Was someone looking for a C.Sharps ?

[Marshal Deadwood]

This seems like a good price to me. Wish I had the money.

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(14hxfg45eivste55bh3dhl55))/categories/partDetail.aspx?catId=12&subId=79&styleId=273&partNum=AAH-263

MD

[drcook]

MD.

this post is NOT a criticism of you, so please don't take it that way, it is just an observation about
rifles that I have noticed over the past couple years since I have gotten into the sport and my thouights
about that particular rifle only, don't read anything into my post here other than it's my thoughts about
that gun

there is a reason why that rifle is for sale. It is one of the "mistake guns" that I posted about
over on the Shiloh board and others jumped in and agreed with my reasoning.  When you
read down through the text you see:

This rifle is chambered for the large .50-90 (2-1/2") Sharps straight case.

then a litte further down:

Trigger reach is 13-3/4". Weight is 10.9 pounds

With a weight of 10.9 lbs, and chambered in 50-90, if you shot that thing with the size bullets
needed for target work (most of the people I know shoot 650 to 700 gr bullets in their 50-90's)
you might need some cortisone shots in your shoulder and definitely would end up with a
recoil headache.

As for it being a hunting gun, possibly, but 10.9 lbs is still a bit heavy to carry around too much
and a 32" barrel a bit long for the woods, it would work for carrying out and shooting from a
stand off sticks.

A little further down the list there at TOTW is a Shiloh 50-90. It weighs in at 12.3 lbs. That is a bit
better weight.

My shooting partner shot our other friend's 50-90. It is a 34" heavy barreled Sharps, so it weighs a bit
over 12.3 (I don't know what the extra 2" of barrel would add"). My friend is an experienced 45-110
shooter, but when he shot the 50-90, he said he knew he shot something.

I have gotten recoil headaches from my 45-100's before, and even a 45-90 with the stiff loads I use
and a 540 gr bullet can get your attention if not held correctly. My 90 is a heavy barreled Sharps. 

I let one of my 100's using a 540 gr bullet get a run at my collar bone ONCE. notice I said ONCE. I can't
imagine a light weight 50-90. I turned down the opportunity to shoot our friends. 

My new 45-110 weighs a published 13.5 lbs and my other 110 weighs almost 15 lbs. It is not a hunting
gun to say the least, but sure tames down the recoil.

That rifle could be made into a shooter if a mercury recoil reducer was installed into the stock, maybe
2 of them would be better however, it doesn't say what the barrel's rate of twist is. That could be
another issue. 

Some of the tip offs that will help indicate a "mistake gun" are phrases like "only shot 10 times",  looks
"brand new and barely fired", "owner is motivated to sell". prices lower than what they should be to
buy the rifle new, as the American made (and Pedersoli's somewhat) hold their value without
depreciation, etc etc etc. If you watch the auction sites, there are usually 2 catergories of these
single shot rifles that turn up"

1. the mistake guns and they are pretty obvious

2. the guns that someone is trying to make a big profit on due to the waiting periods to get a decent
one. they are trying to capitalize on a "I want it". Usually Shilohs, these will be inflated 4 to 500.00 over
what it really should cost.

Right now, over on gunbroker, is a guy trying to sell  a bunch of C. Sharps rifles that are in some of the
weirdest combinations of features.

The C. Sharps 1875 make a decent gun at a pretty decent price. I have some friends that shoot them
and saw other folks out at Alliance doing well with theirs.

Best regards and a tip of the hat for taking the time to point the rifle out.

Dave C.

[Marshal Deadwood]

Dave,,sir,, thank you.... I admit,,I never considered all the angles you pointed out. You are indeed a wise gun purchaser...

Thanks

MD

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[Short Knife Johnson]

Yes, Dave is indeed a very wise guy.  I've learned much from his (and other's) posts over at Shiloh.  I don't want to know how many guys wasted their dollars on .45-120's, .50-140's, and lightweight (relatively speaking) .50-90's.  Also military buttplates on all of the aforementioned.  The fact of the matter is, these rifles are way too expensive to be ordering stupid features. 

True, cresent buttplates were the norm on many of the early Sharps' and High Walls.  Rolling Blocks had these brutal curved every which-a-way metal plate that gives one a flinch if you gaze at it long enough.  But these were for hunting rifles that were carried in a wagon, then fired often sitting off of cross sticks when it doesnt beat you too bad.  Back then, people were also smaller which I think, (as a shooter standing 6'5" and about 220 lbs) makes smaller statured shooters are more tolerant of recoil due to the amount of recoil energy absorbed by the body before they start to move.  But avid long range target shooters ordered their rifles with shotgun style buttplates. 

When I lay down for a round of silhouette consisting of 30 targets prone (from 300 to 500m), and 10 chickens standing @ 200m, plus 3 or 4 sighter shots per bank of animals, a "mistake rifle" would become evident.  In a way, the wait for a Shiloh is a blessing, it gives you some time to ponder what you are dumping $3000 and up into.  You do research, get advice, and order what you need, not what you think you want.  If you want a hunting rifle that will be seldom fired, get the crescent buttplate, regular weight barrel, while you're at it, run the chamber out to .45-110 (I've hammered a few shots down the pipe of a rifle similarly configured... not fun).  Make sure you've got a good dental plan.  I myself fire roughly 110 rounds in a two day shoot from my heavy barrelled .45-90 with a shotgun buttplate, and come away none the worse for wear. 

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy Gents

     Any large caliber rifle that has a crescent shaped butt plate, the maker of the rifle was doing this purely for looks, they new way back when, that a 90 degree center line of bore fix on the but of a rifle or shot gun would remove most of the harsh felt recoil in large caliber guns, because it is known the the 90 degree but stock will fill the stock completely with recoil, instead of just a portion of the stock, as does a crescent shaped but stock, therefore softening felt recoil a bunch, having a 90 degree butt stock and the right length of pull on a rifle, can make shooting these high powered rifle really enjoyable, IMHO. and I learned this first hand. Some shotgun butts are truly at 90 degrees, and some are close, the ones that are at 90 are truly fun to shoot, and don't beat you up in the process.

         Regards

       tEN wOLVES   

[Short Knife Johnson]

Yeah, that was something I had forgot to touch on with that last post.  Stock pitch is crucial with the heavy kickers.  90 to 88 degrees is preferred, closer to 90 the better.  Many double rifles also are cast off about 3/8" to the left or right depending tne the handedness of the shooter to direct more recoil away from the shooter.  I have a Safari Arms .50 cal muzzleloader that is cast off to the right which makes it a pleaure to shoot right handed with heavy loads.  Not so much fun to shoot her lefty - found that out the hard way.  Stockmaking is truly an art untoitself.