Shiloh Rifle Forums

So, out of the blue, an old Farmingdale rifle has surfaced down here, first one I've seen.
I have a mate who's been keen to get hold of a Sharps ever since he saw my Shiloh and I've got first dibs on this one.
It's chambered in .45-70, has pistol grip, shotgun butt-plate, double set triggers and a heavy looking octagonal barrel. ( I've only seen photos so far )
It is fairly well priced, $2400 of our South Pacific Pesos, about $1850 US. ( Considering that an Italian Sharps goes for over $3k down here and second hand B.T Shilohs start at $3.5K )
My questions for y'all are:
How good are these rifles?
How do they compare with Big Timber Shilohs?
Is there anything in particular I should look for when I get to inspect the rifle?
Any common problems?
Cheers

GR the early farmers had the large diameter 1 piece firing pin, now days all Shilohs have 2 piece pins that are smaller dia. See how much freebore ahead of the chamber and if it is larger diameter than the groove dia. Bobw

I have a .44-77 early farmingdale and it has the one piece firing pin and I pulled a Big timber block form on of Kirks 74 and they interchange with out a hitch.
The rifle is worth how ever bad your wanting it

I suspect it is well worth that price. I have had a couple and found them very good. Not as nice as Bryan/BIg Timber models, but much better than the Italian stuff. The long freebore can be an issue, but it can be worked around.

Shut up and take my money! lol
Good luck, Cody

I personally don't want it, I'm looking to get it for my mate. He's not a competition shooter but is keen to get hold of a Sharps.
It currently resides on an island in a large river to the North of Sydney. It's about a 7 hour drive plus the boat ride. Just need to know if it's worth taking the trouble just to get a look at it.

There's nothing wrong with the Farmingdale Shilohs despite what a lot of new comers think. My belief is that they generally are truer to the original Sharps rifles than the current productions. The Farmingdale Shilohs and pre-Bryant Shilohs were more utilitarian, working rifles, than the pieces of art that are currently being produced (sorry Kirt and crew). I have a pair of Farmingdale rifles and really like them. The $1850 USd equivalent sounds like a pretty good price to me. My other Shiloh rifles are all pre-Bryant and I wouldn't trade/sell them for anything.
George
Salmon, Idaho

Hey George,

It’s Kirk and Bryan, if your going to bad mouth their rifles, at least get their name right.

Kenny Wasserburger

One more thing: I don't know when the transition to separate transfer block and small floating firing pin was made, but the current firing pins will not fit the early floating pins, and the early design firing pins are not being made. My reference point is a Big Timber rifle made in 1996. Kirk fit a new block with the current firing pin design to that rifle for me.

Clarence

Kenny,

I was not "bad mouthing" the current Shiloh production. They are building what the current buyers want. I see a lot of them that are more pieces of art. The early (Farmingdale) Shiloh rifles were pretty "plane jane" and, as such, more like the original Sharps rifles were. No offense was intended. I am more of a traditionalist and feel that the fancy rifles were few and far between with the original Sharps rifles. There is certainly nothing wrong with a really nice piece of wood on a rifle. I even have a few rifles with better than average wood.

George

Dan I'd be interested to see what rifle it is. You know that military rifle that " Shiloh" ( alias not company ) used to shoot ..well that was a Farmingdale in 45/70 and he gave no ground to anyone when at a match. His rifle had the 'freebore' thats spoken of...and from memory was 1/2" or better ! Always seemed huge when looking down the breech. He did his homework though and got that rifle shooting really well. I know Gary brought a Farmingdale home from the Quigley one year and he actually liaised with Shiloh who were at the Q at the time and had the block and linkage changed over to suit. The tolerances were amazing. Just like it was made for it. He had two other rifles shooting well at the time though and decided to on-sell the rifle rather than persevere with more load development. Be interesting to see if thats the same gun. Early Shilohs were brought into the country in very limited numbers years and years ago but to my knowledge most if any now...are brought in privately and at considerable expense. They can be made to shoot with the 'freebore' but in hindsight it appears to have been a solution in search of a problem. For that money, if its tidy.. it would seem hard to go wrong. Also of note it will have a monumental half cock position and much further back than the current production rifles. I believe this was more in line with the early original rifles and facilitated the placing of a cap...but hey... I've been wrong before.

rgds.. J.B.

Yeah Gav, it's the one in the email Paul received and forwarded.
That military one you speak of shot well and was shot by a good shooter, I miss having him around.
Just trying to get another "bum on a seat" as we say. Time will tell if it comes about.
See you Friday.
Dan

I will have to come down and visit you blokes sometime

This weekend would have been the perfect one to come down for, it's our ( BRAA ) Quigley shoot.
Same targets and distances as THE Quigley, just closer to home.