Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Original Buffalo Rifles

The local museum in Bozeman has built a display around Walter Cooper and some of his contributions to the founding and building of Bozeman, Montana Territory. The museum graciously designed the display with some of the items I have collected over the years, significant to Bozeman and it's earlier years. In the lobby area, in front of the display is the cannon that has seen lots of action throughout the state of Montana, eventually being brought back to Bozeman by Cooper, from the field where it had been left abandoned near Fort Smith.

I have a few original Sharps rifles that were used in the 1870's to kill buffalo in Montana. They were all shipped to Walter Cooper in Bozeman, Montana Territory in the 1870s. They all have Montana Provenance and one even has double that. The top rifle was shipped to Walter Cooper through J.G. Dow, then ended up in Miles City and was converted to 40-90 Bottleneck and stamped by A. D. McAusland, another frontier gunsmith in Montana Territory.

The 2 lower guns were actually shipped from Sharps rifle Manufacturing in the same shipment in August 1877. Although they aren't consecutive serial numbers, they are logged into the ledger consecutively. Together again after 141 years...

Very Nice Display Shrap! Came close to owning a A Sharps Buffalo rife a time or two! but they are well out of range for me now days!

Very nice.. This spring when we are in Mt. will have to stop in and visit...

The display is really interesting. Bozeman isn't that far from where I live and I will try to get over there to see it.

how long do you have to leave them their? I could not sleep with them not home

They are in there for several months, probably through next summer..

Thanks for sharing the information about the museum and display. Hope I get a chance to stop by and check it out.

Thank you for making these rifles accessible for viewing. There are so many fine or historic rifles that rarely get to see the light of day which is a shame. Hope I can make it to the museum while they are still there. In fact it sounds like a good excuse for a road trip.

Great Stuff!

Very nice display.

Great history. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Makes one wonder how many buffaloes they put down in their day.

This is the flier we printed up to help advertise it locally. It is amazing how many people know so little about the history of where they live...

Incredible display Shrap. One to be very proud of.

Cool stuff, thanks for sharing. I might have to stop by when I make my way to Yellow Stone in May.

Shrapnel: Thank you for the heads up - good for you on the assist for the museum.
Next time I get to Bozeman I will be sure to stop in and see it.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy