This article appearing in the Sept/Oct 2004 #171 issue of the Fouling Shot, was written by Rupert Wyble of Fallon, NV.
I wanted .50-90 performance without black powder and at a price that wouldn't break the bank. Even though I have a great fondness for the .50-70 and .50-90, the cases are just too spacious for smokeless powder. It's also a little hard as a retired person to call Shiloh Sharps or Lone Star and tell them to build me a new rifle with all the extras, so this is my solution.
As luck would have it, at the same time I was looking around for a cartridge to cut off to the right length, Smith & Wesson brought out their .500 S&W revolver. Now a .500 S&W is not high on my list of "must-haves," but I thought the cartridge had possibilities.
You must first accept the fact that the .500 S&W is a true .500" as opposed to around .51 O" for the original black powder cartridges. This fact cuts down on available bullet moulds a little, but RCBS, NEI, and even Lyman has a mould or two, which can be sized to work. RCBS also makes .500 S&W dies. Brass can be purchased from Starline. It's not too expensive and is very rugged.
Let me confess before going on, this certainly is not a new idea. The .50x50 Maynard or .50 US Carbine, a similar size cartridge was brought out in the 1870/1882 era. I'm sure someone else has already built the same or similar to what I've done and are probably invoking the old Elmer Keith saying "Hell, I was there." Well I'm glad to be in your company, even if I'm a little late.
I have a Ruger No 1 that's worn so many barrels I've lost count, and a Lyman Super Target Spot rifle scope that were just right for the project. It ain't a Sharps, but it is a decent rifle and the scope is in good working order. As much as I would like to use those wonderful iron sights available today, it would be a waste; my eyes need the scope.
The barrel for my Buffalo Medicine rifle came from Pac-Nor in Oregon. I asked them to make me a good quality barrel and they did. I consider Pac-Nor well worth the money. Let me add a personal observation on barrels. Everybody makes good ones and everybody makes not so good ones. You pay your nickel and take your chances. This time I got a very good one.
Barrel specs are as follows: straight 1.150", length 24", twist 1-25, groove .500" and a little bit. It was made from plain old chrome moly steel. Grade: Pac-Nor Supermatch.
While waiting for the barrel, I asked JGS reamers. also in Oregon to make a .500 S&W reamer. They did. JGS does some very nice work. The only changes made from a standard .500 S&W are in the throat. I had it made longer for heavy bullets. I also made the body a little tighter and the pilot a little larger so that I could fit it to the barrel at hand.
I purchased new brass from Starline. I'm very pleased. It will probably last forever.
My loading dies came from RCBS. Standard old pistol dies. I did turn down and reshape the expander button. This allows for gently belling the case without expanding. Neck size is controlled by chamber and sizing die and changes very little.
At this point everything just came together. I installed the barrel, cut the chamber and fit the scope. The fore end was already opened up for this size barrel. I won't go into detail on this work, except to mention headspace. I cut as close to zero as possible for the lot of brass I'll be using in this particular rifle. If at a later date the gun is to be used for hunting or a different lot of brass is acquired, it can be loosened up as needed.
With the gun together, loading was next. I already use a short 1 .575'' .45-70 with heavy bullets and in that cartridge AA 2015 BR is the powder of choice, so it was the first on the list for the .50x50. Like the black powder shooters, I use a case full plus a .060" cork wad between bullet and powder. SPG black powder lube is also used. At this point it was just a matter of finding out how much powder will cause the loaded round to chamber and engage the rifling just a little. In this case it worked out to 37.7 grains of AA 2015 BR, one .060" cork wad and an NEI .500 bullet (No. 3598) at 565 grains in number 2 metal. This bullet drops from the mould at just short of .501". so my polished out RCBS sizer die just knocks off the high points and wipes off the excess grease. I should mention that I pan lube bullets and just run them in the top and out the bottom of the sizer die.
I wanted .50-90 performance without black powder and at a price that wouldn't break the bank. Even though I have a great fondness for the .50-70 and .50-90, the cases are just too spacious for smokeless powder. It's also a little hard as a retired person to call Shiloh Sharps or Lone Star and tell them to build me a new rifle with all the extras, so this is my solution.
As luck would have it, at the same time I was looking around for a cartridge to cut off to the right length, Smith & Wesson brought out their .500 S&W revolver. Now a .500 S&W is not high on my list of "must-haves," but I thought the cartridge had possibilities.
You must first accept the fact that the .500 S&W is a true .500" as opposed to around .51 O" for the original black powder cartridges. This fact cuts down on available bullet moulds a little, but RCBS, NEI, and even Lyman has a mould or two, which can be sized to work. RCBS also makes .500 S&W dies. Brass can be purchased from Starline. It's not too expensive and is very rugged.
Let me confess before going on, this certainly is not a new idea. The .50x50 Maynard or .50 US Carbine, a similar size cartridge was brought out in the 1870/1882 era. I'm sure someone else has already built the same or similar to what I've done and are probably invoking the old Elmer Keith saying "Hell, I was there." Well I'm glad to be in your company, even if I'm a little late.
