Cheap Sharps Club

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Well, I'fn ya need more info than ya kin fin' here, OK.  But it sounds like 1 hek'uva cheap Sharps ta me!

Welcome to blackpowder cartridge fun.

[IE300]

I guess my IAB Sharps qualifies me for membership. Picked it up for $550. from a fellow member of the NorthEast Arms Collector's a few weeks ago. He had it at our little show and said he wanted $725. for it. Had to pass on it at the time, but I kept thinking about it and had sold a few guns and had enough money for the rifle.
A couple of weeks later at our meeting I was trying to find him 'cause I was still interested in that Sharps, but I couldn't remember the guy's name. Talking to one of the guys who organized the show, we were looking at the seating chart to try to figure out who it had been with the Sharps. As we were talking the guy appeared because he had heard I was looking for him. Turns out that he wanted $725. for the Sharps with the Pedersoli Tang sight that he had installed on it, but he would take $550. for it without the tang sight. We met the next day and I got my cheap IAB / Armi S. Marco Sharps. I knew it was Armi S. Marco from the barrel markings, but didn't know it was IAB until I took off the forarm and saw the IAB stamp underside of the barrel just in front of the receiver.
I was happy to give up the tang sight for the discount, because I had planned to install a Leatherwood Malcolm 30" scope on it anyway. So I got the rifle, and the scope and precission mount and some other accessories being delivered today. Don't anybody bother telling me how bad the mounts are. I've already discussed that subject at length on another part of this forum, and am prepaired to do whatever I need to do to make the scope setup right, even if it means ending up returning the upgraded mount and accessories and getting a set of MVA mounts. But since this is the Cheapo Sharps Club, I'm going to try to make the leatherwood stuff work. Or I might end up trying to fabricate a set of Unertl style mounts. I found a sight where a guy did just that using a micrometer as a basis, and although he certainly had to spend some time and effort on them, he ended up with a pretty nice setup for cheapo expense. I have a few tools and a little skill and a lot of patience, so we'll see.
I stand accused of being rather long winded in my posts, and I must once again plead guilty. I'll let you know how things go with my cheapo Sharps and scope setup. Only thing I've done so far is to strip off the ugly finish on the stock and gave it a hand rubbed oil finish. Already looks about 300% better, but can it shoot? Don't know, but maybe I'll find out this weekend.

[wildman1]

I am impressed IE300, 2 fingers huh?  Am lookin forward to seeing how every thing works out. WM

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Indeed!~

[FoFySemdy]

I gots me a cheap Sharps, IAB 45-70. Purchased from EMF out of SGNews ad about 1997. Came with tang site that fit Ok and globe front site that did not.
Still have the box, w/ S/N etc.  Did someone say there is a thread re serial numbers and production date info? My search skills may not be the best.

Anyway, rifle shoots Ok.  Minute of grapefruit at 100 yds with most trapdoor loads. Suspect that the chamber is long as some have mentioned. Have some cerosafe but haven't got around to casting the chamber.

Nice looker, pretty good shooter, no major issues. Too bad that IAB went under a while back. I was dinging them about the storage box and other small parts without ever a single response for quite some time. Then their site died.

Spotted this thread a while back and been lurking. Appreciate all the info on here, still haven't absorbed all of it. Forgive me if I repeat any inquiries.

Best Regards,
FFS

[cpt dan blodgett]

There should be a square box with 2 letters in it usually close to a couple of more proof house marks and a PN
AZ 1990
BA 1991
BB 1992
BC 1993
BD 1994
BF 1995
BH 1996
BI 1997
BL 1998
BM 1999
BN 2000
BP 2001
BS 2002
BT 2003

[FoFySemdy]

Sure enough. Under the handguard on the left side - BH in a box, and PSF and something else.
1996. Wonder if that was a good year?

Thank you!

[cpt dan blodgett]

Not sure one of my guns has a BS, which sorta seems appropriate.