sharps calibre 40 - The Firearms Forum

aaronmb · 02-13-2010, 10:02 PM

Hello, I am a new member and I have a sharps rifle I would like to know more
about. Any info would be great. It is an original sharps round barrel. On the
barrel top starting at the breach end it has CALIBRE 40 then a flip up site
then SHARPS RIFLE CO. BRIDGEPORT. CONN. then "OLD RELIABLE".
serial# is on top right in front of cheek behind breach and hammer.
serial#156395. on left side of the breach it has SHARPS RIFLE CO. PAT.APR.6 1869. The site has R.S.LAWRENCE PATENTED FEB. 15TH 1859.
It also has 1 trigger. The barrel has no rust in side or out blueing looks to be at least 85%-90% all over no cracks in the stock has some marks on stock along with a few scratches. One thing I would like to know is any history on this rifle ie orignal owner I was told a family member bought it new.
I would also like to know if it is a 40-70,40-90,40-110 or what?
And where I could find ammo for it. And how much for ammo.Also an aproximit value for insurance purposes. thank you. aaronmb
p.s. will send pics soon

TRAP55 · 02-13-2010, 10:12 PM

Richard Labowski, Phone (215) 748 1376, has all the surviving Sharps records. Contact him with the serial number and he'll tell you if he has the records for it. Well worth the price to have a copy too. It will have listed any factory options, the caliber it was chambered in, where it was shipped to, and when.
Can you post some pics of it?

aaronmb · 02-14-2010, 12:56 AM

I will post some pics some time soon hopefully today. by the way thank you for responding.
I live in ohio and i can't find any one near here that knows anything about it.
seems like everyone has heard of a sharps but have not seen one like this one. they all say they always thought they all had octigon barrels.

Zane71464 · 02-14-2010, 01:01 AM

Welcome to the forum aaronmb, looking forward to seeing pictures of the gun!

aaronmb · 02-14-2010, 01:16 AM

thank you i am very new to this pc stuff i normaly hang out at the donut shop in the mornings just to sit and hear all the storys from the "old timers"
in fact one of my personal heros invited me to meet him there this morning.
he is 90 years old a pearl harbor serviver and a former pow in ger. he was shot down over ger. while on a bomber run.

TRAP55 · 02-14-2010, 01:41 AM

Quote:

they all say they always thought they all had octagon barrels.

They made them Octagon, Round, and half Round and half Octagon. The only model I know of that only came with a full round barrel was the 1874 Sharps Business Rifle, with standard double set triggers.
My WAG on the caliber would be the 40-70 Sharps necked, a bottle neck cartridge. Sharps usually marked their barrels for bottle neck cartridges with just the caliber, 40-70 straight wall case chambered rifles were marked .40 -2.5 , the 2.5 meaning a 2 1/2" long case.
A chamber cast is a must to determine exactly what it is. Sharps would chamber in Winchester calibers too, and many were sent back and re-chambered for a larger case caliber. When you know the caliber, I can track down some ammo for you.
Get some pics up and I can give you a guesstimate on value, even wallhangers will bring $2K. How is the bore condition?

aaronmb · 02-14-2010, 12:05 PM

how do i put pics onto this page

TheGunClinger · 02-14-2010, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronmb

how do i put pics onto this page

I hope this link to another thread helps you as I really want to see pictures. Welcome to the forum! Hope you will learn as much as I am. Great site.
http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?t=35935

TRAP55 · 02-14-2010, 03:17 PM

Aaron, this is my Sharps Business rifle that came to me as a basket case in a coffee can, for payment on a dozen water damaged guns I restored for a friend.
It was owned by Teddy Roosevelt, given to his hunting guide Bill Grinell, and Bill gave it to my friends dad. Took me about 8yrs to restore it to shooting condition, the original barrel was packed in grease and replaced with a Shilen Match barrel in 45/70.

aaronmb · 02-15-2010, 08:09 PM

I've been having trouble with my pc so i'm a little slow at getting pics on to the site. some one asked about the bore. the few "gun shops" i've taken it
to have all said it has a "very shootable bore". it is clean with no pits or signs
of rust. there is a few dings on the stock but looks superfical.
i have not been able to find any pic like it on the web. i got this rifle from my
grandfather and was told it belonged to his uncle. who got it from his father
who was the original owner.?. so please bear with me while i get the problem
fixed with my pc.

02-13-2010, 10:12 PM	#2
TRAP55 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Occupied Territory Of Kalifornia Posts: 1,834	Re: sharps calibre 40 Richard Labowski, Phone (215) 748 1376, has all the surviving Sharps records. Contact him with the serial number and he'll tell you if he has the records for it. Well worth the price to have a copy too. It will have listed any factory options, the caliber it was chambered in, where it was shipped to, and when. Can you post some pics of it? __________________ Aim small...Miss small www.mausercentral.com/forum

02-14-2010, 12:56 AM	#3
aaronmb Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Fairborn Ohio Posts: 10	Re: sharps calibre 40 I will post some pics some time soon hopefully today. by the way thank you for responding. I live in ohio and i can't find any one near here that knows anything about it. seems like everyone has heard of a sharps but have not seen one like this one. they all say they always thought they all had octigon barrels.

02-14-2010, 01:01 AM	#4
Zane71464 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ohio NRA Member Contributor Posts: 5,358	Re: sharps calibre 40 Welcome to the forum aaronmb, looking forward to seeing pictures of the gun! __________________ Two Words; "Simple Man", song by Charlie Daniels sums up my thoughts on a "few things"!

02-14-2010, 01:16 AM	#5
aaronmb Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Fairborn Ohio Posts: 10	Re: sharps calibre 40 thank you i am very new to this pc stuff i normaly hang out at the donut shop in the mornings just to sit and hear all the storys from the "old timers" in fact one of my personal heros invited me to meet him there this morning. he is 90 years old a pearl harbor serviver and a former pow in ger. he was shot down over ger. while on a bomber run.

02-14-2010, 12:05 PM	#7
aaronmb Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Fairborn Ohio Posts: 10	Re: sharps calibre 40 how do i put pics onto this page

02-13-2010, 10:02 PM	#1
aaronmb Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Fairborn Ohio Posts: 10	sharps calibre 40 Hello, I am a new member and I have a sharps rifle I would like to know more about. Any info would be great. It is an original sharps round barrel. On the barrel top starting at the breach end it has CALIBRE 40 then a flip up site then SHARPS RIFLE CO. BRIDGEPORT. CONN. then "OLD RELIABLE". serial# is on top right in front of cheek behind breach and hammer. serial#156395. on left side of the breach it has SHARPS RIFLE CO. PAT.APR.6 1869. The site has R.S.LAWRENCE PATENTED FEB. 15TH 1859. It also has 1 trigger. The barrel has no rust in side or out blueing looks to be at least 85%-90% all over no cracks in the stock has some marks on stock along with a few scratches. One thing I would like to know is any history on this rifle ie orignal owner I was told a family member bought it new. I would also like to know if it is a 40-70,40-90,40-110 or what? And where I could find ammo for it. And how much for ammo.Also an aproximit value for insurance purposes. thank you. aaronmb p.s. will send pics soon -->

02-14-2010, 03:17 PM	#9
TRAP55 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Occupied Territory Of Kalifornia Posts: 1,834	Re: sharps calibre 40 Aaron, this is my Sharps Business rifle that came to me as a basket case in a coffee can, for payment on a dozen water damaged guns I restored for a friend. It was owned by Teddy Roosevelt, given to his hunting guide Bill Grinell, and Bill gave it to my friends dad. Took me about 8yrs to restore it to shooting condition, the original barrel was packed in grease and replaced with a Shilen Match barrel in 45/70. __________________ Aim small...Miss small www.mausercentral.com/forum

02-15-2010, 08:09 PM	#10
aaronmb Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Fairborn Ohio Posts: 10	Re: sharps calibre 40 I've been having trouble with my pc so i'm a little slow at getting pics on to the site. some one asked about the bore. the few "gun shops" i've taken it to have all said it has a "very shootable bore". it is clean with no pits or signs of rust. there is a few dings on the stock but looks superfical. i have not been able to find any pic like it on the web. i got this rifle from my grandfather and was told it belonged to his uncle. who got it from his father who was the original owner.?. so please bear with me while i get the problem fixed with my pc.