'Tis the season for Sharps Pics

SmokeEater2 · Post by **SmokeEater2** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:09 pm

Ok,Since everybody else is posting pics of their Sharps Rifles Here's some pics of mine. I am nowhere near as talented with a camera as the majority here but hopefully You'll be able to make out what's in the picture.

She's a C.Sharps Business rifle in .45-70 with a 23 inch barrel.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:42 pm

Nice looking rifle, Smokeater2. Details? Caliber, bbl, etc., don't just tease us w/pics!

Here's mine:

Shiloh, made in 1987, I'm the original owner. .40-90SBN, long range venier tang sight, no barrel rear sight, nor dovetail. Std. Shiloh globe w/ball & post front sight, 30" barrel double set triggers, XX fancy wood, cast silver (german) nosecap. Have only target shot w/it, although I ordered it mainly for hunting.

SmokeEater2 · Post by **SmokeEater2** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:46 pm

Whoa! Beautiful rifle Griff! The wood on yours puts mine to shame. I like that rifle holder you've got there too.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:58 pm

SmokeEater2 wrote:Whoa! Beautiful rifle Griff! The wood on yours puts mine to shame. I like that rifle holder you've got there too.

Thank you, but it actually looks better in pics than in person.

Don McDowell · Post by **Don McDowell** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:11 pm

Dang smokeeater you got good taste in rifles.

SmokeEater2 · Post by **SmokeEater2** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:34 pm

Thanks Don! Griff, She's a C.Sharps 1875 Business rifle in 45-70,23 inch bbl., and standard wood. I just found her recently on gunsamerica (first pic was taken by the gunshop) and I'm in the process of following Badger barrels break-in procedure. Once thats done she'll be fed a steady diet of Cast boolits. Now that I've finally got this one it's all I want to shoot anymore,so this will be my deer,Hawg,bear and Elk rifle(if I ever get drawn for a permit.

) These things are some of the most finely made rifles I've ever seen.

Oh..I apologize for the over-size pics. I figured out how to make them more forum friendly AFTER I posted these.

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:51 pm

Griff wrote:Nice looking rifle, Smokeater2. Details? Caliber, bbl, etc., don't just tease us w/pics!

Here's mine:

Shiloh, made in 1987, I'm the original owner. .40-90SBN, long range venier tang sight, no barrel rear sight, nor dovetail. Std. Shiloh globe w/ball & post front sight, 30" barrel double set triggers, XX fancy wood, cast silver (german) nosecap. Have only target shot w/it, although I ordered it mainly for hunting.

Beautiful fellas. Don't mean to hijack, but I wanted to ask Griff if you could comment generally on the difference recoil wise between your 40-90 awith the bullet it likes and say a Shiloh in 45/70 with a heavy bullet? Also, is the bottlenecked case harder to load for or is that the Sharps Straight?
I have to get me a Shiloh!

Ram Hammer · Post by **Ram Hammer** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 2:02 pm

Do you mind if I join the party? Here are some pics of the Shiloh Sharps I bought last year. It's a 40-70 SS.

cas · Post by **cas** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:49 pm

I STILL haven't taken a decent photo of mine.

SmokeEater2 · Post by **SmokeEater2** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 5:32 pm

Ram hammer and cas, Those are some classy rifles!

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 5:50 pm

Although I am a Winchester man, no collection is complete without a Sharps. This one is in 45-70.

'78 Sharps----L.W.Winchester in .22 L.R----H.W.Winchester in 40-82
'84 Trapdoor

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 6:04 pm

C. Cash wrote: ..the difference recoil wise between your 40-90 awith the bullet it likes and say a Shiloh in 45/70 with a heavy bullet? Also, is the bottlenecked case harder to load for or is that the Sharps Straight?
I have to get me a Shiloh!

Mr. Cash,

I believe it IS the bottle neck that's difficult to load for, and everything I've read seems to back that up. I've gotten a lot of good info over on the Shiloh forum, there's a BUNCH of very knowledgeable guys there also.

I'm still hunting that good 100 yard load. Settles down nicely @ 300 and beyond. My rifle is the Long Range Express and I had the barrel made @ 30" so the rifle would make the weight restriction for BPCR Silhouette. I got the shotgun buttplate just on account of the recoil. It's pretty stout, but... only off the bench or prone. Sitting, kneeling or standing up, it's a pussycat. I don't believe it has any more recoil that the 450+ grain bullets in a .45-70 @ ~1200fps. I have a Browning 1886 rifle in .45-70 that's generally fed 325FN or 400FN bullets @ 12-1300fps and the big difference is the buttplate.

