Selleck's '76 Carbine, and Northwest Mounted Police arms

[WoodrowC]

My interest in the history and arms of law enforcement agencies includes the North-West Mounted Police, and I make it a point while travelling to visit museums that focus on these subjects. For example, there is an excellent museum in the restored N.W.M.P fort in historic Fort McLeod, Alberta. It covers such subjects as the 1885 Rebellion that occurred in present day Alberta and Saskatchewan, and involved both the Mounted Police and the Canadian Military.
The exhibits include examples of the NWMP issued 1876 carbine in 45-75, and the S&W revolver issued at the time. Please excuse the poor photos, I didn't have the best camera at the time:






As well, I recommend the museum in Old Fort Henry at Kingston, Ontario. Their display of historic firearms is impressive, and also features NWMP 1876 carbines in condition as good as I've seen, considering the rough use they were put to.

I was fascinated by the '76 carbine used by Tom Selleck in Crossfire Trail, and I have seen two different articles stating that it was donated to 1) the NRA Museum 2) the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. I'm not sure where it is, perhaps someone here knows. It's a different calibre (45-60?) than the Mounted Police used, but it's a beautiful restoration by R&D Gunshop:



Gerry

[kimwcook]

Cool. I like Tom Selleck's cowboy movies. The movie Quigley Down Under forced me to buy a Shiloh Sharps. I blame him fully for that introduction.

[Doc Hudson]

While pre-production was going on for the movie, Tom Selleck had at least two M-1876's rebuilt at his personal expense, for some reason the though that there might have been more than two keeps popping into my head.

However many were built, they were Selleck's personal property and I read that he was having a ball shooting them. I also later heard that he had donated on to the NRA fireamrs Museum, and another to the Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. I don't know if he kept one to shoot.

[sureshot]

Here's a link to an article on Selleck's donation to the NRA Museum: http://www.nra.org/Article.aspx?id=7918

Steve

[marlinman93]

One of the three Shiloh Sharps used on the movie Quigley Down Under, (along with all accessories) is up for sale at the latest James Julia auction right now. I believe one of the three was also given to the NRA museum too. Strangely enough, Selleck owned all three when they were built, and now doesn't own any of them.

[H_Talon]

if you like the 76 check out a 1955 western the violent men.
in the movie the good guys are ambushing the bad guys
and the star uses 2 of them ...

it's also a great old movie

Talon

[WoodrowC]

Thanks, gentlemen........... Mr. Selleck's personal attention to his arms and equipment is what makes his films so enjoyable and authentic. I guess he can keep only so many guns ..........I guess..............oh well

[airedaleman]

I don't think that the revolver in the picture is a Smith and Wesson. Appears to be a European copy, most likely Belgian. And it was probably the constable's personal property because I believe that issue sidearm at the time was the Enfield .476 revolver.

[Ysabel Kid]

I was at the NRA's "National Firearms Museum" just last week, and saw a couple of Selleck's guns. Always a treat!

[Mike D.]

If my failing memory serves me correctly, a 1950s movie called "The Last Hunt" featured 1876s in a buffalo "stand". I haven't seen the film in over 30 years, but it steeped my interest in the 1876, leading to the purchase of a few of those classic rifles. I no longer own an original '76, but get satisfaction from a Chaparral copy.

[airedaleman]

If my failing memory serves me correctly, a 1950s movie called "The Last Hunt" featured 1876s in a buffalo "stand". I haven't seen the film in over 30 years, but it steeped my interest in the 1876, leading to the purchase of a few of those classic rifles. I no longer own an original '76, but get satisfaction from a Chaparral copy.

Just managed to find a DVD of "The Last Hunt." Robert Taylor uses the 1876, and Stewart Granger has a Sharps.Taylor also uses a DA revolver tricked out to look like a SAA to enhance his speed with a gun. Buffalo kills (done during culling operations) are impressive. No computer stuff or reproduction guns. Film was made in 1954. Saw it in the theater then,
and was quite pleased to see it again.

[Rusty]

I think I read somewhere that there were three rifles made up for the Quigley movie. One of them was a rubber prop gun.

[marlinman93]

According to Selleck, all three guns in Quigley were real shooting versions of the Shiloh Sharps. One gun did have a special barrel built from aluminum to make it easier to handle with one hand while moving around in various scenes. Even that gun had a standard barrel, and the aluminum was changed out when the filming was done.

[sureshot]

Here is one of the Sharps rifles used in the movie, along with the aluminum barrel and all the accessories used by Selleck, that was auctioned last weekend.
I wonder who bought it and for how much.
I know my lottery ticket scheme didn't work out, so it wasn't me.

[revolverjunkie]

must clean drool from keyboard can't stop looking want sharps
curses

[Ysabel Kid]

must clean drool from keyboard can't stop looking want sharps
curses

Drool? Heck, my laptop is now underwater and I am fighting dehydration again!