CLEANING:
Due to the corrosive nature of black powder, it is imperative that your Sharps rifle or carbine be thoroughly cleaned after each shooting session. It may also be necessary to swab the barrel periodically after a few shots to maintain accuracy.
After field stripping the gun, the action maybe be cleaned using warm soapy water or a quality black powder solvent. The barrel should also be cleaned to remove any fouling. After the gun is thoroughly cleaned, it should be lubricated with quality gun oil.
One area of the Sharps action that requires special attention when cleaning is the gas check plate located on the front face of the breech block. The purpose of this plate is to seal the rear of the chamber when the powder is ignited. If the gas check plate is not removed and cleaned regularly, it will become fouled, rendering it ineffective in sealing the breech. This leakage can permanently damage the gas check plate and possibly cause injury to the shooter. To remove the plate, loosen it by carefully working the edge of a knife blade around the joint between the plate and the breech block. Clean the gas check plate and breech block with warm soapy water or solvent. Before reassembly, lubricate the gas check plate with a thin coat of grease. Press the plate back into the breech block prior to re
By cleaning your Sharps rifle or carbine after each shooting session, it should give you many years of reliable service.
MAKING PAPER CARTRIDGES
During the American Civil War, Sharps rifles and carbines were usually fired using nitrated paper or linen cartridges. These cartridges are no longer commercially available but are easily made.
The first step is to make the nitrated paper which is simply a light weight, high “rag bond” paper soaked in a saturated potassium nitrate solution. A saturated solution is made by adding potassium nitrate to water until it will dissolve no more of the chemical. Best res ults are achieved if the water is slightly above room temperature.
Place the saturated potassium nitrate solution in a flat pan. allow it to become completely saturated with the solution. solution and allow it to completely dry.
Next place the paper into the pan and Remove the saturated paper from the
The dried paper is cut to the shape shown below.
7