Starr carbine
- Thread starter tiriaq
- Start date
I have never seen one much less shot one, but I wonder how well the westley richards monkeytail system could be adapted to it. The monkeytail used a felt washer between the breach and the powder and when I shot Steppenwolf's I made these out of the prelubed muzzle loading shotgun wads. I used 1/2 thickness and it sealed the breach very well. Depending on where the flash channel is, you might have to punch a hole through the wad to get the flash to the powder. Also use the greenhill formula to figure out the longest bullet that the rifling will stabilize and then bore a shorter one out of a second hand Lee rifle mold. On Steppenwolf's gun I used loose powder rather than be bothered with paper cartridges. Also it occurs to me that if you are using a wad to seal the breach, then put a piece of drinking straw in the hole to keep it open.
Hope some of this is applicable and useful
cheers mooncoon
Hope some of this is applicable and useful
cheers mooncoon
Incurable Collectoer
CGN Regular
- Location
- Canada, B.C.
Starr and other odd capping breechloaders
I shoot and reload the Gallager carbine and it too is a capping breechloader. Mine is an original that was supposedly taken from a surrendering Fenian or at least that is the way the story goes. The Gallager initially used a rolled brass and paper cartridge that was hard to extract because it has no rim. The troopers did not like this gun at all. Today we have the wonderful option of using a turned brass cartridge. The cartridges I bought have a groove at the back so one can get a hold of them and extract them using fingernails. The bore is .527 and it should shoot a conical bullet but I use a .530 roundball with good effect and 45 grains of back powder. It is a fun gun to shoot and I bet the Starr will be the same. Enjoy!
I shoot and reload the Gallager carbine and it too is a capping breechloader. Mine is an original that was supposedly taken from a surrendering Fenian or at least that is the way the story goes. The Gallager initially used a rolled brass and paper cartridge that was hard to extract because it has no rim. The troopers did not like this gun at all. Today we have the wonderful option of using a turned brass cartridge. The cartridges I bought have a groove at the back so one can get a hold of them and extract them using fingernails. The bore is .527 and it should shoot a conical bullet but I use a .530 roundball with good effect and 45 grains of back powder. It is a fun gun to shoot and I bet the Starr will be the same. Enjoy!
Thanks for the suggestions. That one is in nicer shape than mine.... It is a rimfire conversion, of course. These used the Spencer cartridge.
I'm sure mine could be used with loose powder and a ball or bullet. The breech of the barrel is a sharp cone. The breech block face has an annular groove, and is cammed onto the barrel breech cone. Mooncoon's idea of using a greased wad is a good one. The ignition hole is dead centre in the breechface.
I'm sure mine could be used with loose powder and a ball or bullet. The breech of the barrel is a sharp cone. The breech block face has an annular groove, and is cammed onto the barrel breech cone. Mooncoon's idea of using a greased wad is a good one. The ignition hole is dead centre in the breechface.
There are two breechblocks. The one which contacts the barrel rolls back, the rear block slides vertically. As it rises, it forces the front block tight against the breech. I have heard that of the capping carbines the Starrs were preferred to the Sharps; the Sharps is better known though, and was purchased in larger numbers.
Very intresting and i can see your point about better than a sharps being true.
i will have to watch out for one! I was thinking of getting a Antique Spencer cause there the only repeater thats a Perscribed antique being RF
This might be a better gun.
are there expensive like a sharps or cheeper ?
I've just about finished cleaning the metal parts. Externally it is NRA good. The bore is shiney with some very minor roughness; really nice. Lock is absolutely crisp. I have yet to make a nipple wrench, and the flash channel is plugged, probably with grease, as the inside of the action was clogged with old hardened grease. With the breech closed, I blew hard into the muzzle, and there was NO escape of air at the breech.
green - I would imagine that the blue closing disc was intended to allow the cap flash to pass through. Interesting that the grease grooves are within the linen case. For hunting, cartridges would be nice. For target shooting, a bullet could be breechseated, and loose powder measured into the chamber.
dingus - the catch to trying to use a Spencer as a repeater with offset .22s for primers is that you cannot insure that the .22 head will come up under the firing pin. These cases work when single loaded. Spencers in good working order are not inexpensive.
No trace of inspector's or unit marks. No WD either. Just three intials of a previous owner.
green - I would imagine that the blue closing disc was intended to allow the cap flash to pass through. Interesting that the grease grooves are within the linen case. For hunting, cartridges would be nice. For target shooting, a bullet could be breechseated, and loose powder measured into the chamber.
dingus - the catch to trying to use a Spencer as a repeater with offset .22s for primers is that you cannot insure that the .22 head will come up under the firing pin. These cases work when single loaded. Spencers in good working order are not inexpensive.
No trace of inspector's or unit marks. No WD either. Just three intials of a previous owner.
