From .45-70 to .22 LR

Started by tommy303, 17. August 2008 kl. 16:35:48

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Øyvind F.

I exaggerate if I say that I shoot a lot with smokeless ammunition and modern guns. However, when you can combine Model 1874 Sharps in calibre .45-70 with a .22 liner I cannot resist. This combination means cheap ammunition, and allows for target practice behind the card shed or your cabin. The report from a .22 is a bit more neighbour friendly compared to the .45-70.

When I purchased my Shiloh Sharps from the USA this spring I also purchased a .22 liner from Dave Crossno Gun Stocks. He makes .22 liners for rifles in calibre .40 and .45. The principle is simple: A rubber coated .22 calibre barrel is soldered to a .45-70 case. To insert it in the .45-70 barrel the bore of the rifle and the liner is generously greased, and inserted into the barrel. The soft rubber follows the rifling, and the liner is easily screwed into the barrel.







When you load a .Sharps with the .22 liner inserted it is approximately done the same way as you do when loading a .45-70 round: Lower the breech-block and insert the .22 cartridge into the chamber. The liner has no extractor but Crossno supplies you with a small screwdriver that is used to extract the empty shell, which works as good as anything else.

The video below shows my brother operating the Sharps with the Crossno liner.

[flash width=480 height=385]http://www.youtube.com/v/hEXfEw_AdC4&hl=en&fs=1&[/flash]


What about accuracy? It is not bad at all. I have only tried three different brands of ammunition. I shot ten shots at 50 metres (55 yards) from the bench. You can see the results below. All in all a liner like this is a fine remedy for training before you go on the range with the .45 or .40 calibre ammunition.



CCI Standard Velocity produced the smallest group, but only eight shots were  fired. The group measures 23 mm. or 0.9".



Federal Classic produced the largest group: 29 mm or 1.14".




Winchester Rabbit Ammo 25 mm or .98".

Does anyone else have experience with liners such as this? What kind of accuracy do you get? The only thing I need now is .22 LR ammunition loaded with black powder! :-D
Øyvind F. - forum admin
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Fabian23

That is very very clever!  I like the use of the rubber sleeve to lock the insert into the iriginal rifling.

I have no experience of this sort of thing, but I do have a kit which  transforms my .223" semi-auto SIG550 rifle into a .22" single shot air rifle.  It even has a clip-on diopter so accuracy is very good at 10m, perfect for the garden :-D
Give me iron, steel and wood!  Tupperware guns are for losers!

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tommy303

I must say that liner insert for your Shiloh Sharps is clever to the extreme.  I may have to get one of those for my Sharps.
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They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
What God abandoned, these defended,
And saved the sum of things for pay.

A.E. Housman

Øyvind F.

> I must say that liner insert for your Shiloh Sharps is clever to the extreme.  I may have to get one of those for my Sharps.

You should absolutely do that. There is also another .22 liner available. I have not tried that one, but it is made by Lee Shaver. Buffalo Arms has both of them. The main difference is that the Lee Shaver version "uses an ingenious shell holder adapter that holds the cartridge into the chamber of the liner".
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BPCR

#4
HI!

I shoot one also. I've been using Lapua Center X, SK Standard Plus and some RWS Rifle Match Target in my Browning BPCR 1885 High Wall rifle with an MVA Malcom 6x, Model 3000 scope.

I got it last Tuesday and was finally able to go out an break it in last Thursday. I had to call Dave Crossno and ask him where I could find the Dielectric Grease. Our local Napa Auto Store carries it so I ran over and got a tube on the way to the range.  Dave said he was going to be including small tubes of it with new sales so you can start shooting right away.

I had previously shot my 1885 out to 200 yds using its normal .45-70 ammo so I figured the rifle would put them somewhere high at 100 yds. I figured if I was going to be shooting this new .22 out to 200 yds I might was well shoot it in a 100 yds. I put a 1 inch dot at the bottom of the target and another 1 inch dot 16 inches higher. I figured by aiming at the lower dot the bullet would fall somewhere in between.

The first surprise I got was 1st 5 bullets were hitting about 1/2 inch left of the bottom dot. I dialed up 16 MOA and they began hitting around the upper dot. Surprise #2...By the next 10 bullets first I was shooting inside 1 inch with the bullets. I figured I'd lower the scope back down to the 100 yd mark and shoot there while I tested some other bullets. I dropped it back down and this time shoot at a bullseyes target using Center X ammo. As I shot they began eating out the X ring on the target. My friend had been looking through my spotting scope and said many were going through the same hole.  Wow!

I switched to a 7 inch round, swinging steel target that had been set up at 100 yds by another buddy. Bang...Ding! Bang...Ding. He had also set up a steel swinging chicken at 45 yds. I dialed the scope what I'd normally dial down to50 yds, 7 MOA and took a shot. Ding! But a little high so I added a 1/2 MOA and it centered the bullets.

Another friend was shooting his CZ .22 with RWS and it was all over the place. Around 4-5 inches at 50 yds. He let me fire 5 of his RWS bullets in my Crossno .22 and you guessed it, Ding, Ding Ding, Ding, Ding.

I redial back put to 100 yds to finish off the box of SK and called it a day. All I can say is what a great insert!

I noted your bullet groups were going 1/2 inch left 0or so. Did you know you can stick the .22 insert into the bore of your rifle with the notch at 1 o'clock when the case is in the breech? Doing so will move the bullet over to the right. If you move it to 2 o'clock it moves the bullet farther to the right. I will continue to move right until you get to 3 o'clock.

You can go left by turning the notch left to the 11 o'clock position.

I also have an original Sharps 1859 rifle that had been converted from percussion/paper cartridge .50-70 to a.45-100 Old Reliable Market Rifle  with a double set trigger. I have a soule sight on that rifle and will try the Crossno .22 insert maybe next Thursday when I'm off work again.

I can post pics of the rifles if you would like.

Bob

Øyvind F.

Welcome to the forum BPCR. It's a longe time since I've used my Crossno liner now, but I plan to wipe the dust off it after the summer. Please post pictures – just click the upload button to upload.
Øyvind F. - forum admin
Ta også en kikk på kammerlader.no.

BPCR

Thank you. Pics it is!
The first group is my Browning 1885 High Wall .45-70 with the Malcom Scope along with the crossno.




The second group is of my Original 1859 Sharps .50-70 Percussion that was later converted to a centerfire Buffalo Market Gun in .45-100. The patent stamps are clearly noted.







Hope you like them
Bob

BPCR

Just saw that Lee Shaver is not exporting these anymore.

DUE TO NEW RESTRICTIONS BY US CUSTOMS, WE ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO SHIP THESE ADAPTERS OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES.

I gather if its a ban for Shaver insert then it's also a ban on Crossno inserts.

I guess that means since you have had yours for years the value just sky rocketed. There might not be that many that were shipped across the pond.



Bob