A Simple Rifle For Simple Times

[bae]

This is my new Sharps buffalo rifle. The Sharps rifle design dates from 1848, and in various forms, it served as a US service weapon for ages. The breech-loading falling-block action is fast and robust, and this was the "assault weapon" of its day. This is a copy of a Model 1874, which in original form fires a 45/70 Government cartridge, which will go through 8 inches of oak and a foot of wet sand at 3000 yards. The sights on the Sharps typically were high-tech-for-the-time contraptions that allowed for the rainbow-like trajectory required to hit anything at that distance. I shoot a full-sized one in competition, at ranges out to 1000 yards.

The problem is, the 45/70 costs about $1 a shot to fire. And it's really loud. And people don't like it when you destroy the backstops at their range with your antique black-powder assault weapon.

I've been waiting for this scaled-down model in .22LR to arrive for over two years now. It almost arrived last Monday, but the train it was coming on derailed!!!! It took them another day and a half to sort that out and get it out here. It seems to have survived the train wreck just fine.

This one is more suited to shooting smallbore metallic targets at more modest ranges, as well as varmint control. Or for dealing with buffalo that have gotten really damp and shrunk. It will cost only pennies to shoot.

General first impressions: Good overall workmanship. The fit of wood to metal is superb, the case-hardening of the lockwork is very well done. Double-set trigger is super good, lock-time is looong compared to a more modern weapon. Sights are quite useable, I plinked just a little on the way home and with CCI green-tag, accuracy was great, all the rounds went into the same hole at 50 yards, made a dime-size patch at 125 yards. Nice heavy octagonal barrel, perfect balance.

This'll put the fear of Buffalo Bill into all the space-age laser-and telescope-using race-gun guys at the next match.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8bdYFKk3OW4/TYqIWOxBvuI/AAAAAAAACag/Juv1bLojX6I/s720/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_8bdYFKk3OW4/TYqIpGGvZQI/AAAAAAAACao/HiRzA0vp130/s720/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_8bdYFKk3OW4/TYqL5Jo-QvI/AAAAAAAACbY/nIzTq8fBnjs/s720/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_8bdYFKk3OW4/TYqLt0o4RII/AAAAAAAACbU/kjXHHg6UKZM/s640/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8bdYFKk3OW4/TYqI8BUEuOI/AAAAAAAACaw/i_OndNU8cUQ/s720/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8bdYFKk3OW4/TYqJSJbELmI/AAAAAAAACa0/UMaOD7HEdFI/s640/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg

[razz]

Had to chuckle at this post. DH loves his weapons (some in my name as well) and when I remind him that he has not gone hunting for years and perhaps we can find new homes for these, I am reminded that the time is not yet. A beautiful weapon is a work of art in workmanship, ssn't it?

[Madsen]

I have that same Tipton vise! Did you get yours from Midway? :)

nice boomstick btw. ;)

[bae]

I have that same Tipton vise! Did you get yours from Midway? :)


Exactly so. One of my main mail-order suppliers :-)

[Mrs-M]

I love picture threads even if I'm not up on the topic. I showed my husband the pictures last night Bae and he said he'd love to add a rifle like that to his collection. I wish my husband would sign up as a member here to talk guy stuff like guns and things. It's his passion. My husband guessed that the stock is either made of walnut or beechwood, is he close?

[Mrs-M]

Even though my husband said "no way", my guess is the wood is mahogany or oak.

[bae]

Even though my husband said "no way", my guess is the wood is mahogany or oak.

It looks very much like some sort of Walnut to me, but I'm Not A Wood Guy by any measure :-)

[JaneV2.0]

Mighty handsome. May all your varmints outrun it...

[Mrs-M]

Question Bae (for my husband). Due to the salt content in the air (where you live), do you have to use any special cleaning and protectant agents to ensure the longevity of exposed metal parts?

[bae]

Nope, regular gun care products seem to do the trick. I prefer the silicone-type products for exterior protection, they don't get so gummy and attract goo.

[Mrs-M]

Good morning Bae. My husband thought this may be of interest to you. Many- many years ago he got to know an old gunsmith and the smith recommended Pledge for the protection and preservation of metal firearm components (outer) and fine wooden stocks. It has a high silicone base and DH has been using it ever since.

[bae]

That's so absurdly simple that I bet it works like a champ. What a great idea!

[Mrs-M]

My husband will not use anything else. It has such a pleasant smell to it too! I remember my dad cleaning his guns with those strong chemical smelling oil products (still does) which sort of left the guns sticky, but DH's guns look (and feel) as though they were just removed from a showroom environment.

[Spartana]

It has such a pleasant smell to it too!

Ohhh... A lemon scented gun - I love it :-)!

[Mrs-M]

Ironically enough Spartana, he does use the lemon scent! :) I even offer to help polish!

Bae. On more point I'd like to mention, my husband never changes out the Pledge embedded cloth. He uses the same cloth over and over again. When he's done using it he allows it to dry then places it in a small Ziploc bag and stores it back in his gun cleaning bag.

[rodeosweetheart]

I'm not a gun aficianado, but I loved your wood stove!

[Spartana]

I tired to post a couple of pics of my antique .410 shotgun (and my little pea shooter from the CG ;)) but can't post pics here for some reason. Was able to on the "practice board" but not here. Will try again! I'm not a gun collector myself (but have a few around the house) but this was one belonged to the Great Grandparents (the shotgun not the .50 cal).

[Spartana]

my "little pea shooter" :-)! Yes I'm showing off :devil:

http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=364&d=1305656385

[bae]

That Browning is surely a classic. I swapped mine for this instead though, which fires the same round, but is substantially more accurate, and easier to use on my smaller boat:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_8bdYFKk3OW4/Sjbw-_l2AXI/AAAAAAAAALc/EGwzFuA_CNg/s640/Barrett.jpg

I do have a nice mount on the boat for my smaller Browning, to help defend our border here from the Canadian menace:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_8bdYFKk3OW4/SjbwymEkx_I/AAAAAAAAALY/qGHZ5DqoyZg/s640/Browning1919.jpg

It is fortunate indeed that our Army's Department of Civilian Marksmanship sells off warehouses of inexpensive ammunition to us taxpayers for practice :-)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_8bdYFKk3OW4/TBGTvJbVakI/AAAAAAAACCY/m4S8cOvowVs/s512/img_0207.jpg

[Spartana]

Purrrtttyyy..... Me wants! Well that 95 ft patrol boat I am on in the pic was stationed in Maine to defend against the Canadian Menace as well :laff:

I don't have anything like yours in my personal stash but a girl can dream!

[bae]

I have a 10 pounder Parrott gun on order to set up the first coastal battery here. That'll keep those curling fiends away from our sacred shores!

[Spartana]

I have a 10 pounder Parrott gun on order to set up the first coastal battery here. That'll keep those curling fiends away from our sacred shores!

I always thought that they should combine curling and hockey into one sport with the stone for the puck. Now THAT would be a sport :-)! Throw in a few cups of Tim Horten's finest and those Canadians would be unstoppable! They'd take over the world dont cha know!