Got a new one on order from Shiloh.  Highly recommended.

[Galloway]

How was the poa poi with factory sights just curious? I have bad luck with carbines.

[Drydock]

Mine was pretty much dead on once I put together a govt duplication load.  I did file the front sight down just a bit.  For hunting , well Mike Venturino killed a one ton Bison Bull with a single shot from a 50-70.

The Chiappa .50-70 carbines have a rather tall brass blade front sight, held on with two tiny roll pins.  Very flexible for load adjustment.

[Tascosa Joe]

Blackpowder Burn has been messing with an original conversion for several years, may be he will chime in.

[Trailrider]

Most of the U.S. military rifles and carbines were sighted to hit a man on horseback, or the horse itself at about 325 yards. The result is that they will hit 12-15 inches high at 100 yds. The cartridge conversion Sharps carbines have a front sight blade that is pinned to the base, so the front sight can be replaced with a taller blade to bring the point of impact down.

While the M1869 Conversions (using 1858 and 1863 percussion carbines) are a relatively strong action, keep in mind that they are 164 years old. Even one with a nearly pristine barrel (and they seldom are) could have intergranular corrosion somewhere in the metal. I had one that had some historical provinance that I used to shoot, but have retired it out of respect to its history.

My suggestion would be to buy one of the modern reproductions in .45-70 or, if available, .50-70.
Safe shooting! Happy, Healthy and Safe New Year!

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Years ago, I had a Cimarron "Texas Ranger" 50-70 Sharps carbine for a 2005 Cowboy Chronicle article.  It was a great shooter. 450 grain lead SPG lubed bullet over about 67 grains (volume) of FFG Triple 7, was dead nuts on with the battle sight at 60 yards.  I really hated to give it back, but times were tight!

[Niederlander]

I've used an original to shoot a couple of local matches, and it was a lot of fun.  Trapdoors are faster to use, if that matters to you.

[LongWalker]

Thanks guys!  I tend to prefer guns such as were used on the frontier here in Nebraska, so I've spent a lot of time with trapdoors.  The Sharps conversions were here, but I never seem to run across one with potential as a shooter.  Seeing so many on Gunbroker turned my head! 

I hadn't thought about the trapdoor being faster to shoot.  Good point!  For me at least, I can fire/reload/aim/fire a trapdoor faster than any of the other military single shots I've played with.  On the bright side, even a Sharps is faster than some people's Spencers.....

I'm probably roadtripping tomorrow AM to do some shopping; if no luck I might go crazy and get one of the conversions.  (Part of me would still rather have a '66 trapdoor sporter, but no luck finding a good candidate for that so far. )

[Drydock]

Good luck!