The .50-140 Sharps
rifle cartridge is a
black-powder 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
The Sharps-Borchardt Model 1878 is a single-shot hammerless falling-block action rifle designed by Hugo Borchardt and made by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company. It closely resembles older Sharps Rifles but has a firing mechanism that uses a ...
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.
Specifications
Bullet diameter is typically , with weights of .
The powder charge is typically of
black powder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Th ...
. Modern substitutes such as
Pyrodex
A black powder substitute is a replacement for black powder used in muzzleloading and cartridge firearms. Black powder substitutes offer a number of advantages over black powder, primarily including reduced sensitivity as an explosive and inc ...
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
.458 Winchester Magnum velocity while using a heavier 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.
See also
*
List of rifle cartridges
*
13 mm caliber (greater than .51 inches)
References
*''Accurate Smokeless Powders Loading Guide Number Two'' (Revised), Book by Accurate Arms Co, Wolfe Publishing, 2000 p. 371
External links
Sharps*
{{DEFAULTSORT:50-140 Sharps
50-140 Sharps
Sharps cartridges