Lindcott Armory Rifle · Proprietary
.45-100 Sharps
Heavy black powder hunting cartridge for Sharps and Winchester single-shot rifles; the largest standard .45 Sharps chambering between the .45-90 and .45-110 in powder charge.
- Caliber
- 0.4579″ · 11.63 mm
- Introduced
- 1876
- Case
- Rimmed
- Status
- Discontinued
- Introduced
- 1876
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Sharps Rifle Company
- Standard
- Proprietary
- Status
- Discontinued
- Availability
- Rare
- Primer
- Berdan Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Max pressure
- 22,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 500 yd
Ballistics
- Parent case
- —
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
CIP TDCC · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 11.63 | 0.458 | · |
| Neck ⌀ | 12.22 | 0.481 | · |
| Shoulder ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Shoulder angle | n/a | ||
| Base ⌀ | 12.84 | 0.506 | · |
| Rim ⌀ | 15.44 | 0.608 | · |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.78 | 0.070 | · |
| Neck length | n/a | ||
| Case length | 73.11 | 2.878 | ~ |
| Overall length | 85.30 | 3.358 | ~ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .45-100 Sharps is highlighted below.
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Connected reference
History
Introduced in 1876 as part of the heavy .45 Sharps family, the .45-100 was used by buffalo hunters and Creedmoor long-range competitors. The number designates the powder charge in grains — 100 grains of black powder gave this cartridge serious long-range authority at the cost of significant recoil.
FAQs
- What bullet diameter is .45-100 Sharps?
- .45-100 Sharps uses a 0.4579″ (11.63 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .45-100 Sharps still in production?
- .45-100 Sharps is discontinued; typical availability is rare.
Sources & provenance
- ManufacturerBuffalo Arms Co. — 45-100 (45X2.6") Sharps Black Powder Ammo 535 Grain Lead · bullet ⌀, grain weightsarchived
- ReferenceGun Digest Books — Cartridges of the World (Frank C. Barnes) · year, bullet ⌀, velocity, grain weights
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →