How many calibers are interchangable?

[The Yankee Bandit]

Howdy,
I am new on this forum, but am interested in getting a Sharps.  I was wondering how many of the Sharps calibers can be interchangable in the same rifle.  I have seen a Sharps chambered in 45-100, that the owner said was cable of also shooting 45-90 and 45-70, as long as the barrel was cleaned between ammo changes.  Is this common, or more lucky?  I believe I read that 45-70's could be shot in any 45-90, true?

Are there any other long length 40, 45, or 50 calibers that can shoot shorter length cartridges?

I am thinking I would like to buy a long length 45 (45-90, 45-120, etc) caliber sharps for deer and elk hunting this fall.  But I am also drawn to the 45-70 because of ease of finding ammo.  Can I get the best of both worlds?

Thanks,
The Yankee Bandit   

[Fox Creek Kid]

Your friend is dead wrong. If you shoot a shorter case you'll ruin the chamber. The owner of Shiloh Sharps has stated as such several times on his website. If you are not a BP shooter then by all means get the 45-70 as 45-90, 45-110, etc. are BP only.

[Delmonico]

Well there is no reason it would ruin the chamber, but there is reasons why it is not a good idea.

The 45-2.1, 45-2.4, 45-2.6, 45-2 7/8 and the 45-3 1/5 unlike 38/357's 44 Special/44 Mag and 22 Short/22 LR are tapered, not straight.  The base in front of the rim on all is 0.505 and the mouth is 0.480.   This means if you fire a 45-70 in the longer chambers it will be oversize to the round in the mouth area, how much depends on the chaber as to which round. 

If the bullet bumps up enough to seal, it will be around 0.485 to maybe 0.495 in diameter, then it is going into a 0.458 bore.  With black, the pressures most likely won't hurt the gun, but can you say leading.

If it don't seal, the the powder gases will raise heck with the lube and gas cut the bullet.  Can you say leading.

The case mouth will also be over worked, can you say neck split.

If the leading is not fully removed, it could trap black powder residue and this can corrode the steel under the lead.  This is what ruined most of the chambers in old 22's that have been shot with a lot of 22 Shorts in a Long/Long Rifle chamber.

But lack of cleaning is what will ruin it, not the shorter round.

But if I made enpensive rifles I'd tell you not to also.

[The Yankee Bandit]

Thank you all for the info.