User's Guide

SHARPS USER’S MANUAL
www.chiappafirearms.com - 13 - e-mail info@chiappafirearms.com
During this operation pay attention you don’t keep your head or part of your body over the muzzle of the
barrel, a sudden burst may seriously injure you.
In order to facilitate the introduction of the powder you should employ the apposite brass funnel, which
allows the powder to slide perfectly down the bottom.
Once you have loaded the powder, beat your hand on the side of the weapon, near the lock.
It is fundamental that no air is left between powder and bullet.
Close the breech block.
Clean the rifle from powder residual, exceeding black powder around nipple or breech block may be
dangerous.
Possible lack of accumulated powder is a feature of percussion Sharps; this characteristic was well
known during the Civil War in fact, the loading operations were carried out with great carefulness.
Now, direct the muzzle in the shooting direction and place the cap on the nipple.
Cock the hammer and shoot.
After every shot, before you start a new loading, wait a while so possible powder residual in the barrel
can extinguish.
Always pay attention when introducing the powder inside the weapon; always keep the mouth of the
muzzle far from your body.
Second system:
Before proceeding with the loading instructions it’s good to explain how to properly prepare a paper cartridge.
Use linen paper
Such paper must be dipped in a nitre solution
The nitre solution is made adding potassium nitrate to water at normal room temperature
Paper must then be cut and dried.
To help you with this work, we have prepared a set which includes all parts necessary to prepare in the
correct way and by yourself paper cartridges for your percussion Sharps. This set includes ready-cut nitre
paper sheets for .45 or .54 caliber, a dummy to roll the paper on, glue to close the shell and a funnel to fill the
paper shell with black powder.
Once the paper is dry, roll it on a pin of the correct diameter, based on the bullet caliber you wish to prepare
Insert a lead bullet (item 970.122 for .451 cal. and item 970.128 for .54 cal.)
Fix the bullet to the paper with glue or better, tie a silk wire around the bullet so that it goes into the lead
grooves.
Now fill in the shell with black powder.
The maximum load of powder should not exceed 60 grains for .45 caliber and 80 grains for .54 caliber.
Now bend the open side of the paper, glue it or close with nylon or cotton wire.
It’s fundamental that no air is left between bullet and powder.
Let’s now proceed with the loading instructions; please pay great attention and guard your safety.
Put the hammer in half cock.
Open the breech block using the lever.
Insert the prepared cartridge into the cartridge chamber.