Speaking of the '75 Sharps...
 

Tabby brought this ultra rare rifle up in the Seinfeld counterfeit Porsche thread. I didn't want to hijack that conversation, so I thought I would start a new thread. You know, since I brought up Sharps rifles recently anyway.

This was indeed the rarest of rare Sharps rifles. I believe only three were ever made. One was a military musket, with a full length stock, bayonet lug, and all of that. Sharps presented it to the U.S. military as a proposed replacement for the Trapdoor Springfield. It was rejected for a number of reasons, chief of which was the underlever used to open the breech. I guess the military saw it as problematic when shooting prone, and trying to stay low.

One example was a long range match rifle, of the "Creedmoor" type. One Col. Bodine apparently used it with some success in long range matches of the day. I believe he was on the American team at the original match against the Irish team at the Creedmoor Range on Long Island. At least I think he was...

The third I'm not so sure about, as far as configuration. Might have been a sporter. It might have been the one displayed at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, which won some medals and ribbons in whatever category in which it was entered.

I have a modern example of an 1875 Sharps, manufactured by C. Sharps Arms of Big Timber, Montana. It is my legal NRA silhouette weight rifle. The action is a good deal smaller and more streamlined than the earlier 1874 action (which actually came out in 1869, leaving a bit of a mystery as to why Sharps called it an "1874").

Those familiar with Sharps rifles will see some definite similarities between the 1875 and the later 1878 Sharps Borchardt, a striker fired, hammerless design. Many now say that if Sharps had produced the 1875, with its more familiar outside hammer, they may have survived. The Borchardt was chosen for production instead, and Sharps soon went out of business. Too much, too soon - the striker, being unseen, made folks uncomfortable. That, and Sharps desperately needed a repeater, but that's another story.

Anyway, here is my 1875. 34" heavy octagon barrel in .45-70, with an MVA Soule type rear sight and an MVA spirit level front sight. This is a very accurate rifle, and served me quite well in competition.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1551229286.JPG

Oh, and my 1874 for reference. You can see how much larger the action is on this rifle than the action on the 1875.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1551229286.JPG

Beautiful! Shades of Jonathan Quigby...

What model Sharps did Billy Dixon use at Adobe Walls? I think it was a 50-90 but I don't know what model.

You are gona make me do it aren't you?

Well my friend has one of the 3...and for a song...

Showed my hunting nut buddy your rifle in your original thread four beers in.

He said "That's a Sharps."

I said "No, dumb ass, it's a Shilo". :D

He just called me a knuckle f**k.

That's all I got.

He used an 1874 "big fifty" - a .50-2.5", known as either a .50-90 or .50-100, depending upon the specific load.

Dixon maintained until his dying day that that shot was just a "scratch shot" - pure, blind ass luck. I've seen analytical deconstructions of that shot and, yes, he was right - blind ass luck. With the angle at which that bullet was descending, that poor unlucky Indian could have been a yard or two closer or further away and he would have escaped unscathed. Damn the bad luck...

To add insult to injury, Dixon had borrowed that rifle and had likely never fired it before. He was just being a smart ass, essentially just thumbing his nose at the Indians up on the bluff. Those Indians, however, had no idea, and pretty much immediately called off their siege and fled. Funny how things work out sometimes.

Lucky man. I cannot believe it made it that far, amongst "experts", and was not properly identified.

Little John Gangle has a few guns from the estate of the guy who had the 75 in his next auction. Apparently he didn't know about the 75...or it would have been properly presented.

Does it have to be a good song ;)?

Love these threads...thanks Jeff

Missed this....I'm with Bob :)