I generally shoot a 350gr grease groove bullet, and the last batch were loaded with 90 grains of FFg. They were running @ a ave. of 1576fps, SD of 8.71fps and ES of 17.28.

I'm hoping that the PP boolits will help in the short range accuracy department, and I've got some new lead that I wanna mix with my WWs for a softer boolit. That may help some also. In addition, this next batch of loads will be watched a little more closely for ensuring the base of the boolit isn't down past the neck. I hear that a very bad thing with BP. With 27grs of AA5744, it'll shoot very well indeed. But, I'm hung up on the BP loads. I'll get it sorted out eventually!

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 6:06 pm

cas and Ram Hammer, those are very nice rifles also.

SmokeEater2 · Post by **SmokeEater2** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 6:27 pm

sixgun,I'm jealous! Those are nice rifles.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 6:33 pm

SmokeEater2 wrote:sixgun,I'm jealous! Those are nice rifles.

SmokeEater----Please, don't be. I have been at this game since 1972 and most of my good stuff was bought before prices went crazy. Although I punch a clock for a living, I always liked the old guns and stayed educated and tuned in to them.

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 6:44 pm

Vey nice Sharps fellas! I hope to own one some day, but I'm hoping for an original if I can afford one!

3855 · Post by **3855** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 8:07 pm

As mentioned in a previous post, no Winchester collection would be complete without a few Sharps.

Top - 12lb Model 1874 Sporter in 45-70, circa 1878

Middle - Sharps 1874 Business Rifle, circa 1876, also in 45-70

Bottom - New Model 1863 conversion in the rarer 50 - 2" chambering

And yes, I do shoot them.

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C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 8:11 pm

Thank you Griff for that detailed response! Great info. You guys are killing me...absolutely killing me with these Sharps photos.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 8:30 pm

3855 wrote:As mentioned in a previous post, no Winchester collection would be complete without a few Sharps.

And yes, I do shoot them.

Mr. 3855,
You and I think alike. We shoot those old guns--and with great pleasure. Those '74 side hammers you have are impressive to say the least. Now: on to business: Whats it gonna take to pry that extreme multiple special ordered optioned '86 out of your hands? Just kidding. I bet she's your pride and joy. A very nice and rare '86 with the added desireability of "condition"----------------Sixgun

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 8:54 pm

Gents, Your sharps are BEAUTIFUL. Nice Post smokeater. I was hoping to pull out some pics when I posted mine. They are such beautiful rifles. Thanks guys for your beautiful pics

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:05 pm

3855, you've got quite the collection of Sharps there. I'm envious.

SR James · Post by **SR James** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:58 pm

Heck, might as well throw in my stuff: Shiloh .40-65, Shiloh .45-90 and a Whitney RB .40-82. The middle gun is Shiloh factory wood. The top Sharps and the Whitney I stocked. I use all three rifles in sihouette competition.

cas · Post by **cas** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 12:12 am

Ooh rollers rollers... rollers I don't own.

The vertical Pedersoli left to make way (and help pay) for Shilo I posted.

The roller on the bottom went away to pay for the one with the scope..

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 9:08 am

cas wrote:Ooh rollers rollers... rollers I don't own.

Cas, you been holdin' out on me! How come you only bring one to the Noreaster? I want to see 'em ALL come springtime!-----Sixgun

cas · Post by **cas** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 10:01 am

I only bring one at a time because... they're so big, so heavy and I don't want to have to have to clean them all, all at once.

Wayne Miller · Post by **Wayne Miller** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 12:13 pm

cas wrote:Ooh rollers rollers... rollers I don't own.

The vertical Pedersoli left to make way (and help pay) for Shilo I posted.

The roller on the bottom went away to pay for the one with the scope..

Ummm...Excuse me, but did no one else notice the HEPBURN?!?!?!? Details, PLEASE!!!!!!!!

cas · Post by **cas** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 2:48 pm

Well... the back half is all original. The front half is more recent. When I bought it, it had Marbles sights which I've since replaced with a SA buckhorn and a blade front. Since this picture I also did some sculpting of the forend to make it less "2x3"ish and opened the chamber to .45-90 to reduce the chance of me accidentally blowing it up with one of my hot Marlin 45-70 loads.

It's kind of a rare "Heburn carbine."