Lindcott Armory Rifle · Proprietary
.50-120 Sharps
A large-capacity blackpowder buffalo cartridge from the tail end of the great-hunt era, loading roughly 120 grains of black powder behind a heavy .512-inch lead bullet in a 3¼-inch straight case.
- Introduced
- 1877
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Sharps Rifle Company
- Manufacturer
- Sharps Rifle Company
- Standard
- Proprietary
- Status
- Obsolete
- Availability
- Scarce
- Bullet ⌀
- 0.512″
- Case length
- 3.25″
- Overall length
- 4″
- Base ⌀
- 0.562″
- Twist
- 1:22
- Primer
- Large Rifle (Boxer)
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Eff. range
- 300 yd
- Max range
- 1200 yd
- Recoil
- 30–45 ft·lb
Ballistics
- Velocity
- 1,400–1,600 fps
- Energy
- 1,700–2,400 ft·lb
- Parent case
- —
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input, not a measured load.
Dimensions
Reloading cost
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 by the Sharps Rifle Company in the late 1870s as the buffalo herds were already being decimated, the .50-120 arrived near the end of the commercial hunt it was designed for. It survives today among black-powder cartridge rifle (BPCR) silhouette shooters and single-shot enthusiasts.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .50-120 Sharps use?
- .50-120 Sharps typically uses a 1:22 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .50-120 Sharps?
- .50-120 Sharps uses a 0.512″ (13.005 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .50-120 Sharps still in production?
- .50-120 Sharps is obsolete; typical availability is scarce.
- What is .50-120 Sharps used for?
- .50-120 Sharps is primarily used for hunting, target.
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. Spotted an error? Report it →