About the Cover

column By: Staff | August, 20

Our cover for this issue comes to us from Ron Paxton, friend and associate of William “Bill” Mapoles. Bill has written an exceptional article on the real-life accuracy of the Sharps New Model 1859 rifle using linen and paper cartridges. The rifle pictured on the cover is one of the 2,000 rifles specially produced for “Berdan’s Sharpshooters” of Civil War fame. Bill has exploded a few myths surrounding the ammunition for the early-day Sharps and it makes for especially interesting reading.

I’ve always had a real interest in just how accurate the linen cartridge Sharps rifle was, because of its connection to the early days of the American West and its use by sharpshooters in the War Between the States. For those of you who own an original Sharps or one of the modern-day copies, Bill’s article has some very useful and practical information on making accurate ammunition.

Many thanks to Ron Paxton for an exceptional cover shot and to Bill Mapoles for another informative article on these great old rifles. – SPG

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Black Powder Cartridge Fall 2020

This Issue - About the Cover

About the Cover