Quote:
Originally Posted by BPCR
Jeff,
Silly question here. Do you see many original Sharps shooting at matches?
Thanks
Bob
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Used to be most of the rifles were originals. The first reproductions, the "Farmingdale" guns from Wolfgang Droege, were anything but "match" rifles. The originals simply shot better. They do, however, have a different bore to chamber relationship than we use today. The bores are oversize and the chambers are undersize. Modern cast bullet wisdom decrees we shoot bullets .001" to .002" over groove diameter, which works great with both smokeless and black in either rifles or handguns. The original rifles, however, were set up to shoot bore (not groove) diameter bullets. When loading groove diameter bullets, they often will not even chamber - they are too big in diameter.
When competition heated up, and we needed rifles that could really
shoot, we all started sending our rifles off to either John King of Kila, MT, or to Lee Shaver for re-barreling or just re-chambering. Badger was the preferred barrel, but Krieger, Douglas, and even Ron Jones gain twist barrels were used.
Once Shilo mover to Big Timber, then split in two to create C. Sharps Arms, it was off to the races - the modern rifles started to rule the roost. Lots of us started to regret having "butchered" our originals by re-barreling and whatnot. Oh well, we needed them to really
shoot, and collectors be damned.
Funny, since this is a Porsche forum, I can't help but comment on the irony of it all. I'm an early car kind of guy, and I love to hot-rod them. I've been the Pac West "Chaptermeister" for the R Gruppe for a decade now. We are similarly accused of "butchering" original, and now very valuable cars. Eff 'em - we are having a lot of fun, and could care less about any "collector value". Same with these rifles - we would rather fix them up to "drive" better than sit in our smoking rooms, cigars and brandy in hand, admiring them.