Sharps buffalo Rifle

[James Bearde]

What all calibers did the sharps buffalo rifle come in besides .45/.70 and .50 caliber and what was the actual total weight of the firearm?...what was the total maximum yardage range for each caliber...what was the total effectiveness of knockdown power of this particular weapon?...from what year to to years were they produced and how many were produed within its supply & demand at that time?....what company started the line of sharps...how many cartridges could it hold at one time?...Was it a single shot drop block or a multiple shop repeater type like the spencers and the winchesters?.....

[Sixgun]

I'll get you that info when I get back to my shop tomorrow.
Six

[James Bearde]

Thanks For everything sixgun!....

[Quickdraw]

Last year in Tombstone, I saw a guy leaning on his Sharps rifle, which was almost as tall as he was, and I asked him, "What caliber is that thing?" He said, " .45-120". I asked, "Can I see one of the cartridges?" and he dug around and came up with a cartridge about 6 inches long. He said, "I don't shoot it very long when I do."

[James Bearde]

thanks quickdraw

[Wolfgang]

The favorite cartridge of the buffalo hunters was the Sharps .45 x 2 7/8 paper patched. The normal range for buffalo hunting was 200 - 300 yards. At that range the buffalo herd was not spooked ( ie stampeded ) by the report of the rifle. The hunters could expect about 80 % or so of one shot kills with the .45 x 2 7/8 cartridge. Lots more information on these big cartridges and their present use is available over on the "Billy Dixon Long Range Shooting Society" forum.

[Sixgun]

Since you mentioned 45-70 cartridge gun we'll start there. The company now known and founded by Sharpes was not opened till 1855 prior to that they were actually produced by A.S. Nippes of Mill Creek, Pa.The 1874 Hunters model was made in 40,44,45-70 and 50-70 Barrel lengths were 26",28" or 30" models. There were only 600 of these made and in 1876 they started stamping "Old Reliable" on the barrels. Very good condition rifles now fetch between 6 and 8,000 Bucks.The long range models could be had in 45-90,45-120 and special order barrels out to 36" extremly rae 36" 50-120 models are now 10 grand and up in moderate condition. Factory records on file indicate that 100 of these 36' models were made from 1874 -1877. All marketed as "Buffalo Guns" were single shot. I am not familiar with any repeater models as they would have fallen into the modern round smokeless catagory and I show no reference to any repeaters in my guides. The Sharpes company produced well over 200,000 rifles prior to 1899 in multiple calibers configurations and styles. My favorite was the Sporting Model in 45-120 in a 28" barrel. For ballistics use that site Wolfgang posted. Dont know the maximum range but it was a might farther than you could run without havin to stop to pee along the way!
Six

[James Bearde]

Thanks 4 The Info Sixgun!...