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.50-140 Sharps

Rifle cartridge

Field	Value
name	.50-140 Sharps
image	50-140 sharps.jpg	image_size = 300px
caption	.50-140 Sharps cartridge
origin	United States
type	Rifle
used_by	United States
design_date	1884
production_date	1884–present
parent	.50 Basic
case_type	Rimmed, straight
bullet	.512
neck	.529
shoulder	.529
base	.551
rim_dia	.652
case_length	3.25
length	3.95
primer	Large rifle
bw1	638
btype1	FN
vel1	1413
en1	2829
test_barrel_length	30"
balsrc	The Complete Blackpowder Handbook

The .50-140 Sharps (13×83mmR), also known as the .50-3" Sharps, is a black-powder rifle cartridge that was introduced in 1884, as a big game hunting round. It is believed to have been introduced for the Sharps-Borchardt Model 1878 rifle. The cartridge is very similar to the .500 Black Powder Express.

This round was introduced by Winchester 3 years after the Sharps Rifle Company closed its doors in 1881. It is similar to, though larger than, the .50-90 Sharps. With the Sharps Rifle Co. officially closing in 1881, and with the .50-140 being introduced 3 years later, the .50-140, will not be classified as Sharp's most powerful rifle cartridge.

Specifications

Bullet diameter is typically .512 in, with weights of 600 to.

The powder charge is typically 140 gr of black powder. Modern substitutes such as Pyrodex are sometimes used, although using smaller charges since pyrodex is less dense than black powder. In a strong action with modern smokeless powder, it can exceed a 500 gr .458 Winchester Magnum velocity while using a heavier 550 gr bullet.

Dimensions

History

The .50-140 was created for big game hunting, and was the most powerful of the Sharps Bison cartridges. However, it was introduced about the time of the end of the great Bison herds. An obsolete round, ammunition is not produced by any major manufacturer although reloading components and brass can be acquired or home-built.

Rifles are infrequently produced by a few companies. They are typically used for bison hunting and reenactments. Occasionally, the .50-140 is used in vintage competitions, although some shooters claim it produces heavier recoil than other old-time cartridges such as the .45-70.

References

Accurate Smokeless Powders Loading Guide Number Two (Revised), Book by Accurate Arms Co, Wolfe Publishing, 2000 p. 371

References

''The Complete Blackpowder Handbook (3rd Edition)'', Book by Sam Fadala, Krause Publishing, 1996 p.248
Walter, John. (2006). "The Guns that Won the West: Firearms on the American Frontier, 1848-1898". Greenhill Books.
Wieland, Terry. (2006). "Dangerous-Game Rifles". Countrysport Press.
Fadala, Sam. (2006). "The Complete Blackpowder Handbook". Gun Digest Books.
".50-140 Sharps". Western Powders Inc..
Hawks, Chuck. "Bison Cartridges of the American Frontier". ChuckHawks.com.

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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