Thought I would show off my original but restored 1874 Sharps rifle. I know it cant be original being restored, but I dont know how better to describe it. How ever you want to call it is fine, I'll call it a keeper.
It is an "A" meaning it was one of the last Sharps made. Made in Bridgeport, Conn sometime between 1879 to 1882 give or take. Sharps was in trouble and they assembled rifles with available parts. Two large gun dealers in Denver, J. P. Lower and Carlos Grove received most of these "A" models. This one went to J. P. Lower as you can see stamped on the top flat of the barrel.
This Sharps Sporting rifle has a correct 24" half octagon half round barrel chambered for the Sharps 40-70 bottle neck cartridge. The short barrel makes for a light weight rifle to carry around. Although it is a cartride rifle, stocks with patch boxes were sometimes assembled especially in the last of times for the company.
RCBS make me a set of dies. Brass was ordered on the net but I could have formed it from 45 basic brass. You can make a shortened case that works fine by necking down 45-70 brass. My first loads I think I'll load some .407 diameter lead bullets in the 335 grain range. Eventually paper patched bullets.
I read a story by Mike Venturino where he hunted several large plains animals in Africa with this cartridge in a rifle made by Shiloh. It worked well.
'Loose
It is an "A" meaning it was one of the last Sharps made. Made in Bridgeport, Conn sometime between 1879 to 1882 give or take. Sharps was in trouble and they assembled rifles with available parts. Two large gun dealers in Denver, J. P. Lower and Carlos Grove received most of these "A" models. This one went to J. P. Lower as you can see stamped on the top flat of the barrel.
This Sharps Sporting rifle has a correct 24" half octagon half round barrel chambered for the Sharps 40-70 bottle neck cartridge. The short barrel makes for a light weight rifle to carry around. Although it is a cartride rifle, stocks with patch boxes were sometimes assembled especially in the last of times for the company.
RCBS make me a set of dies. Brass was ordered on the net but I could have formed it from 45 basic brass. You can make a shortened case that works fine by necking down 45-70 brass. My first loads I think I'll load some .407 diameter lead bullets in the 335 grain range. Eventually paper patched bullets.
I read a story by Mike Venturino where he hunted several large plains animals in Africa with this cartridge in a rifle made by Shiloh. It worked well.
'Loose
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