Cap and Ball Sharps question
I am doing research on what I believe is a very rare Sharps rifle. I have info and pictures but it is a lot to post here. If anyone has the expertise and the interest please e-mail me directly and I can send info. my e-mail is epaker@comcast.net The gun is not for sale (at least not yet) and I don't want to break any rules just need to figure this out and any help would be greatly appreciated. I used to post in this forum but it has been a while, just hoping someone out there can help. Thank you, Ed.
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All the early Sharps made before the end of the Civil War, ( 1865 ). Were capping carbines or capping rifles. They used a tube, made of either cotton or animal gut. Loaded with a spherical bullet and black powder. It wasn't till after the mid 1860's that they switched over to conventional self contained cartridges.
The best general reference is Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms. It contains a specific section on the various Sharps.0 -
A Sharps rifle alone is rare, what makes yours very rare? 0 -
I got to shoot a few original Sharps including a 54 cal. percussion. I even learned to make paper cartridges for it.
You should post some pic's. It's not all that hard to figure out if you follow the guide lines here http://forums.GunBroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=259294
added Well I can see 2 not very good pic's. Your story sounds interesting, and worth chasing. I would think that if Grant was President at the time there would be some official record of such gifts as perhaps required by law.0 -
quote:Originally posted by swearengine
A Sharps rifle alone is rare, what makes yours very rare?
Appears to have been a presentation rifle, special engraving and inlays in the stock. One like it was in the Jim Davis Collection in Claremont OK at the Mason Hotel before it was turned into a museum. Story on that one was that it was one of 4 presented to General US Grant. There was a letter with the story in the hotel and my dad showed pictures of this rifle to Jim Davis Jr. years ago but he was unwilling to give any info. Rifle has been in the family since 1958, last time anyone saw the letter was 1953. Trying to confirm or deny what it really is. I have more info and pictures. really looking for someone with expertise or good reference materials.0 -
[img][/img]https://imageshack.com/i/plmMArXqp0 -
You will need the letter for provenance. Without, it is just a good story. I have been to Claremont and seen the collection but not recently. 0 -
The gun and letter are no longer in the museum. Story continues that each of Jim Davis' sons took one rifle from the collection, and, of course, one was the Grant rifle. All Jim Jr. would say was that that gun was sold to an actor in Hollywood (no name). I am hoping that there might be a way to confirm if there were any sharps given to Grant and if the serial number might help tie this gun to one of them. Dad has been trying for years to find something without luck, I figured I would reach out on here and I am pursuing other avenues. May not pan out but you never know until you try. 0 -
Richard Labowski, Phone (215) 748 1376 has all the surviving Sharps records. 0 -
yes Claremore, my bad. all of this is out of my realm of expertise (it is, admittedly a small realm!) and my info is second hand so I apologize if I get some of it wrong.
I have been hearing that Frank M. Sellers is the authority on Sharps rifles, anyone know if it is possible to contact him?0 -
Thanks for that tip Trapp55, I will try giving him a call 0
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