Home Forums Hunting & Shooting BPCR Bill Bagwell..............Sharps 101

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh as it is every time Shenah sees me on this forum she gets a nasty look in her eye. The kids hate it too since I figured out that if I take their bus money and make them walk to school I'll have enough saved in a year to buy a new rifle, press, dies, and a heap of powder etc.

I've got the itch, just need to save enough to scratch it without breaking into the housekeeping money.

Gasoline on the fire!! MY "Ghost and Darkness"

Watch'em Marty, that ET is indeed an EVIL enabler

Gunner

That does it!!

I'm about to borrow some Lingerie and high heels and go sell myself on the corner, I'll get the money one way or another.

Glad I could help

That's an original Smith and Wesson #3 Single Action, 2nd Model American in .44 Russian. Some call them 1st Russians or Old, old Russians. This one was made in 1874 and came from Fredrickburg, Texas. The Smith's pre-dated the Colt SAA and were well represented in the same years that the early Buffalo slaughter took place. John Wesley Hardin used one of these to kill a Deputy Sheriff very near Fredricksburg and Wyatt Earp very possibly used a 3rd model Russian (which this gun evolved into) at the OK Corral shootout. His brother Virgil owned an even later model, a New Model #3, like this one.



Here's a rimfire version of the first gun. .44 Henry.



Here's a pic from the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, of one in a holster.

Gunner.

You spent some valuable time with Bill learning how to load and shoot your rifle.
I had the opportunity to spend time with Bill and Sitra both are A#1 folks.

My first reproduction Sharps was a .45-120 and what Bill said that it can be cantankerous and un-ruly was what I found when I started to work with that Bear. But in time when I realised what I was doing when breaking the trigger on a uncocked hammer and heard that click was pushing my shoulder ahead anticipating the recoil and I worked my way out of this problem by a shooting a lot of rounds down range I guess I can say I got used to the recoil and I found that the big 3-1/4 is capable of very fine accuracy.
The 120 gets a bad rep I think from people that have shot them and cant tolerate the heavy recoil and blame it on the rifle or caliber and some that have never sent the lead ball down range..
Put the information you learned from Bill and shoot that rifle every chance you get and the calibre will will serve you well.

Kurt

Very nice revolvers EE, I have a second gen 45 SAA I could load with black powder and lead slugs, or a friend has a bunch of very old Colt cap and ball revolvers.

Dont know if he would sell me one, or even how much one would cost should he decide to, but they are sweet, but may be to old to pack with a Sharps, not sure when they were made.


Kurt71, yessir that big 45-120 came on like an artillery piece, very accurate, and I fired over 40 rounds of Bill's handloads and didnt even have to swab the bore, not once.

Its a cool old rifle, and it has LOTS more to teach me.

Gunner

You could pack any old C&B revolver, they never really lost popularity till the 90's. Navy colts in particular stayed around. You have to remember the old guns were tools and just because a newer one appeared on the scene didn't mean the old ones got tossed aside, a lot of people couldn't afford to run out and replace their old C&B revolver just because new ones came out.

Yes, I understand what yer sayin' Marty, was just concerned if the Colt cap n ball would be period correct to tote along with the Sharps on a hunt.

Gunner

You guys are killin me. I need to get my 45-90 sent off and worked over.

Yes, get a move on EH , ET and i will be out soon lookin' for Buff on the hoof, and sumptin bacon wrapped off da grill

Gunner

grilled bacon wrapped gopher?

LOL...NAW EH, but i'd gopher some bacon wrapped Buffler loin

Gunner


Oh, and i jest met a man last Thursday that can most likely git yer charcoal burner up and runnin'

Yep, and my next "REAL" gun is gonna be a Hi-Wall in 50-90.

Gunner

Oh Goody!! I get to turn the screws yet again!! A 45/90 though

I hear ya ET, got to do a little more revestigating on the Hi-Walls.

Gunner

A week ago the local funshop had an original (refinished) High wall in .45-90, with a pretty decent bore. Not sure if it is already sold, however.

Edit to add, I also wouldn't mind finding another Field's Patent falling block. like the one I had some years ago - except preferably with a good bore.

Hey Tex, my original thoughts on the Hi-Walls were in the case someone needed to lean on a load for a bit more power, I think the actions are stronger, but after a little more "learnin", a good '74 Sharps with the right bullet and load may be more than enough for 99.9% of the game animals anywhere in the world.

Gunner

Shiloh is showing the 1874 available in .405 Winchester, which is not a low pressure cartridge, so I think it's probably strong enough to tolerate any "leaned-on" load your shoulder can tackle

I think ya'll are all bad influences, anyway.

A week ago I decided to sell a Baer to fund a Dakota M10, but now ye all got me wafflin' toward a BPCR, after I actually did sell the Baer.

I actually got my first deer 20+years ago with a Browning B78, in .25-06, the first of a dozen or more single shot rifles. I've dabbled with muzzleloaders, but never Black in a cartridge rifle. I know I could run Black in the Ruger .45-70, but it seems more fitting to do it with something period correct. The Miroku High Walls are very well made, but I'd prefer to buy something made here. Anyhow, I am debating between a High Wall of some sort, or a Shiloh. I sent Shiloh a couple of questions via email; hopefully I'll figure out what the heck I am doing, sometime soon.