I have a Ruger No 1 that's worn so many barrels I've lost count, and a Lyman Super Target Spot rifle scope that were just right for the project. It ain't a Sharps, but it is a decent rifle and the scope is in good working order. As much as I would like to use those wonderful iron sights available today, it would be a waste; my eyes need the scope.
The barrel for my Buffalo Medicine rifle came from Pac-Nor in Oregon. I asked them to make me a good quality barrel and they did. I consider Pac-Nor well worth the money. Let me add a personal observation on barrels. Everybody makes good ones and everybody makes not so good ones. You pay your nickel and take your chances. This time I got a very good one.
Barrel specs are as follows: straight 1.150", length 24", twist 1-25, groove .500" and a little bit. It was made from plain old chrome moly steel. Grade: Pac-Nor Supermatch.
While waiting for the barrel, I asked JGS reamers. also in Oregon to make a .500 S&W reamer. They did. JGS does some very nice work. The only changes made from a standard .500 S&W are in the throat. I had it made longer for heavy bullets. I also made the body a little tighter and the pilot a little larger so that I could fit it to the barrel at hand.
I purchased new brass from Starline. I'm very pleased. It will probably last forever.
My loading dies came from RCBS. Standard old pistol dies. I did turn down and reshape the expander button. This allows for gently belling the case without expanding. Neck size is controlled by chamber and sizing die and changes very little.
At this point everything just came together. I installed the barrel, cut the chamber and fit the scope. The fore end was already opened up for this size barrel. I won't go into detail on this work, except to mention headspace. I cut as close to zero as possible for the lot of brass I'll be using in this particular rifle. If at a later date the gun is to be used for hunting or a different lot of brass is acquired, it can be loosened up as needed.
With the gun together, loading was next. I already use a short 1 .575'' .45-70 with heavy bullets and in that cartridge AA 2015 BR is the powder of choice, so it was the first on the list for the .50x50. Like the black powder shooters, I use a case full plus a .060" cork wad between bullet and powder. SPG black powder lube is also used. At this point it was just a matter of finding out how much powder will cause the loaded round to chamber and engage the rifling just a little. In this case it worked out to 37.7 grains of AA 2015 BR, one .060" cork wad and an NEI .500 bullet (No. 3598) at 565 grains in number 2 metal. This bullet drops from the mould at just short of .501". so my polished out RCBS sizer die just knocks off the high points and wipes off the excess grease. I should mention that I pan lube bullets and just run them in the top and out the bottom of the sizer die.
I pay a little more for my moulds because I use iron. NEI makes a good mould in iron. This mould, besides casting an excellent shooting bullet, does the one thing I like a bullet mould to do: When you open the handles the bullet falls out. I guess it's so big, it can't do anything else.
When the bullet is seated there is slight compression, about 1/16 inches. I use Winchester LR magnum primers. Pressures seem low and the powder bums clean. The velocity, although I can't check it. seems to be around 1300, maybe 1350 f.p.s., certainly enough to do in most any buffalo, steel or real.
When the bullet is seated there is slight compression, about 1/16 inches. I use Winchester LR magnum primers. Pressures seem low and the powder bums clean. The velocity, although I can't check it. seems to be around 1300, maybe 1350 f.p.s., certainly enough to do in most any buffalo, steel or real.
This load shoots. I don't have other loads or bullets for this gun. Life is simple.
The gun places the first shot from a clean barrel high and left several inches. After that it just pounds them into point of aim. For a big bore it shoots pretty good groups. One hundred yard five-shot groups run around one inch. I've even had a 3/4 inch 5-shot group at 100 yards. It will also shoot long strings without much change. More than I can say for myself. Fifteen-shot groups under two inches at 100 yards is normal when I do my part. In fact, other than the fouling shot, no group has exceeded 2-1/2 inches at 100 yards. I've fired about 150 shots to date.
Needless to say, I'm very happy with my winter project for 2003. It worked for me. I don't know if it would for anybody else. Try it at your own nsk.
P.S. It will shoot with the best of them, but like the original .50-90 which it duplicates, it will also kick with the best of them!
The gun places the first shot from a clean barrel high and left several inches. After that it just pounds them into point of aim. For a big bore it shoots pretty good groups. One hundred yard five-shot groups run around one inch. I've even had a 3/4 inch 5-shot group at 100 yards. It will also shoot long strings without much change. More than I can say for myself. Fifteen-shot groups under two inches at 100 yards is normal when I do my part. In fact, other than the fouling shot, no group has exceeded 2-1/2 inches at 100 yards. I've fired about 150 shots to date.
Needless to say, I'm very happy with my winter project for 2003. It worked for me. I don't know if it would for anybody else. Try it at your own nsk.
P.S. It will shoot with the best of them, but like the original .50-90 which it duplicates, it will also kick with the best of them!