Thread: Making a Sharps Barrel in my lathe.

Hell no, I don`t want any more, still got one large one, this is my last rifle build and will take a while yet to do. Thought I would make it nice on the in side, so had a go at jeweling it, passable . Now the next bit is how do you make a Sharps side hammer on a lathe. , Homebrew.357.
, Looks good.

Now the hammer was a bit of a mission, I had a large round bit of 1045, so this was going to be the hammer, set up and faced it clean then drilled some datum holes. The hammer head over left at the top, so had to cut all the rest off to allow for this, then cut a bit more or the hammer sharp. On the right side a radius was cut with a formed tool and was cut with the old rock and roll with the chuck , could not be turned . So that's the start of the hammer, .Homebrew.357.
, Large bit of steel. , Set up to mill heaps of along the black mark. , profile cut, rock and roll. ,Hammer coming out, more hacksawing. , cutting hammer profile, R/Roll. , getting there. , Starting to look like a hammer.

Hi, The hammer had to have a square hole at just the right angle to line up with the tumblers square shaft for half cock and full cock. I did this by using the saddle as a shaper to square the hammers round hole, and same for the tumbler shaft, when the hammer was just starting to go on the tumbler shaft I finished with fine files. Had to thin down the main spring, to hard to cock, I made it thicker so I could take some off to get it right , and I had my Sharps side plate all good to go. Homebrew.357.
, Hole square. , Bingo, a Sharps hammer on steroids. , Tumbler shaft cut square. ,The set up.

Brilliant HB....classic mate!!!!

The last bit is also good, I`m rapt my self . Shaft fits hammer snug, with a press fit, then assembled it all and got it working to full cock, so I now have a complete working Sharps side lock, will need final fitting to the action,, Hombrew.357.
, , press fit. , fits on nice. , all fits. ,at full cock, and made the hammer screw to., the other side.

And damn does it look good too!

Now what I need is a nice bison seine ingraved on the side plate, have to find out how/ who to do it. Hey, off the crutches and working on my hip. Homebrew.357.

Get an engraver and teach yourself!

Oops, I must be getting old brained, I just found I have posted all this on Making a Sharps rifle on my lathe, are well you are getting double , and I had better check around, maybe I`m making two guns!, Homebrew.357.

Hi, hips ok, but now have had a huniea op, right side, so back to resting up for a bit, will get things going when I can get out and about. Homebrew.357., cover for the Sharps.

And put the finishing touches to my possibles bag and have made a ali hunting ram rod ,so all`s ready for when I can get out and about. When I have got the barrel and action together will need a kind farmer/ land owner out of Auckland who, my have his own rifle range to proof test the Sharps, (try to blow it up), but will be a while yet. Could be a few bottles of homebrew!,. Homebrew.357.

Well that went down like a lead balloon, so nobody has a 200,000 tho farm, well will just have to get down to the bush in my caravan for a hunting, gun testing 5 day trip. Have looked at getting the receiver breech block hole cut out with wire E D M, all`s looking good, going back Friday with all the plans and bits so I can get things up and running again. Speaking of running, no I`m walking, the hip is coming along nicely , going for long walks to wear it in. Have not been to the nzda range for a bit, I see a black powder cannon shoot coming up , so will give old lead poison a work out. Cheers, homebrew.357.

you are a bloody legend and a national treasure Homebrew

Hell, I don`t think I`m that good, but will be happy when I feel the recoil and see the smoke from the first shot at the range and as they say, "It`s not over till the fat lady sings", which means the gun is not finished yet. So still working on bits for the Sharps like the back sight, set up on the lathe to mill out the range slider on the pop up for long range shooting. Would also love a tang peep sight, so will look at that a bit later, quite a tricky bit to make, but as my grand son say`s, "grandad can fix anything, he even made a GUN!. Homebrew.357. , Milling machine at work. , Making the slider. , In the rough, but getting there.

Hi, Have sent the block of 4140 steel for the receiver to cut out the breech block hole, should hear back soon when finished. Went to the black powder shoot and after lunch had a go with my Hawken, .45, well getting all ready to load and hammer to half cock, no spring load, the tumbler to spring pin had come out, , so a frantic side plate out, pin back in and pliers to hook spring back on. Had my best group with ten shots, fore holes touching ,. The sight is finished and looks good, Homebrew.357.