An I.A.B. a shooter? Hehehehe...........

[Knarley Bob]

 The big difference between an IAB or other el-cheapo "Sharps" and them real spendy ones boils down to fit and finish my friends, fit and finish.
I have an I.A.B.  "Crazy Cora" and I have a Pedersoli NRA "Quigley".
I took the lock off both of them to compare, The Ped. was like a swiss watch, the IAB looked like the parts were cut out with an axe!   Now I'm not a gunsmith, but I found this wasn't all that hard to do.
SOOOOOOOO, I took the lock for Cora apart, smoothed and polished all the parts,deburred them,squared up what needed squareing(sp) and broke all sharp edges. Including the main spring, back of the lock plate and hammer. She went from a dull klunk, klunk, to a crisp click....clickety-click. Now THAT is a lock that means business!!!  All the parts seem really robust, but they hadden't been finished.
Pulled the dropping block out, pulled the firing pin out, smoothed out and or polished all places or surfaces that slide on one another. Deburred and broke all sharp corners, even on the spring loaded pin that rides on the lever, I had dug a trench where it traveled and I squared up those surfaces as well.
Now we are at the barrel and oh my gawd My Pedersoli's barrel looks like a mirror, Cora's, more like an old pipe. We got our work cut out for us here boys and girls. Went to my favorite auto supply store, got some valve lapping compound, and using a .45 cal loading stick for a muzzleloader and some shotgun cleaning patches Cora's bore is coming along nicely thank you.
Checked the chamber, it seems to be about 1/4" or so long, we can deal with that at the loading bench .

So can an IAB shoot with them spendy guns? If you put the time into "FINISHING" it ....Darn tootin'
Just remember the reason those spendy guns are so spendy is that someone took the time to smooth and polish and fit the parts that are in that gun. Someone took the time to polish the inside of that barrel, and that my friends costs money.
"Crazy Cora" has shot reletively well the way she was, this summer she's gonna kick some butt and take names!
A little elbow grease goes along ways.
Regards, and good luck....
Knarley
SASS#79005
NRA Life Member

[Ace Lungger]

Thanks KB,
 I was talking to Lee Shaver just last week about the IAB's, and everything you said is true! He also told me to fire lap my barrel and I plan to! But looing down it, it looks as nice as my friends Hi Wall.
But I do plan on making it the best it can be>

Thank you so much for post!
ACE

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Sounds like yer havin' fun!

Good on ya!!!

Heat treatment might also be one of the differences, too ... so watch for parts wear.  The Iye-tralians jus' LOVE to use the best steel, ya know.

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[Dusty Morningwood]

My first BPCR was an I.A.B. Sharps imported by Sile.  It had a very light 28" barrel and kicked like a mule with any load.  But I discovered that it liked a full load of FFG and 515 gr RN best.  From the bench with a buckhorn rear sight and very fat bead in a Swiss globe sight I could put 10 rounds into 2.5 inch groups pretty consistantly.  And I did not do any of the stuff described above to mine! 

[Flinch Morningwood]

MY IAB had a long chamber as well...I cast the chamer and it was about .01" short of being 45-100, so I had a gunsmith rechamber it to be a 45-100.

Shoots as well as I can so far but I'm still working up the right load and moving to paper patch...

Working this stuff through is 75% of the fun...shooting it is the other 75%....

[Ace Lungger]

I got lucky and my 1874 is right on the numbers, tomorow, I hope to check my 1866 IAB Sharps? I just wished I had the money to put a good set of sights on one of them! My 66 has a D.P. Wooble, and I hate it!! Once you get it set on the windage it is great! but, just going from the Range to home in the case, it will be moved and it has no marking to go buy!
Keep in touch!
ACE

[Patrick Henry Brown]

OK, so I got back off vacation and picked up my IAB 1866 Military Carbine in 45/70. I really like this carbine. The feel is great and it fits me well. That being said, I would like a lighter trigger and to do away with the "automatic safety" on the breechblock. I would appreciate any advice on either, plus, which parts would you recommend that I harden inside the lockwork? I have some Kasenite onhand, but should I harden by a different methodology?

