First off I cant find a dowel the right size to have bullet and powder together. I could wrap the charge in a smaller or bigger cartridge but to me its kind of defeating the purpose. Paper doesn't have to be nitrated to work. I've always used tea bags for cartridges and they work very well. The charge and projectile are not both in the barrel. The bullet is seated to the first ring in the rifling and the rest sticks out into the chamber which is a lot bigger. Bore size is .544 and the chamber is around .580 or so. A .577 minie will drop right in and no I wouldn't dare try to fire one. The recommended charge is 80 grains but the chamber will hold just over 100, so even with a paper cartridge the chamber isn't filled, plus there's the hole in the breech block. Its not like having both powder and charge in a barrel together with nowhere for the pressure to go. And too the Sharp's chamber isn't airtight. There is some flash out the top and bottom.
Quote:
|
You mean most people don't want it because of their concerns about an air space behind the charge and projectile in the barrel?
|
No I meant you cant get rid of the airspace. That's why I posted the pic of the breech block.