Lindcott Armory Rifle · Obsolete
.50-140 Sharps
Largest of the Sharps black-powder buffalo cartridges, loaded with 140 grains of black powder behind a 700-grain lead bullet.
- Caliber
- 0.512″ · 13.005 mm
- Introduced
- 1884
- Case
- Rimmed
- Parent
- .50-90 Sharps
- Primary use
- Hunting, Target
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1884
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Sharps Rifle Company
- Manufacturer
- Starline (brass), custom loaders
- Standard
- Obsolete
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Rare
- Case capacity
- 200 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:20
- Primer
- Berdan or Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Max pressure
- 22,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 300 yd
- Max range
- 2000 yd
- Recoil
- 25–38 ft·lb
Ballistics
- Parent case
- .50-90 Sharps
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Performance
Buy links open .50-140 Sharps ammunition at Rivertown Munitions.
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
Wikipedia · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 13.01 | 0.512 | ~ |
| Neck ⌀ | 13.44 | 0.529 | · |
| Shoulder ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Shoulder angle | n/a | ||
| Base ⌀ | 13.99 | 0.551 | · |
| Rim ⌀ | 16.56 | 0.652 | · |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.25 | 0.049 | ~ |
| Neck length | n/a | ||
| Case length | 82.55 | 3.250 | · |
| Overall length | 100.33 | 3.950 | ~ |
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. .50-140 Sharps is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 6 active loads across 6 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 20 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grizzly | WC | 700 | Lead FP | 1,355 | 2,853 | — |
| Graf & Sons | Cowboy | 700 | RNFP | 1,350 | 2,832 | — |
| Jamison International | Cowboy | 700 | FP | 1,350 | 2,832 | — |
| Ultramax | Lead FP Cowboy | 700 | Lead FP | 1,250 | 2,428 | — |
| Ten-X Ammunition | Lead FP | 700 | Lead FP | 1,250 | 2,428 | — |
| Buffalo Arms | Lead FP Reproduction | 700 | Lead FP | 1,250 | 2,428 | — |
| Old Western Scrounger | Replica | 700 | Lead FP | 1,350 | 2,832 | — |
| Bertram | Antique | 700 | FMJ | 1,340 | 2,790 | — |
| Winchester | Lead FP Original | 700 | Lead FP | 1,250 | 2,428 | — |
| Black Hills | BH Cowboy | 700 | Lead FP | 1,250 | 2,428 | — |
| Peters | Peters Standard | 700 | Lead FP | 1,250 | 2,428 | — |
| UMC | Lead FP | 700 | Lead FP | 1,250 | 2,428 | — |
| Bertram | Custom | 700 | Lead Round Nose | 1,200 | 2,238 | — |
| Jamison | Custom | 700 | Lead Round Nose | 1,200 | 2,238 | — |
| Doubletap | Hardcast | 700 | Lead Round Nose | 1,200 | 2,238 | — |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
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.
Lineage
ⓘ Direct parent is .50-90 Sharps (2.5" case lengthened to 3.25"); .50-70 Gov is the grandparent. Wikipedia's ".50 Basic" is a modern 3.25" bra
Connected reference
History
Developed in the early 1880s as the 'express' load for the Sharps Model 1874, it was used primarily for very long range target shooting competitions. With 140 grains of black powder and 700-grain bullets, it was capable of 1,500-yard accuracy in skilled hands. Buffalo hunting had largely ended by the time the cartridge appeared, so its use was mostly target-oriented. Pedersoli and other reproduction makers still offer rifles chambered for it; brass is available from Starline.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .50-140 Sharps use?
- .50-140 Sharps typically uses a 1:20 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .50-140 Sharps?
- .50-140 Sharps uses a 0.512″ (13.005 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .50-140 Sharps still in production?
- .50-140 Sharps is active; typical availability is rare.
- What is .50-140 Sharps used for?
- .50-140 Sharps is primarily used for hunting, target.
- What is .50-140 Sharps based on?
- .50-140 Sharps is derived from the .50-70 Government case.
Sources & provenance
- ManufacturerDixie Gun Works KA3203 — .50 Caliber 3¼" case forms .50-140, .50-90, and .50-70 (shows the 3.25" ".50 Basic" is a modern brass-forming blank, not a historical parent) · parent_cartridge
- SecondaryThe Wild West — Big Fifty Sharps Rifle (1.75" govt case lengthened to 2.5" for .50-90; longer .50-140 case developed later) · parent_cartridge
- SecondaryHandloader Magazine — Black Powder Big Bores (documents .50-70 1.75" lengthened to .50-90 2.5", then Winchester lengthening the basic .50 Sharps rounds to the 3.25" .50-140) · parent_cartridge
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 6 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →