question about Sharps weights

[pete]

Don I forgot to say I don't have the book yet so I don't know what's in it.

[Don McDowell]

Get it Pete. The pictures alone makes it more than worth the price. The information they've provided in there is priceless.

[Marathonman]

Pete, the production numbers for the 50 2 1/2 are listed on page 83. They are estimated to only be 320 rifles produced from August 1872 to 1878.

[Lumpy Grits]

Those numbers are for rifles that left the factory in that caliber.
Are there any records to show rifles that Sharps rebarreled from .50cal, or to .50cal?
G.

[pete]

Thanks Don and Marathonman. Yea I'm going to get one as I sure haven't heard anything negative about it. 320 is not a lot of rifles for the 50 1/2.

[Don McDowell]

It''l make your drool and dream over your next rifle order Pete, be careful

[Yellowhouse]

Don, how many does it list for the 1 3/4 and 2 in 50's?

[Don McDowell]

500, and less than 50

[Marathonman]

The 50-90 using the 2 inch case might actually be more common in the sporting rifles than the factory records show. My 1869 carbine on page 66 is a 2 inch case gun and marked "L" on the barrel. I've own/owned two other 1874 military rifles so marked and chambered but neither one had any mention in the factory letter other than being 50 caliber but did have the "L" marking. I'm in the process of buying a Dodge City shipped 1872 military using the 2 inch case again with the "L" marking but only noted as 50 caliber in the factory records. I've killed two mule deer with the 1874 military guns using the 2 inch case and believe me when you touch it off you know for sure it isn't a 50-70 1 3/4. It's a pretty serious thunderclap and death stick when used on 4 legged critters! Far as I know the "L" marked 50 caliber guns is a fairly recent discovery but predates the 1874 models slightly or at least overlaps production.

[Yellowhouse]

Enigma to me. It is well known that 44-77 and 50-70 were the most popular calibers until the Bridgeport era and 45-70 yet only 500 were in 50-70 and even fewer 2.5 inch case rifles. Yet, of the known histories of the more successful or at least well known hunters they carried mostly the 2.5 in 50-90, some .44's and later the 45 2 7/8. Equally perplexing is the apparent fact that no one seems to be able to identify a pro hunter shooting a 45-70 which proved to be the most popular in the long run.. So, with those few (seemingly so) hunters aside what do we have? We have a whole hodge podge of people using everything under the sun but especially needle guns in 50-70, a caliber I suspect killed more than all the rest put together. Finally, there evidently was a whole lot of Sharps rifles bought by wannabes, scouts, hunters, and gotta haveits who never popped a cap on a buffalo.

[Don McDowell]

Well keep in mind there were 20 some thousand 63 carbines converted to mostly 50-70.
According the new book, in the end the 45-70 didn't surpass the 44-77 by much.

[Yellowhouse]

Well,I plumb dismissed the conversions!!! That put a lot more 50-70 out there.

[Don McDowell]

There's a museum in eastern Mt. has 2 or 3 sharps rifles from the area notables in it. One of them I sort of get a chuckle out of , the original owner was involved in the Stoneyville battle (Alzada Mt.) took that sharps rifle the next day to Mill Iron and traded it for an 86 winchester, something light enough carry and carried enough ammunition to fight with.