The date code on this carbine places it around 1993 and it is an EMF import. It appears to have been unfired or fired very little. The previous owner never fired it. I'm planning on trying some Trapddor carbine loads in it this week (55 gr. powder and 405 gr. bullet).     

[drcook]

MY IAB had a long chamber as well...I cast the chamer and it was about .01" short of being 45-100, so I had a gunsmith rechamber it to be a 45-100.

Shoots as well as I can so far but I'm still working up the right load and moving to paper patch...

Working this stuff through is 75% of the fun...shooting it is the other 75%....

Are you using Starline brass ? If so you should probably anneal it. One of my rifles is also a 45-100.
I am also tuning a load in for the new barrel ( I have CPA Stevens that have interchangeable barrels). The new
barrel is a nbr 5 profile so it is heavier than my other one. The other barrel would easily do 2" groups at 200 yds.
This barrel shows the same promise. The other day, I was at 3 1/3 " at 200. Need to finish developing.

Try this, it works great for me. I duplex using 15 gr of 3F powder underneath 1F Goex. I put a cigarette paper
wad over the flash hole keep the 3F out. Then the 15 gr of 3F, followed by a 459 dia cigarette paper wad to
keep the powders separate. Then I drop tube in the powder. I currently am at a total of 96 gr
(15 3F + 81 gr 1F both plain Goex). I am going to start working up by 1/2 gr now by increasing the 1F.  I have a
feeling, based on prior experience, that the final load is going to be right around 98 total grains of powder.

Over the 1F I have been using either a .060 LDPE or a .060 fiber wad, then a notebook or other paper wad
between it and the base of the bullet.  I have been shooting 540 gr Paul Jones Creedmores.

This load will crack like a 30-06 on a cool humid morning. It just flattens steel targets. 

The 45-100, contrary to what a lot of folks think, is an easy cartridge to get shooting and load for. I have used the
45-100 to compete in 1000 yd gong matches with excellent results.

Just like with  a 110, you need to use a good lube to keep from fouling, or wipe between shots.

dc

[Forty Rod]

OK, so I got back off vacation and picked up my IAB 1866 Military Carbine in 45/70. I really like this carbine. The feel is great and it fits me well. That being said, I would like a lighter trigger and to do away with the "automatic safety" on the breechblock. I would appreciate any advice on either, plus, which parts would you recommend that I harden inside the lockwork? I have some Kasenite onhand, but should I harden by a different methodology?

The date code on this carbine places it around 1993 and it is an EMF import. It appears to have been unfired or fired very little. The previous owner never fired it. I'm planning on trying some Trapddor carbine loads in it this week (55 gr. powder and 405 gr. bullet).     

I had one of those carbines and got rid of it after it kicked me loose from everything but my promise of Heaven.  I've shot a lot of guns and only two ever beat me up worse: a .505 Gibbs double rifle, and an old 10 gauge Mercury with 13" barrels.

If I'd known to download them I might have been happier, but I was just getting into single shot rifles and shooting of-the-shelf .45-70 loads with smokeless. 

[Knarley Bob]

OK, so I got back off vacation and picked up my IAB 1866 Military Carbine in 45/70. I really like this carbine. The feel is great and it fits me well. That being said, I would like a lighter trigger and to do away with the "automatic safety" on the breechblock. I would appreciate any advice on either, plus, which parts would you recommend that I harden inside the lockwork? I have some Kasenite onhand, but should I harden by a different methodology?

The date code on this carbine places it around 1993 and it is an EMF import. It appears to have been unfired or fired very little. The previous owner never fired it. I'm planning on trying some Trapddor carbine loads in it this week (55 gr. powder and 405 gr. bullet).     

The automatic saftey was no problem. After shotting the gun enough it FELL OFF!!!!!!!   Then life was better.
So I don't have any advise for removing the piece of junk.
Regards,
Knarley

[Fiddler Green]

I got lucky and my 1874 is right on the numbers, tomorow, I hope to check my 1866 IAB Sharps? I just wished I had the money to put a good set of sights on one of them!

Have you checked out the sights from Track of the Wolf? I got a Tang sight for my 1871 for $60 bucks!

Bruce

[Flinch Morningwood]

I had the RED RIVER sight from Buffalo arms on my IAB Sharps...it was a sweet sight until I had to sell the rifle...the sight is now in the classified section here.