As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
I really would like it if the people who convert books to e books, would not have them produced in some jibberish of computer codex that reads like so much Choctaw, but at least in the Sharpes 1878 catalogue there are pictures.
I therefore post them for my archives and others who understand such things, will realize the valuable information in them.
By 1878 the world was changed from the buffalo range, and it was a matter of elk and deer, and with that the Winchesters became prominent, as for potting grouse and rabbits a 44 40 is better than 45 120.
I was surprised in how Sharpes had advanced to enclosed hammers on their rifles of the military grade, and they appear as if Bill Ruger in his No. 1 Rifle borrowed from the design, which is no surprise.
The firearm is lever cocked and ejected in a nice dirt free package which is easy to clean.
It fascinated me always in the loadings which Sharpes arrived at. The idea was to stay away from bottle neck cartridges as they always jammed and caused problems due to the fouling, grease and dirt, but even in them we find the two standards of 40 and 45 caliber, with the 50 having disappeared. The 44 was of the Remington lines.
The light loads in the paper patch bullets, which were nitro paper, unless one used as gas seal of antelope hides, were 265 grains in a lead tin mixture. The medium loads appear to be 330 and and 420 grains, and the heavy loads 500 to 550 grains.
The measured numbers from 1 11/16 to 2 7/8 are length of the casing.
As a fix point, the German American, Colonel Meyer shot a 40 90 sharps which he acquired from Colonel Richard Irving Dodge, and I believe the loading was a 420 grain bullet, using British powder, over the 370 grain bullet which Sharpes recommended. This can be a waymark in deciding what was being shot at with the different loads in the light stuff for deer and the heavy for whatever large animals still roamed, including humans.
I found it interesting in Sharpes recommended high quality gun oil, or sperm whale oil in the protection of their arms. I realize that dewaxed automatic transmission fluid is the superior replacement for sperm whale oil, but all the same, I would for historical purposes prefer to have that on my gun.
Perhaps someday I will run across some gallon tin of it in someones barn.
I will finish this up with a customer letter which is evidence of the ability of the Sharpes. (*note: I leave the first part as it is in the ebook to show how horrid the text is in what I am translating.)
Upper Lakjs, Laxd Co., Cal., Dec. 4th, 1878.
Sharps Rifij? Co. : Qtntkmn*
Upper Lakes, ???? County, California, Dec. 4th, 1878
Sharps Rifle Co. : Gentlemen
-Proud to inform you that the Sharps mid-range rifle, 40 cal.. 70 grs., which you sent me, more than answers my expectations. After having hunted forty-five years, and always having the host guns of the day, I pronounce that gun to be the best in every respect that I have ever used. I hunt for large bucks only, and boars.
In my last hunt I killed fifty-four large bucks and three bears, each bear dead in its tracks with a single shot for each. It seemed to me that an old buck could not get out of range.
Will give you one illustration of that. Was riding out from camp one evening with my Indian boy; saw a large buck standing a long way off; jumped off my horse, raised my gun to shoot, when the Indian boy said, "Too far to shoot him; too far to kill him."
Blazed away: up tumbled the buck. That boy had stood by me in the course of years, and had seen me kill as many as five hundred large deer. Would not begin to give my sharps for any magazine gun I have ever seen. Have used several; consider them all more or less dangerous, Have known many accidents happen with them; but If an accident happens with a Sharps, it will be the fault of the man. not of the gun.
Respectfully. GEORGE DUCKNELL
Many people scoffed at the 70 grain powder load compared to the 100 to 120 grain load, but General George Custer was firing away with the standard military load of 70 grains in his Remington and was hitting targets at 200 yards effectively.
Buffalo Bill did all of his work with a military carbine with 70 grains, but it was closer work, but it is a reality that there was effective killing power for elk, deer and certainly antelope, along with the odd buffalo, so the 45 70 with smokeless powder in a modern firearm is sufficient if you the rifleman knows their gun.
The Sharpes Rifle Co.
l have just returned from a trip to Montana, where the past six months have been spent hunting large game in that magnificent game region. During that time I have used exclusively the one (Sharps rifle, 44 calibre. bought of you In June, 1876, and take pleasure in testifying to the satisfaction it has always given.
I traveled over 2,200 miles with it hung to the horn of my saddle, discharged it over 8500 times, it was exposed to numerous snow and rain storms was " bucked off " several times. It was never once out of order, nor did it ever fail to do the duty when held right and with properly loaded shells. I hunted all kinds of game, with which that country abounds, and killed antelope, white and black tail deer, elk. buffalo, and grissly bear, yet the rifling is as bright, and the gun is substantial, as when I bought it course I have taken the best of care of it.
I met some English gentlemen out there with the finest double express rifle with "pistol grip" stock, but in each case the stock was shattered and patched up.
Very truly, W. D. PICKETT.
Just so you get an understanding of either these e books appear voice translated, the mobi conversion puts in incorrect codex HTML along with some bad typing, this is what part of that which I translated:
(killed antelope, while and black tail deer, *-ik. buffalo, and grlssly bear, yet the rifling is as bright, ami the gun is nibstantiall 1, as when I bought it)
Sometimes the best I can do is guess the 19th century vernacular.
agtG
