.50-140 Sharps
Encyclopedia
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
rifle. The cartridge is very similar to the .500 Nitro 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
.
The powder charge was 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.
herds had been destroyed. An obsolete round, ammunition is not produced by any major manufacturer although reloading components and brass can be bought.
Rifles are produced on an infrequent basis by a few companies. The rifles are typically used for buffalo hunting and reenactments. Occasionally the .50-140 is used in vintage competitions, but it produces more recoil than other old-time cartridges such as the .45-70
, and so is used less frequently.
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
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
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 hammerless striker rather than a hammer and firing...
rifle. The cartridge is very similar to the .500 Nitro Express
.500 Nitro Express
The .500 Nitro Express is a .510 caliber big bore hunting cartridge. It was designed for use in single shot and double rifles. The cartridge is available in two lengths: a and a version...
.
This round was introduced by Winchester 3 years after the Sharps Rifle Company
Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company
Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company was the manufacturer of Sharps Rifle. It was organized by Samuel Robbins and Richard S. Lawrence as a holding company in Hartford, Connecticut on October 9, 1851 with $100,000 in capital. John C. Palmer was president, Christian Sharps an engineer, and Richard S....
closed its doors in 1881. It is similar to, though larger than, the .50-90 Sharps
.50-90 Sharps
The .50-90 Sharps rifle cartridge is a black powder cartridge that was introduced by Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company in 1872 as a buffalo hunting round...
.
Specifications
Bullet diameter was typically 0.512 in (1.3 cm), with weights ranging from 600 gr were used.The powder charge was 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
.458 Winchester Magnum
The .458 Winchester Magnum is a belted, straight-taper cased, dangerous game rifle cartridge. It was introduced commercially in 1956 by Winchester and first chambered in the Winchester Model 70 African rifle. It was designed to compete against the .450 Nitro Express and the .470 Nitro Express...
velocity while using a heavier 550 gr bullet.
History
The .50-140 was created specifically with big game hunting in mind, and was the most powerful of the Sharps Buffalo cartridges. However, this cartridge was introduced about the time that the last of the great buffaloBison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
herds had been destroyed. An obsolete round, ammunition is not produced by any major manufacturer although reloading components and brass can be bought.
Rifles are produced on an infrequent basis by a few companies. The rifles are typically used for buffalo hunting and reenactments. Occasionally the .50-140 is used in vintage competitions, but it produces more recoil than other old-time cartridges such as the .45-70
.45-70
The .45-70 rifle cartridge, also known as .45-70 Government, was developed at the U.S. Army's Springfield Armory for use in the Springfield Model 1873...
, and so is used less frequently.
See also
- List of rifle cartridges
- 13 mm caliber (greater than .51 inches)13 mm caliberThis article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the caliber range and greater.*Length refers to the cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the cartridge.*Bullet refers to the diameter of the bullet....